Why Technical Writing?
This essay originated (in a much different form as "Why Law School?") as part of the personal statement I submitted with my law school applications in 2004. This current version is the revision I submitted in my graduate school application in 2009.
I can't say that I've always wanted to be a writer. I can't even say that I've wanted to be a writer for years. What I can say is that my career by 2004 was not where my future lay. It did not engage me. It did not challenge me. It did not fulfill me. It did not exercise my best talents. I was unfulfilled and unlikely to advance much further in my career. This revelation ushered in a period of personal and professional introspection that caused me to reconsider nearly every aspect of my life.
When I began my college education in earnest at Southern Connecticut State University in 1990, I realized, within the first few semesters, that I had a talent and a love for academic writing, unrefined though my skills were at the time. While most students grumbled when presented with a semester-long writing assignment, I relished it. I enjoy the idea of tackling an issue and presenting a compelling argument with scholarly research. I do not have the conventional artistic talent of a painter or sculptor, but, in some ways, the highly structured exercise of academic writing was my art. Over the course of my academic career at Southern, I crafted several papers that received high marks and praise from my professors. Though I loved the craft of writing and research, I decided against pursuing an advanced degree in Political Science. The career options seemed too limited. Instead, I returned to work and held several rewarding positions. I learned new skills and grew as an individual; however, I continued to search for a career that would give outlet to my creative passions.
Working with young people as I have over the years, my career advice to them has always been "find what you're passionate about and find some way to make money at it." It was time for me to heed my own advice. What I truly enjoy doing, and what I'm good at, is writing. With this in mind, I researched careers that would allow me to exercise this talent in a practical and gratifying way. In essence, I looked outside the box of what I generally saw as suitable career possibilities and let my talents and desires guide me to new possibilities. The technical writing profession is neither the destination I expected nor one I even considered previously; however, I grow more excited each day with the possibility of exercising my talents in a new career; a career that challenges me intellectually and gives outlet to my passions for writing and technology.
I hope you enjoyed this piece. Leave me a comment below or send me a message and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you.
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Writer. Texan.
Man About Town.
A fifteen-year technology veteran, I have held several positions writing and editing technical and business documents. I am an avid writer, both professionally and personally, and have a growing interest in creative writing, having written several pieces of short fiction.
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