Last week I was lucky enough to be able to take part in an online lecture given to my class by a software company. The company in question is SAP and they are a major employer of graduates from the course I am in. They require workers with a background in technical communication due to the fact that they need documents to compliment their software packages. One of the main occupations described to us by the speakers was the role of a User Assistance developer.
Before this talk I had never heard of the term User Assistance. In truth I had very limited knowledge of the work that SAP do. I’d always envisaged that I would work as a technical writer, Information or instructional designer or an e-learning developer. Outside of these jobs I never really thought that there are a whole host of other jobs available to me. Therefore I was naturally curious to hear all about the role of a user assistance developer!Learning about a new career path could prove invaluable when I’m seeking a job.
The role of a user assistance developer focuses on the delivery of technical documentation for software applications. The speakers informed us that the user assistance developers in SAP create documentation that helps users install and set up SAP software. They also create in app help, interactive graphics and videos to help users. Another interesting development that User Assistance developers work on are chatbots. Chatbots are like a digital assistant that anticipates questions a user might ask.
I also got to learn about the key skills that SAP look for in a potential employee. A good user assistance developer should have a good eye for detail, a passion for quality and good writing abilities to name but a few. At the end of the talk I got to learn about the role of an editor and how they work hand in hand with the user assistance developers. It was nice to be able to get an idea of the interactions between different roles and to get an idea about their collaboration.
In hindsight I’m delighted I was able to get such an insight into a company that hires people like me. I’ve learned about roles I never knew were suited to me and what’s needed to attain them. Hearing from people who have forged successful careers for themselves in technical communication provides me with ample motivation to finish the semester strongly. With a bit more consistency and hard work I can hopefully find my own place in the industry.
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