Building a Technical Writing
Portfolio
Presented by: Andre Felton
Written by: Linnea Dodson
Outline of this Presentation
 An article to improve your chances of presenting
yourself as a better technical writer for job
interviews
 Increase technical writing skills
 A better understanding of the criteria looked for by
employers when choosing an employee for a
technical writing position.
 Examples of chances to further your technical
writing from everyday occurrences, experiences,
etc.
Its Peanut Butter Jelly Time!
 During an interview for a technical writing
position, one must prove they are as good as
they say their by demonstrating their skills.
 To prove this, it is common that the
employer will ask the potential employee:
 “Describe to me how you make a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich.”
Dumb it Down
 A sure-fire way to impress
your employer is show
just how well you can
clarify some form of
literature filled with
technical jargon.
 Conciseness and increased
comprehensibility are two
major goals of a technical
writer.
 For example: check the
back of aspirin bottle for
the warning label and
legal fine print. If you can
reduce the word count and
bring it on a level for the
“common” person to
understand what is being
said about the medicine
without question, then you
have done an excellent
job.
The wrist bone is connected to
…………… my Wristwatch?
 If you are looking for a how-to writing job, then a form of good practice
writing would be to find a few things around the house that had to be built on
the spot.
 We all have had to put together a television stand before. Disassemble it and
create an outline of how to put it together without the original directions in
front of you. Instead, use your own methods of putting it together as the draft
for how to put it together and describe it.
 It is always good to add bonuses that improve the experience of the product that
you are designing the how-to article for: such as recipes with microwave
instructions or how to position the speakers of a stereo to achieve a “false”
surround sound effect.
 A technical how-to writer has to make sure that the instructions are as clear and
precise as possible for the reader to follow with ease. If the author cannot fully
follow their steps as though they have never done it before, then they have
failed to accomplish the two leading goals of a technical writer.
Sit Boo-boo boo! Sit!
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Another great sample to have in your
technical writing portfolio is a training guide
on any skill you have.
If you have raised a pet, or currently raising
one, then writing on how to train the pet to sit
or just to not tug when being walked is a
good exercise.
Remember that when going for an interview,
not all training guide samples are universally
appealing. Meaning that if you are
interviewing for a position on writing a
training guide for how to work a particular
car, it would behoove you not to bring
“Juggling in 10 Easy Steps” as your sample.
Bring something of general relevance.
It is always good to have one or two software
manuals that you have rewritten the
instructions in your own words and manners
along with a separate copy of the original.
You can even write a training guide on how
to make your dog a HOT dog!
The Sky is Your Limit!
 Technical writing is not limited to only training guides,
how-to manuals, and jargon-bursting breakdowns.
 When choosing a technical writing career, try writing as
many different documents as you can for various
programs, mannerisms, myth busting, etc.
 The world is filled with literature that not everyone is
going to always understand (complex computer
programming manuals, quick-start brochures, on-line help,
etc). There will always be easier/different ways to explain
things to people, and a technical writer is only as good as
their imagine can take them.
That’s All Folks!
 Dodson, Linnea. “Building a Technical
Writing Portfolio.” The Web Resource for
Communication Professionals.
http://writersblock.ca/winter1999/essay.html