Adding Life to Your Documentation  

Suggests several techniques technical writers can use to enliven their writing and improve their documentation.

Potsus, Whitney Beth. Intercom (2003). Articles>Documentation>Writing>Technical Writing

Dealing With Professional Burnout

Professional burnout can strike anyone regardless of their profession - tech writer, corporate trainer, freelance writer, website marketing specialist, butcher, baker, candlestick maker - but it's not always easy to detect until the damage has been done. This article looks at the signs of professional burnout and dealing with them head on - alone and with the help of others. It also provides resources you can use to break out of your rut.

Potsus, Whitney Beth. Writing Assistance (2007). Careers>Advice

Is Your Documentation Translation-Ready?  

Describes several ways technical communicators can prepare their documentation for translation.

Potsus, Whitney Beth and Kaarina Kvaavik. Intercom (2001). Articles>Language>Localization

The Life of a Lone Writer

'Lone writers' — those people who work as their employer’s only staff writers — are a different breed, with their own unique set of professional and personal challenges. At the same time a blessing and a curse, the lone writer life offers flexibility, variety, and autonomy, along with feelings of stress, isolation, and burnout.

Potsus, Whitney Beth. Writing Assistance (2006). Careers>TC>Technical Writing

Raising Your Documentation Team's Visibility

Whether the documentation department has a staff of one or a team of 12, visibility within the company is a frequent concern. The reasons for this concern range from personal to professional. You want to be remembered when promotions and bonuses are handed out.

Potsus, Whitney Beth. Writing Assistance (2006). Careers>Management>Documentation>Workplace

Selecting a Translation Agency  

The authors offer advice on choosing translation firms, with special emphasis on the interview process.

Potsus, Whitney Beth and Catherine Deschamps-Potter. Intercom (2002). Design>Language>Translation>Localization

The Life of a Lone Writer

Lone writers are found across all industries, as junior- and senior-level employees, contract workers and direct employees. Sometimes, they’re not even the only writers in their company, but rather are the only writers in their division with either little to no contact — or little to nothing in common — with the other writers in other company divisions.

Potsus, Whitney Beth. TechCom Manager (2006). Articles>Writing>Business Communication>Workplace

Raising Your Documentation Team's Visibility

Whether the documentation department has a staff of one or a team of 12, visibility within the company is a frequent concern. The reasons for this concern range from personal to professional. You want to be remembered when promotions and bonuses are handed out. You want new challenges to add diversity to your workload, and new projects to add skills to your resume. You want to defend your turf against budget cuts and layoffs during lean economic times. And you want to be more than an afterthought that lives in the back 40 of the cubicle farm.

Potsus, Whitney Beth. TechCom Manager (2005). Articles>Management>Documentation>Workplace

Launching into a Writing Project -- Tips for New Writers

One of the challenges of managing new writers is helping them discover and develop their writing process. Whether the new writers have just come out of school, or have recently 'fallen into' the field without the benefit of much training, they often experience the same problems in planning and composing -- which have their roots in how they learned to write.

Potsus, Whitney Beth. TechCom Manager (2005). Careers>Management>Writing

Dealing With Professional Burnout

The emotional components of burnout are trickier to deal with. By the time they start becoming noticeable to those around us, the core issues are so deeply rooted that the feelings can be difficult to overcome:

Potsus, Whitney Beth. TechCom Manager (2005). Careers>TC

Bloom Wherever You’re Planted: A Different View on Fostering Career Longevity    

Potsus provides twelve tips on how to maintain your mental, spiritual, professional, and physical health in order to ensure you grow and flourish in your career, instead of wither away.

Potsus, Whitney Beth. Intercom (2009). Careers>TC>Professionalism