Remuneration varies across industry. Starters can get around R10,000 to R18,000 a month. With five to nine years of experience one can get R30,000 to R45,000 a month. With more experience, sky is the limit.

9am: Reach office 10am: Check documentation issues, prioritise them 10.30am: Discussions with programmers or quality team, depending on the relevance of the issue. 1.30pm: Lunch 2.30pm: Get content reviewed and published 3.30pm: Team meetings, training sessions 6pm: Leave for home

•  Basic to expert level language editing skills
•  Knowledge of Lotus Symphony, MS Office, Adobe Technical Communication Suite, FileNet, Author IT, Documentum, etc
•  Basic to expert level programming language skills like C, C++, Java. Certain job roles will require knowledge of specific applications and tools like Databases, ERP, CAD, etc

•  You get to learn more about the product you are writing about
•   Your words can reach the entire world as many will read about it
•   One can diversify into advertising

Unlike other professions, you do not require any specific qualification, degree or certificate. Some organisations prefer a mass communication or literature background. Candidates with knowledge of content management tools, specific programming languages and applications are more likely to land jobs as a technical writers.

You can do a course in technical writing from a private institute. Graduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes can be done in the US, Canada, Australia. Technical communication as a PhD subject can go together with computer science, and even philosophy .