13. What steps would you follow to write a user manual?
A user manual, also known as a user's guide is a document which guides or gives assistance to the user to use a particular product or system. It is a book-length guide containing both text and images. It has instructions on installations, process of using or troubleshooting a product or service.
The steps to write a manual include the following:
i.) Know your product - correctly and completely.
ii.) Know your readers clearly so that you can decide on the tone of the document.
iii.) Decide on the table of contents, index, actual content with explanatory images, and appendix.
v.) Begin the actual writing process. Testing would go on side by side.
vi.) Editing and proofreading of the manual.
vii.) Publishing.
14. Would you be willing to change your thinking with end user’s feedback?
With this question, the interviewer is trying to understand how you deal with feedback. Are you ready to take feedback positively or are you rigid and not ready for a change kind of person.
To answer this question you can say something like: "I have a good independent thinking ability but I am also open to feedback, negative as well as positive. The feedback helps me to understand what have I done correctly and what can be improved. It is a valuable information which helps me to build and maintain communication with the end users. I take it as an opportunity to improve my documents and make them more user friendly".
15. Explain SDLC and DDLC.
SDLC - Software Development Life Cycle is a software development process. It is a framework which explains the tasks performed at each step of the software development process. It gives a detailed plan for the development, maintenance and replacement of specific software.
DDLC - Document Development Life Cycle is a documentation process which goes through the software development process. DDLC is a process that helps to maintain, design, develop, edit and publish a document for the product development lifecycle.
16. What is topic-based authoring?
Topic-based authoring is a modular approach to writing, where you write a text containing one or two paragraphs on one topic. These topics can be combined to create a page in a PDF document and also can be organized to create an online Help system. They are reusable topics across the different document and can be published in different media. This approach helps the technical writer to write more clearly as each topic is mostly about a specific subject and has a recognizable cause or purpose.
17. What steps do you follow when you interview the SME's?
SME's are highly skilled and knowledgeable people in a particular subject area and you need to consult them to get the correct information about the product or service you want to document.
They are very busy, so once you get a chance to interview them, make sure you structure your interview carefully to get all the required information. Some of the steps to follow are:
i.) Set your objective or goal for the interview. Let the SME know about your goal for the interview and ask him/her if it's achievable in the allotted time. This approach lets both parties know what is to be accomplished.
ii.) Check what you already know. This will save you a lot of time. Take the time to read on the topic before meeting the SME. Check if there is any existing material. Do not just go for the interview without preparing yourself.
iii.) Make a list of questions you want to ask and organize them in a meaningful sequence.
iv.) Plan for the interview. The above steps will prepare the writer for the interview.
v.) Now you need to identify who is the best person for the interview, how much time would you need for the interview, do you need approval or do you need to set an appointment. The writer needs to plan the interview by asking these questions to himself.
vi.) The next step is to conduct the interview and take notes. It is very important to introduce yourself and let the expert know your purpose/goal for the interview. Let him or her know why you have selected him for the interview. At the end, thank the SME for the time and also let him know that you will review your notes and you may have follow-up questions. Ask them how would they like to communicate with you, through email or phone call?
vii.) It is always a good to send a follow up email or a call to thank the SME and to let them know the result.
viii.) The SMEs can be reached if you need any clarification on something or if you can't remember in what context he/she gave that example for. Most of the time the SMEs act as a reviewer of the final product.
18. What is the difference between active voice and passive voice?
The technical writers need to write so they are expected to know certain grammar rules. With this question, the interviewer is trying to check your knowledge of grammar that makes content meaningful and readable.
So, go prepared to answer this and other such questions.
i.) Active Voice- describes sentence where the subject performs the action as stated by the verb.
ii.) Passive Voice- the subject undergoes the action of the verb.
