Table of Contents Introduction Reasons for Wanting to Work in Industry Inventory Your Technical Communication Skills Differences between academic work and industry work What Can You Expect? Conclusion

Conclusion

In this chapter, I have tried to examine the motivation and kinds of skills you will need to make a smooth transition from the academic world of technical communication education to the workplace world of technical communication. The discussion focused on the differences between the two communities and cultures, but not without acknowledging their similarities. In some ways academic training prepares us very well to take on writing and editing work, and in other ways it offers us pitfalls and obstacles that, understood in terms of the differences between the two spheres, can lead to unrealistic expectations of workplace practices.