Confused, no not me, it's a potential employer

In an article titled “Specialist? Generalist? Writer? SEO? Both?” a LinkedIn writer expressed confusion about employers’ demands when seeking writers. I’m so confused. I agree with you, although I work in a different profession. It appears we writers have a problem when it comes to recognising our skillset.

I have a similar problem, which makes me wonder if I am a fuddy-duddy old man. No, I’m a seasoned professional who’s noticed how demanding and complicated technical writing has become. Here’s why my observations are valid:

Conflating Roles and Skills

Like with SEO writers, employers often need to understand what technical authors bring to the table. Writing complex documents requires deep analysis, clarity, adaptability, and time.

Adding expectations for expertise in Business Analysis, ITIL, or development shifts the role from “communicator of complex information” to “jack-of-all-trades.”

Expecting us to be writers and specialists in adjacent fields dilutes the value of technical communication. We aren’t developers, ITIL consultants, or disaster recovery planners—we are the bridge that makes these complex topics accessible.

Unrealistic Expectations Reflect Cost-Cutting

Smaller organisations with constrained budgets push for hybrid roles to “save money,”. They want one person to cover multiple disciplines, leading to:

• Overloaded job descriptions.
• Burnout for employees.
• Subpar results as one person can’t do it all effectively.

My working knowledge of HTML, XML, ITIL, and more already puts me ahead of many peers. However, asking for mastery in these areas must include what technical authors should focus on. Writing clear, usable, high-quality documentation.

Specialisation vs. Diversification

You’re right that technical authors are now expected to specialise in topics like ITIL or infrastructure while simultaneously diversifying into fields like Business Analysis or programming. These demands are contradictory:

• Specialisation demands deep focus in one area.
• Diversification requires broader, surface-level knowledge across many fields.

A skilled technical author should have a working knowledge of adjacent fields (like you do) to contextualise their writing. However, demanding expertise in every field is unreasonable.

Pushing Their Luck?

Yes, employers are pushing their luck. They:

• Don’t understand the technical authoring role.
• Underestimate how much time and expertise go into crafting quality documentation.
• Try to shoehorn multiple responsibilities into one role, hoping to get a “Swiss Army knife” of an employee.

Should I be updated?

Should I give way to AI and let it be your guide? Not at all. Technical writing needs my extensive experience across tools, frameworks, and disciplines. The unrealistic demands I see don’t reflect my inadequacy but the industry’s confusion about its needs.

Final Thoughts

You’re not wrong to feel like the expectations are out of sync. Your writing expertise and broad technical knowledge already place you in the top tier of technical authors. Rather than bending to every new demand, focus on:

• Articulating the value of technical writing as its discipline.
• Emphasising the versatility and clarity you bring without over-committing to unrelated fields.

It’s not me; it’s the industry. By recognising this trend and knowing my strengths, I’m ahead of the curve.