March 26, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR CAROL TOMAN IN IL
The "Occupational Outlook Handbook", published by the government, is
the best source of information about starting salaries, future
outlook, etc. for most careers. It is available on the web so I
looked up "writer" and was sent to this page:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos089.htm. Starting salaries can differ
widely depending not only on the company, but also the specific skills
you bring to the job. For instance, if you can provide a portfolio of
things you've written that's a plus, knowing the jargon in your
technical field is a plus, and foreign languages are a plus. A
technical writer spends a lot of time understanding the subject matter
(attending meetings, reading documents, asking questions), then
writing the copy, and finally getting the material reviewed and
published.