Towson University English Department http://www.towson.edu/english/

Careers for Wordsmiths: Technical Editor In the Defense Industry

Prepared by Lisa Kairis Master’s in Professional Writing Program Fall 2005

What is the Defense Industry? The defense industry is the general term for the industry that develops and modifies technology related to national security. It is known by many different names (defense/aerospace industry, defense electronics industry, military electronics industry, etc.), but to keep things simple, we’ll just call it the “defense industry” in this guide. This industry includes government organizations and private sector businesses. These organizations develop materials and technology such as aircraft, satellites, radar systems, electronics, missiles, and broadcast systems (1). Often, materials and technology developed for the government defense industry also have civilian applications.

Where Does the Technical Editor Fit into this Industry? This industry produces highly technical products. These products require detailed instructions for installing, operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting. A team of Technical Writers create the manuals for the complex technology. The Technical Editor reviews the work of the technical writers and edits the documents to ensure that they meet the customer’s needs and that the information is presented clearly and accurately. (2) Occasionally, the Technical Writer is the Technical Editor. Some companies have documents “peer-reviewed” by other Technical Writers in the same working group. In this guide, we will focus on the Technical Editor in the strictest sense of the term: someone who does much more editing than writing, if they even write at all.

What Does a Technical Editor Do? Technical editors review the material created by the technical writer. In addition, technical editors commonly perform a combination of many of the following tasks (2,3,4): 

edit documents for style, organization, clarity, word choice, grammar, and mechanics

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provide general suggestions for improvement to the writer

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when working with a team of writers, integrate the parts of the document that each writer is creating into a single unified and stylistically-consistent document

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work with subject-matter experts (i.e. engineers, software developers) to clarify information

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help writers correct software-related formatting problems

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consult online sources such as specifications, style guides, engineering drawings, dictionaries, and equipment descriptions

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develop company style guides and standard practices

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monitor the project schedule

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manage a team of subcontract editors

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report progress in staff meetings and status meetings with the customer

What is a Typical Work-Day Like for a Technical Editor? The technical editor that was interviewed described the following tasks as part of her typical day (1): 

Check e-mail (always first task of the day, though this continues throughout the entire day)

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Check the status of writing in progress to see if any new material is ready for editing

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Set priorities for the day

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Review and mark up (electronically) drafts that are ready for editing

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Check-in with subcontract writers and/or editors to check on their progress

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Report on the progress of the manual in weekly meeting with customer or project manager

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Assist writers as requested

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Check-in with illustrators

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Plan tasks for next day

What are the Important Skills for this Job? To excel in this line of work, you must be a strong writer with excellent editing instincts. Other necessary skills are (2,3,5): 

teamwork

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interviewing

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organization

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attention to detail

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prioritizing

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project management

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tactfulness

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adaptability

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familiarity with SGML, XML, and HTML

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the ability to learn new software programs quickly (commonly used programs are MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access, MS PowerPoint, MS Project, Adobe Acrobat, SnagIt, Adobe FrameMaker, PhotoShop, RoboHelp, Corel Draw, Macromedia Director, MS FrontPage, etc.)

How do you get the job? Educational Requirements Most employers require a 4-year degree. In special cases, previous work experience may be substituted for a college education. Because the defense industry is highly technical, employers prefer a candidate who has majored in a technical field such as engineering, information technology, or technical communication. While a degree in English, journalism, or communication may be adequate, those who wish to enter the field should at least consider completing a minor in a technical field of study (2). Security Clearance In the defense industry, most companies require that you have an active security clearance. While some companies will allow you to start without it, most will not, as they would have to find non-classified material for you to work on while waiting for approval (2). It typically takes 6-12 months to obtain a security clearance and you * must be approved by an adjudicator of one of the branches of the military. United States Citizenship You must be a United States citizen to obtain a security clearance to access classified information. Network Several sources (2,5,6) indicated that networking is a key way to make contacts and find companies that are hiring. Key groups to join are Society for Technical Communication (STC) and International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Top Companies You can also go straight to the websites of the top companies to search for jobs. The following list names the top 10 defense contractors in 2004, based on the total value of the government contracts they were awarded: 1.

Lockheed Martin Corp.

2.

The Boeing Company

3.

Northrop Grumman Corp.

4.

General Dynamics Corp.

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5.

Raytheon Co.

6.

Halliburton Co.

7.

United Technologies Corp.

8.

Science Applications International Corp.

9.

Computer Sciences Corp.

10. Human, Inc.

What is the average salary? According to the 2005 Technical Communicator salary survey of the Society for Technical Communication, the mean salary for technical editors in the United States is $61,350 (7).

Words of Wisdom When asked what advice she would give to students who wish to pursue a career in technical editing, Ms. Hughes (a 30-year veteran in the field) suggested the following: 1.

Network! Join STC, IABC, and other training organizations

2.

Volunteer your skills to the above groups to develop a portfolio and make contacts that could convert to job leads

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Learn a variety of software programs, especially document management programs

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Keep up with the trends in the field

References The following sources were consulted in the creation of this career guide: 1.

Anderson, Janet. Industry Focus: Aerospace and Defense (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2005, from http://www.graduatingengineer.com/industryfocus/defense.html

2.

L. Hughes, Personal Communication, November XX, 2005.

3.

California Occupational Guides: Editors (2003). Retrieved November 7, 2005, from www.calmis.cahwnet.gov/file/occguide/editors.pdf

4.

Occupational Information: Editor (2002). Retrieved November 7, 2005, from www.myfuture.edu.au/services/default.asp?FunctionID=5050&ASCO=2534 11A

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5.

Careers in Technical Writing for Liberal Arts Majors (2001). Retrieved November 7, 2005, from http://careercenter.tamu.edu/Students/S1/S1D6J.shtml

6.

Maryland Careers: The Defense Industry (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2005 from http://marylandcareers.org/intel.html

7.

2005 Technical communicator Salary Survey. Society of Technical Communication. Retrieved December 5, 2005.

8.

Hiring Military for the Defense Industry (2004). Retrieved November 7, 2005 from www.taonline.com/securityclearances/defense.asp *

For additional information on the security clearance process, please visit http://www.dss.mil/nf/adr/

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