At university, I majored in Japanese history in the literature department. Even for those who are not interested in history, I have always thought about how to convey it in an easy-to-understand way, and my time as a student has laid the foundation for me as a technical writer. Currently, I am constantly excited to acquire new information and am honing not only my expression skills, but also my management skills to smoothly progress projects.
Reason for Joining the CompanyI have always been interested in jobs related to writing. So when I was job hunting, I initially looked at publishing and education companies, but in the end, both jobs mainly involved editing and there was no guarantee of being assigned to the editing department immediately after joining... That's when I found Human Science, which was recruiting Technical Writers. As I read through their business activities, I realized that they were not affiliated with any specific manufacturer, but rather an independent production company that creates instruction manuals. This also appealed to me because it meant I could work on various products. Even though I have only been with the company for 3 years, I have already seen many things that I would never have been able to see in other jobs, and I am confident that I made the right decision.
From Joining to NowWhen I first joined the company, my main role was to assist my senior colleagues. I was mainly responsible for checking tasks such as making sure the content was accurate, the layout was not distorted, and the delivery data was in the correct format. At the time, I was mainly working on manuals for printers, home appliances, and software for developers, so I couldn't check the content thoroughly. However, I learned a lot about the company and the types of projects we handle. As a new graduate, I didn't realize it, but I heard from my colleagues who joined the company later that Human Science has a very thorough training program for new employees. For example, as a writer, it's not enough to just study writing, but we also learn how to use specialized translation tools during training. Thanks to that, I am now able to create schedules that take translation into consideration.
Current Business ContentWe are creating complex manuals for software engineers. Our main task is writing, but we also oversee manual production as coordinators. This includes creating schedules, gathering information from clients, assigning tasks to team members, and managing progress. The projects we handle are translation projects from Japanese to English, so we first create a Japanese version and then an English version. In addition to our main tasks, we also participate in three teams as subtasks (committee activities). These teams are the "Environment Preparation Team" which prepares the operating environment for the software, the "Presentation Team" which prepares for seminars and exhibitions and creates materials, and the "Video Manual Team" which researches how to create manual videos. It is a good opportunity to interact with members we don't usually work with.
Job SatisfactionWe are able to adjust various issues and deliver the product, and every time we take a break, we feel a great sense of accomplishment. Even if we are fully prepared, the product development often does not progress as planned due to lack of information or unexpected revisions. We want to prioritize quality, but we are required to work within a limited time frame. In rare cases, when we are able to progress according to the initial schedule, we feel a sense of fulfillment. It is simply delightful to see the product we have worked hard on being released into the world, whether it's on the street or in a magazine. Also, every time we are assigned a new product, we have to research new technologies and information, but I am the type of person who gets excited and says "Wow, I didn't know this existed!", so I find it interesting as well.
Future GoalsI want to improve my management skills. Currently, I am both a writer and a manager, but I feel particularly lacking in management skills. I want to make projects run smoothly by managing schedules and streamlining tasks. By being seconded to another production company for 8 months, I learned that it is okay to try various methods without being tied to one. I want to increase the number of tools in my arsenal. If I can predict to some extent "this situation seems dangerous" when planning, I can also create a schedule prepared for trouble. If I acquire the ability to detect crises such as "this will be bad if it continues as it is" during the project, I can act ahead of time. My goal is to be able to smoothly manage larger projects than the ones I am currently in charge of.
