Job Duties Custom List 27-3042.00 — Technical Writers
- Develop or maintain online help documentation.
Occupations with related tasks Save Table: XLSX CSV
- Write commentaries, columns, or scripts, using computers.
- Write online blog entries that address news developments or offer additional information, opinions, or commentary on news events.
- Write columns, editorials, commentaries, or reviews that interpret events or offer opinions.
- Coordinate and serve as an anchor on news broadcast programs.
- Examine news items of local, national, and international significance to determine topics to address, or obtain assignments from editorial staff members.
- Analyze and interpret news and information received from various sources to broadcast the information.
- Receive assignments or evaluate leads or tips to develop story ideas.
- Research a story's background information to provide complete and accurate information.
- Arrange interviews with people who can provide information about a story.
- Gather information and develop perspectives about news subjects through research, interviews, observation, and experience.
- Select material most pertinent to presentation, and organize this material into appropriate formats.
- Present news stories, and introduce in-depth videotaped segments or live transmissions from on-the-scene reporters.
- Establish and maintain relationships with individuals who are credible sources of information.
- Report news stories for publication or broadcast, describing the background and details of events.
- Revise work to meet editorial approval or to fit time or space requirements.
- Review and evaluate notes taken about news events to isolate pertinent facts and details.
- Investigate breaking news developments, such as disasters, crimes, or human-interest stories.
- Review written, audio, or video copy, and correct errors in content, grammar, or punctuation, following prescribed editorial style and formatting guidelines.
- Report on specialized fields such as medicine, green technology, environmental issues, science, politics, sports, arts, consumer affairs, business, religion, crime, or education.
- Determine a published or broadcasted story's emphasis, length, and format, organizing material accordingly.
- Transmit news stories or reporting information from remote locations, using equipment such as satellite phones, telephones, fax machines, or modems.
- Check reference materials, such as books, news files, or public records, to obtain relevant facts.
- Discuss issues with editors to establish priorities or positions.
- Photograph or videotape news events.
- Present live or recorded commentary via broadcast media.
- Take pictures or video, and process them for inclusion in a story.
- Conduct taped or filmed interviews or narratives.
- Develop ideas or material for columns or commentaries by analyzing and interpreting news, current issues, or personal experiences.
- Communicate with readers, viewers, advertisers, or the general public via mail, email, or telephone.
- Assign stories to other reporters or duties to production staff.
- Write commentaries, columns, or scripts, using computers.
- Write online blog entries that address news developments or offer additional information, opinions, or commentary on news events.
- Write columns, editorials, commentaries, or reviews that interpret events or offer opinions.
- Prepare or edit organizational publications, such as employee newsletters or stockholders' reports, for internal or external audiences.
- Develop plans or materials to communicate organizational activities that are beneficial to the environment, public safety, or other important social issues.
- Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source.
- Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility.
- Post and update content on the company's Web site and social media outlets.
- Write press releases or other media communications to promote clients.
- Confer with other managers to identify trends or key group interests or concerns or to provide advice on business decisions.
- Coach client representatives in effective communication with the public or with employees.
- Study the objectives, promotional policies, or needs of organizations to develop public relations strategies that will influence public opinion or promote ideas, products, or services.
- Arrange public appearances, lectures, contests, or exhibits for clients to increase product or service awareness or to promote goodwill.
- Plan or conduct market or public opinion research to test products or determine potential for product success, communicating results to client or management.
- Confer with production or support personnel to produce or coordinate production of advertisements or promotions.
- Consult with advertising agencies or staff to arrange promotional campaigns in all types of media for products, organizations, or individuals.
- Prepare or deliver speeches to further public relations objectives.
- Develop marketing campaigns for environmental technologies or services.
- Purchase advertising space or time as required to promote client's product or agenda.
- Establish or maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, or public interest groups.
- Coordinate public responses to environmental management incidents or conflicts.
- Prepare or edit organizational publications, such as employee newsletters or stockholders' reports, for internal or external audiences.
- Develop plans or materials to communicate organizational activities that are beneficial to the environment, public safety, or other important social issues.
- Write descriptions of the property being appraised.
- Calculate the value of property based on comparisons to recent sales, estimated cost to reproduce, and anticipated property income streams.
- Create and maintain a database of completed appraisals.
- Determine the appropriate type of valuation to make, such as fair market, replacement, or liquidation, based on the needs of the property owner.
- Document physical characteristics of property such as measurements, quality, and design.
- Forecast the value of property.
- Inspect personal or business property.
- Locate and record data on sales of comparable property using specialized software, internet searches, or personal records.
- Recommend loan amounts based on the value of property being used as collateral.
- Take photographs of property.
- Testify in court as to the value of a piece of tangible property.
- Update appraisals when property has been improved, damaged, or has otherwise changed.
- Verify that property matches legal descriptions or certifications.
- Write and submit appraisal reports for property, such as jewelry, art, antiques, collectibles, and equipment.
- Write descriptions of the property being appraised.
- Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing.
- Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.
- Present final layouts to clients for approval.
- Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.
- Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.
- Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
- Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.
- Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members.
- Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements.
- Attend photo shoots and printing sessions to ensure that the products needed are obtained.
- Review illustrative material to determine if it conforms to standards and specifications.
- Hire, train, and direct staff members who develop design concepts into art layouts or who prepare layouts for printing.
- Research current trends and new technology, such as printing production techniques, computer software, and design trends.
- Conceptualize and help design interfaces for multimedia games, products, and devices.
- Prepare detailed storyboards showing sequence and timing of story development for television production.
- Negotiate with printers and estimators to determine what services will be performed.
- Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing.
- Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
- Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.
- Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
- Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.
- Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
- Attend fashion shows and review garment magazines and manuals to gather information about fashion trends and consumer preferences.
- Select materials and production techniques to be used for products.
- Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows.
- Adapt other designers' ideas for the mass market.
- Purchase new or used clothing and accessory items as needed to complete designs.
- Visit textile showrooms to keep up-to-date on the latest fabrics.
- Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs.
- Design custom clothing and accessories for individuals, retailers, or theatrical, television, or film productions.
- Draw patterns for articles designed, cut patterns, and cut material according to patterns, using measuring instruments and scissors.
- Develop a group of products or accessories, and market them through venues such as boutiques or mail-order catalogs.
- Read scripts and consult directors and other production staff to develop design concepts and plan productions.
- Sew together sections of material to form mockups or samples of garments or articles, using sewing equipment.
- Research the styles and periods of clothing needed for film or theatrical productions.
- Determine prices for styles.
- Test fabrics or oversee testing so that garment care labels can be created.
- Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
- Write text, such as stories, articles, editorials, or newsletters.
- Read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax.
- Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.
- Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication, and confer with authors regarding changes in content, style or organization, or publication.
- Develop story or content ideas, considering reader or audience appeal.
- Prepare, rewrite and edit copy to improve readability, or supervise others who do this work.
- Oversee publication production, including artwork, layout, computer typesetting, and printing, ensuring adherence to deadlines and budget requirements.
- Confer with management and editorial staff members regarding placement and emphasis of developing news stories.
- Plan the contents of publications according to the publication's style, editorial policy, and publishing requirements.
- Review and approve proofs submitted by composing room prior to publication production.
- Assign topics, events and stories to individual writers or reporters for coverage.
- Meet frequently with artists, typesetters, layout personnel, marketing directors, and production managers to discuss projects and resolve problems.
- Monitor news-gathering operations to ensure utilization of all news sources, such as press releases, telephone contacts, radio, television, wire services, and other reporters.
- Select local, state, national, and international news items received from wire services, based on assessment of items' significance and interest value.
- Allocate print space for story text, photos, and illustrations according to space parameters and copy significance, using knowledge of layout principles.
- Make manuscript acceptance or revision recommendations to the publisher.
- Direct the policies and departments of newspapers, magazines and other publishing establishments.
- Arrange for copyright permissions.
- Interview and hire writers and reporters or negotiate contracts, royalties, and payments for authors or freelancers.
- Read material to determine index items and arrange them alphabetically or topically, indicating page or chapter location.
- Supervise and coordinate work of reporters and other editors.
- Write text, such as stories, articles, editorials, or newsletters.
- Write new scripts for broadcasts.
- Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors.
- Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures.
- Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting.
- Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew members to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, desired effects, camera movements, and lighting requirements.
- Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions.
- Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements.
- Set up and perform live shots for broadcast.
- Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted.
- Test, clean, maintain, and repair broadcast equipment, including testing microphones, to ensure proper working condition.
- Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing.
- Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming.
- Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming.
- Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and machine setups.
- View films to resolve problems of exposure control, subject and camera movement, changes in subject distance, and related variables.
- Direct studio productions.
- Set up cameras, optical printers, and related equipment to produce photographs and special effects.
- Read charts and compute ratios to determine variables such as lighting, shutter angles, filter factors, and camera distances.
- Set up and operate electric news gathering (ENG) microwave vehicles to gather and edit raw footage on location to send to television affiliates for broadcast.
- Design graphics for studio productions.
- Prepare slates that describe the scenes being filmed.
- Stay current with new technologies in the field by reading trade magazines.
- Reload camera magazines with fresh raw film stock.
- Label and record contents of exposed film and note details on report forms.
- Write new scripts for broadcasts.
- Prepare obituaries for newspapers.
- Greet people at the funeral home.
- Perform a variety of tasks during funerals to assist funeral directors and to ensure that services run smoothly and as planned.
- Transport the deceased to the funeral home.
- Direct or escort mourners to parlors or chapels in which wakes or funerals are being held.
- Close caskets at appropriate point in services.
- Attend to the needs of the bereaved, such as by offering comfort, counseling, or after-care programs.
- Offer assistance to mourners as they enter or exit limousines.
- Place caskets in parlors or chapels prior to wakes or funerals.
- Clean and drive funeral vehicles, such as cars or hearses, in funeral processions.
- Carry flowers to hearses or limousines for transportation to places of interment.
- Arrange floral offerings or lights around caskets.
- Perform various administrative tasks, such as typing documents or answering telephone calls.
- Supervise funeral processions and assist with cemetery parking.
- Act as pallbearers.
- Clean funeral parlors or chapels.
- Deliver floral arrangements or other items to family members of the deceased.
- Issue and store funeral equipment.
- Perform general maintenance tasks for funeral homes, such as maintaining equipment or caring for funeral grounds.
- Provide advice to mourners on how to make charitable donations in honor of the deceased.
- Embalm, dress, cosmeticize, and casket the deceased.
- Manage funeral home finances, including receiving payments, making bank deposits, or performing general bookkeeping duties.
- Obtain burial permits and register deaths.
- Obtain doctors' signatures on death certificate and complete other paperwork, such as insurance claims forms.
- Meet with family members to plan the funeral.
- Assist with cremations and the processing and packaging of cremated remains.
- Prepare obituaries for newspapers.
- Develop manuals, texts, workbooks, or related materials for use in conjunction with production materials or for training.
- Notify supervisors when major equipment repairs are needed.
- Diagnose and resolve media system problems.
- Direct and coordinate activities of assistants and other personnel during production.
- Compress, digitize, duplicate, and store audio and video data.
- Install, adjust, and operate electronic equipment to record, edit, and transmit radio and television programs, motion pictures, video conferencing, or multimedia presentations.
- Control the lights and sound of events, such as live concerts, before and after performances, and during intermissions.
- Switch sources of video input from one camera or studio to another, from film to live programming, or from network to local programming.
- Record and edit audio material, such as movie soundtracks, using audio recording and editing equipment.
- Perform minor repairs and routine cleaning of audio and video equipment.
- Design layouts of audio and video equipment and perform upgrades and maintenance.
- Conduct training sessions on selection, use, and design of audio-visual materials and on operation of presentation equipment.
- Monitor incoming and outgoing pictures and sound feeds to ensure quality and notify directors of any possible problems.
- Mix and regulate sound inputs and feeds or coordinate audio feeds with television pictures.
- Construct and position properties, sets, lighting equipment, and other equipment.
- Reserve audio-visual equipment and facilities, such as meeting rooms.
- Determine formats, approaches, content, levels, and mediums to effectively meet objectives within budgetary constraints, using research, knowledge, and training.
- Edit videotapes by erasing and removing portions of programs and adding video or sound as required.
- Obtain, set up, and load videotapes for scheduled productions or broadcasts.
- Produce rough and finished graphics and graphic designs.
- Locate and secure settings, properties, effects, and other production necessities.
- Meet with directors and senior members of camera crews to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, camera movements, and picture composition.
- Maintain inventories of audio and videotapes and related supplies.
- Obtain and preview musical performance programs prior to events to become familiar with the order and approximate times of pieces.
- Perform narration of productions or present announcements.
- Plan and develop pre-production ideas into outlines, scripts, story boards, and graphics, using own ideas or specifications of assignments.
- Organize and maintain compliance, license, and warranty information related to audio and video facilities.
- Analyze and maintain data logs for audio-visual activities.
- Inform users of audio and videotaping service policies and procedures.
- Develop manuals, texts, workbooks, or related materials for use in conjunction with production materials or for training.
- Write photograph captions.
- Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
- Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
- Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
- Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
- Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
- Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.
- Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
- Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.
- Test equipment prior to use to ensure that it is in good working order.
- Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas.
- Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies.
- Review sets of photographs to select the best work.
- Set up, mount, or install photographic equipment and cameras.
- Determine project goals, locations, and equipment needs by studying assignments and consulting with clients or advertising staff.
- Perform maintenance tasks necessary to keep equipment working properly.
- Select and assemble equipment and required background properties, according to subjects, materials, and conditions.
- Direct activities of workers setting up photographic equipment.
- Engage in research to develop new photographic procedures and materials.
- Mount, frame, laminate, or lacquer finished photographs.
- Develop visual aids and charts for use in lectures or to present evidence in court.
- Load and unload film.
- Photograph legal evidence at crime scenes, in hospitals, or in forensic laboratories.
- Set up photographic exhibitions for the purpose of displaying and selling work.
- Produce computer-readable, digital images from film, using flatbed scanners and photofinishing laboratories.
- Employ a variety of specialized photographic materials and techniques, including infrared and ultraviolet films, macro photography, photogrammetry and sensitometry.
- License the use of photographs through stock photo agencies.
- Send film to photofinishing laboratories for processing.
- Develop and print exposed film, using chemicals, touch-up tools, and developing and printing equipment.
- Write photograph captions.
- Write and edit news stories from information collected by reporters and other sources.
- Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.
- Communicate to actors the approach, characterization, and movement needed for each scene in such a way that rehearsals and takes are minimized.
- Direct live broadcasts, films and recordings, or non-broadcast programming for public entertainment or education.
- Research production topics using the internet, video archives, and other informational sources.
- Review film, recordings, or rehearsals to ensure conformance to production and broadcast standards.
- Study and research scripts to determine how they should be directed.
- Supervise and coordinate the work of camera, lighting, design, and sound crew members.
- Confer with technical directors, managers, crew members, and writers to discuss details of production, such as photography, script, music, sets, and costumes.
- Perform management activities, such as budgeting, scheduling, planning, and marketing.
- Consult with writers, producers, or actors about script changes or "workshop" scripts, through rehearsal with writers and actors to create final drafts.
- Identify and approve equipment and elements required for productions, such as scenery, lights, props, costumes, choreography, and music.
- Establish pace of programs and sequences of scenes according to time requirements and cast and set accessibility.
- Conduct meetings with staff to discuss production progress and to ensure production objectives are attained.
- Compile scripts, program notes, and other material related to productions.
- Resolve personnel problems that arise during the production process by acting as liaisons between dissenting parties when necessary.
- Coordinate the activities of writers, directors, managers, and other personnel throughout the production process.
- Obtain rights to scripts or to such items as existing video footage.
- Write and submit proposals to bid on contracts for projects.
- Compose and edit scripts or provide screenwriters with story outlines from which scripts can be written.
- Cut and edit film or tape to integrate component parts into desired sequences.
- Choose settings and locations for films and determine how scenes will be shot in these settings.
- Review film daily to check on work in progress and to plan for future filming.
- Negotiate with parties, including independent producers and the distributors and broadcasters who will be handling completed productions.
- Perform administrative duties, such as preparing operational reports, distributing rehearsal call sheets and script copies, and arranging for rehearsal quarters.
- Develop marketing plans for finished products, collaborating with sales associates to supervise product distribution.
- Arrange financing for productions.
- Hire principal cast members and crew members, such as art directors, cinematographers, and costume designers.
- Hold auditions for parts or negotiate contracts with actors determined suitable for specific roles.
- Select plays, scripts, books, news content, or ideas to be produced.
- Write and edit news stories from information collected by reporters and other sources.
