Are you new to the profession of technical writing? It’s thrilling, but it’s also quite tricky to mess up sometimes. Technical writing is about presenting information in a simple manner, but many new writers make inevitable mistakes that hamper the quality of their work. No need to worry – these are the things that you can benefit from and become a better writer in the future.

Below are some of the most frequent mistakes technical writers newcomers should avoid and tips on how to do that.

1. Not Knowing Your Audience

Among the most common errors of newcomers is overlooking the audience for whom the content is created. Some presume their readers will be familiar with the topic of discussion, while others provide more detail, and the information can become tedious.

How to avoid this mistake:

Before you start writing, ask yourself:

• Who will read this?
• What do they already know?
• What questions might they have?

After identifying your audience, you will know how to adjust the language you use with them.

2. Using Too Much Jargon

One is likely to fall into a trap that using complex terms will make one sound more knowledgeable. However, overusing it may lead to the untrained reader being an acronym, which may not be very easy to comprehend.

How to avoid this mistake:

Please use simple language and describe everything so that anyone would be able to comprehend it. When writing, it is often necessary to use technical terms; when doing so, it is also required to provide definitions. Remember, good technical writing is clear to the point and not complicated.

3. Poor Document Structure and Formatting

Picture sitting down to read a guide that has no headings, no bullet points, and no clear division into sections. It would feel like chaos, wouldn’t it? A majority of new writers tend to present information in a haphazard manner that does not help the reader locate the information they need.

How to avoid this mistake:

Make sure to use headings, subheadings, and even bullet points where possible to organize the information. Make sure to use small paragraphs and don’t cram too much text on one page – use some white space so that it looks friendly.

4. Ignoring Style Guides

Companies and industries follow certain writing rules; these are known as style guides. Failing to abide by these guidelines will make your writing look amateurish and incoherent.

How to avoid this mistake:

You should learn the basics of specific style guides like Microsoft Writing Style Guide or Google Developer Documentation Style Guide. They are pretty simple to follow, and when you follow these standards, your content will look more professional.

5. Skipping Proofreading and Editing

Everybody is capable of making mistakes, even professional writers. Mistakes in spelling, grammar, and the like, as well as sentence construction, are likely to make it difficult for your readers to comprehend and may damage your credibility.

How to avoid this mistake:

It is always recommended that you reread your work. Some people prefer using grammar checkers like Grammarly or Hemingway to find errors, but this is not enough; start reading your content out loud.

Final Thoughts

It’s essential to learn from your mistakes, but to make the process easier, here are some common pitfalls to avoid in technical writing. Pay attention to who your audience is, avoid being complicated, and try to follow certain guidelines.

Ready to improve your writing? Here’s a list of behaviors you can try; you will see an improvement in your skills with time!