tekom 2023 event about the future of technical writers at Sigma Technology Hungary
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On April 20th, Sigma Technology Hungary hosted a tekom Magyarország event at our office in Budapest, welcoming 20-30 technical writers and translators from tekom Magyarország. „When we joined tekom last year, our main ambition was to share topics our technical writers are interested in and – through discussing these with other professionals – to gain more experience, insights, and perhaps practical tips from each other,” – says Gabriella Alexi, Product Information Business Area Manager at Sigma Technology Hungary.
Our senior technical writer, Adrienn Miklós, presented on the topic of “What does it take to be a technical writer in 2023?” followed by László Gellén introducing the topic of Artificial Intelligence and analyzing the effect of this trend on writer’s career, ending up in a lively networking event. During the presentation, attendees had the opportunity to discuss the skills required for the evolving field of technical communication and how we can build a rewarding career path for all colleagues.
Today, we asked Adrienn, László, and Ágnes Czinkóczki, delegate of tekom Magyarország, about the event and asked them to share their impressions about the event. Join us as we recap this insightful event in this triple interview!
What were some of the main themes or takeaways from the event?
Ágnes Czinkoczki, delegate of tekom Magyarország:
The event made me realize again how diverse our job is, including our tasks and required skillset as well. Working as a technical writer involves a great variety of activities, which makes the profession really interesting and stimulating. There is an ongoing need for learning new topics and acquiring skills and competencies.
Adrienn Miklós, Technical Writer at Sigma Technology Hungary:
For me, it was a great opportunity to share my approach to helping and motivating new tech writers. It was also the first time that I had put together how my experiences during my career affected the way I see the mentoring process and technical writing in general.
László Gellén, Technical Writer at Sigma Technology Hungary:
While it is important to stay ahead of the curve with the latest technologies regarding information management, universal skills like assertive communication, business skills, and effective project management are also equally important parts of the technical communicator’s skill sets. Which one will be prevalent in an assignment very much depends on the type and needs of the project. Any other proficiencies that make you whole as a person can also contribute to being whole as a professional.
How do you see the role of technical writers evolving in the next few years?
Ágnes Czinkoczki, delegate of tekom Magyarország:
I think one of the most important aspects of the profession, our mission so to say, will be to help and guide our users in this absolute information overflow we live in. We are overwhelmed by information that comes in numerous formats and from various sources and places. Our goal is – and increasingly will be – to create and deliver information to our users when, where, and in a way that meets their information needs. We aim to provide content that is easy to find, usable, and useful.
Adrienn Miklós, Technical Writer at Sigma Technology Hungary:
With more and more complex systems, there will always be a need for people willing and brave enough to try to decipher those systems for the target audience. Technology will evolve, we adapt to it and provide that extra, which human creativity and insight can bring.
László Gellén, Technical Writer at Sigma Technology Hungary:
I expect that the technical writing focus will shift from content creation toward control over AI-generated content, making sure that the right information and data in the required format are available for the processes and applications in the content creation and publishing toolchain and that it provides the desired user experience.
How do you think technical writing will change as automation and artificial intelligence become more prevalent in the workplace?
Ágnes Czinkoczki, delegate of tekom Magyarország:
It will definitely change; however, it is hard to say exactly how. I would assume that AI will automate or perform repetitive tasks and activities that follow a certain pattern. This will enable technical writers to focus on more complex tasks, for example, defining documentation structures, models, and taxonomies.
Adrienn Miklós, Technical Writer at Sigma Technology Hungary:
A lot of our repetitive tasks are already automated (grammar checks, document or library building) and I think, if adopted right, we usually welcome these changes. I tend to look at these systems as a tool in the toolbox, where I can pick my equipment from according to the problem I’m facing.
László Gellén, Technical Writer at Sigma Technology Hungary:
The expected spread of applications powered by generative AI might heavily affect technical documentation. Supporting some standard technical writing activities will save a lot of time. Still, technical writers must be ready to offer value in other parts of the documentation-related workflow. That can mean very different areas, from enterprise information architecture, through data science, to technical project management or UX design.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in technical writing?
Ágnes Czinkoczki, delegate of tekom Magyarország:
Go for it! Working as a technical writer involves a great variety of activities. I am sure you’ll find what’s in it for you. Writing user documentation, proofreading, and editing. Creating graphics and videos, blogging on social media, designing chatbots; planning, designing, and delivering documentation structures; collaborating with team members and stakeholders; coaching and mentoring colleagues; conducting user research… to mention a few.
As you can see from the list, being a technical writer will surely provide you with endless professional and personal development opportunities.
Adrienn Miklós, Technical Writer at Sigma Technology Hungary:
Always learn and improve yourself and your skills. There is a need for each skill. You just need to find the right employer or industry for what you know and who you are. Keep an open mind. Work with your peers, clients, engineers, and so on. You can be cooperative partners and help each other reach a common goal.
László Gellén, Technical Writer at Sigma Technology Hungary:
Follow closely the evolution of information management and next-generation technologies, especially generative AI. That will help the professionals to react when they face the situation that they need to very quickly incorporate generative AI in their everyday work or even compete against it. Also, invest in building knowledge about enterprise information and development workflows to become an essential part of business processes and a facilitator of conversation between information users and developers.
What do you hope attendees took away from the event, and how do you see the discussions and ideas shared there impacting the field of technical writing going forward?
Ágnes Czinkoczki, delegate of tekom Magyarország:
I think the most interesting and striking bits were the presentation and discussions about Chat GTP and technical writing. We are at the beginning of this journey, and there will be much to learn and share in the future. I am sure tekom Hungary will organize future events about AI and Chat GTP where we can stop for a sec, take a look at where we are, and discuss how we see the future of technical writing.
Adrienn Miklós, Technical Writer at Sigma Technology Hungary:
I hope that the attendees will remember some of the questions raised and the experiences shared, and when they think about their career path or that of a colleague, they can see the possible choices more consciously.
László Gellén, Technical Writer at Sigma Technology Hungary:
I think we are all facing similar questions and uncertainties in the industry, and even if we do not see clearly the direction yet, it is great that we can get together and share and compare the questions we have and the ideas we can come up with. I believe that all the shared investigations in different directions will result in a vector showing the way toward technical communication’s future. And those who participate in similar discussions have a better chance of getting there.
