If you asked someone to name a group of people who are passionate, the first answer probably wouldn’t be “Technical communicators.”

We’re classed, to some degree incorrectly, as introverts and nerds. In this respect, we’re judged similarly to software developers. As someone joked in an STC Summit presentation, “What’s the difference between an introverted engineer and an extroverted one? The introverted engineer looks at his shoes when he’s talking to you; the extroverted one looks at your shoes.”

Introverted people aren’t normally considered passionate.

Even if you’re an extrovert, would you consider yourself passionate about technical communication?

Being passionate about your work has a couple of benefits. One, you enjoy your work, and it doesn’t feel so much like work. Second, passion demonstrates that what you do is important to you. If you don’t convey that your own job is important to you, then others will have a harder time considering it important.

At the Summit, Brandon Aschwanden, Rob Hanna, and Rob Frankland gave a presentation entitled “Seven Habits of Highly Successful Technical Communicators.” They connected the habits to traits, which seemed more accurate to me. One of the habits was being passionate. I agree that being passionate aids success.

One audience member pointed out that a passionate person can be mistaken for an emotional one. I think someone who is passionate is more controlled and energetic without becoming visibly upset often.

If you’re a technical communicator and not passionate about it, how do you get to be? Here are a few ideas:

  • Get involved in tech comm outside of work. If this sounds like a bad idea because tech comm is just for your day job, it’s a sign you’re probably not passionate about the field. But getting involved in something like STC gives you opportunities to feel like you’re doing things to advance the profession and your own skills. It gives you a chance to accomplish more. Participating in a professional organization also helps you rub shoulders with passionate people, and the passion can rub off on you. I’m one of those people who likes writing non-technically, but as I’ve spent time participating in STC, my enthusiasm has grown. It was exciting for me to meet well-known professionals at the Summit this year.
  • Find ways to introduce variety to your work. Doing the same task for hour upon hour and day after day can be mind numbing. That’s the reason I was glad I didn’t get a proofreading job I applied for after having been a technical writing intern for nearly a year—I would have quickly grown bored comparing manuscripts all the time. I had done enough different things as an intern that I preferred to keep doing them and not just proofread and edit. If you’re not creating quick reference guides or animated tutorials, think about it.
  • Find ways to improve. One of the things that can dim passion is feeling like you’re not going anywhere, like you’re the same today as you were last week. If you can find opportunities to improve, through professional organizations, formal training, or self-training on the side, go for it. Look for it. Ask for it. Being on top of what’s happening and then being able to apply it to your work can help you feel that you’re on top of things.
  • Share what you learn. Don’t keep to yourself things you learn from STC or other meetings and blogs. Spread them around. Teach someone else. Satisfaction comes from seeing that you’ve benefitted someone else through your knowledge.
  • Understand the significance of your role. This one isn’t last because it’s the least important. If you’re not excited about tech comm, is it because you don’t see the difference it makes? Communicate with users if at all possible and do your best to give them what they want.

The bottom line is to do with technical communication what you do with anything else you enjoy: Put your heart in it. Invest personally in it. When you get passionate about technical communication, other people can too.

If you’re passionate about being a technical communicator, what makes you that way?

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