Similarities and Differences between ASL Interpreting and Technical Writing

After a decade of working in different fields as a sign language interpreter, I am making the surprisingly lateral career change into technical writing. As I was going through my certification program from OSU, I realized more and more, I have been doing technical writing, but without the safety net of a backspace button

Interpreters and Technical Writers do the same fundamental job: We take complex, specialized information, and make it accessible to the people who need it. We work with subject matter experts, analyze our audience, and ensure clear communication. The difference? Time pressure and medium.How ASL Interpreting and Technical Writing Are Similar

Aspect	ASL Interpreting	Technical Writing
Audience Analysis	Real time assessment for knowledge gaps	Research target audience first and tailor my writing to match
Working with SMEs	Monitor dialogue in real-time; adjust based on facial expressions and follow up questions.	Prepare questions, conduct interviews, schedule follow-ups as needed for clarification
Iteration	Must be perfect the first time; corrections cause communication breakdown and erosion of trust.	Able to reflect, get feedback, collaborate with team, reinterview SME, and adjust the document
Audience Adaption	Must be fluent in all dialects and do real-time assessment for comprehension and missing knowledge	Must know target audience to account for tone and accessibility. UX is very important
Register	Assess the job for tone and register, whether formal, informal, frozen, professional or casual	Flexibility and knowledge of a wide range of editing and formatting skills to match the document to the audience

Why This Matters

The skills I've honed for 10 years: audience analysis, working with nerds technical experts, breaking down complex content for a wide range of end users, and adapting communication styles, are exactly what is needed for technical writing. The difference is that technical writing gives me the luxury of taking my time, collaborating, interviewing SMEs ahead of time, and the fun of learning new skills like Markdown!

So if you are a hiring manager or recruiter wondering if hiring an interpreter to be your technical writer is a good decision, I promise it is. We've been doing the hard part all along.

For those who are interested, I have the Markdown formatted post over on my GitHub repository here