Path Finding and Niche Making

by Patrick Hofmann

My most recent speaking engagement on wordlessness -- where I ironically and endlessly babble on and on about visual language -- occurred at the Professional Development Event in London. For me, it was an inspiring day, witnessing the keenness and interest in the eyes of recent graduates of Fanshawe's technical writing program, as they embark on a new path in their career. 

Possibilities and Competition

I was delighted and intrigued by their future plans, their hopes, and their questions. They are entering this industry at a time when technical communication seems utterly limitless in its responsibilities, technologies, and possibilities. However, they are also competing against countless others who eagerly seek the same career goals at precisely the same time. 

As various school years draw to a close, and the STC year draws to a close, I thought I'd share one career-oriented slice of wisdom (or foolishness, depending on your point of view), and temporarily refrain from dishing out my monthly dirt on visual language and design. 

My Niche as an Illustrator

For anyone contemplating or starting a new path in a technical communication career, make yourself stand out from the rest of the crowd by being unique. Create your own area of expertise, your own personal brand. In university, I took the Rhetoric and Professional Writing program along with dozens of others. Although I felt we were all equally competent in our abilities to learn and write, I felt less enthusiastic about reading and writing words than my peers, and yet I loved to illustrate. To overcome this fear of inadequacy (and imminent competition once we all graduated), I thought I'd use my doodling talents as an anchor for my "niche." I convinced some professors to offer some flexibility on my assignments, replacing the mandatory 5000-word essay with a 2500-word essay accompanied by some visual maps and breakdowns of my arguments.

From there, my niche grew, as illustration and design (and not the literal "Rhetoric" and "Professional Writing") became the focus of my studies, my co-operative work terms, and eventually my career. By developing such a disciplinary niche, you create your own personal brand, something that distinguishes you from (and hopefully elevates you above) someone else. In the ever-competitive technical communication job market, the niche is the advantage. 

Hobbies and Interests

But what if too many people out there have adopted your niche? What if everyone has the exemplary writing, illustration, design, programming, publishing, or indexing skills that our industry craves? The solution: find a niche outside of the technical writing discipline and apply it! No matter how irrelevant they may seem, there are countless extra-curricular interests and hobbies that could make you more marketable than "the next guy." Do you have a passion and talent for knitting? Then apply it! You'd be surprised to know that there are automated knitting system manufacturers seeking user interface design and technical documentation specialists for their integrated software tools. In the end, the "Hobbies and Interests" part of your c.v. is not just an interview icebreaker; it's the area that sells your niche. As we approach summer break, think of all the activities that you love to do, and see how they could apply to your personal brand and your career path. 

Perhaps I could add beer consumption to my CV? Enjoy your summer, and best of luck.