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Would you like to earn steady, dependable income as a writer?

If you answered yes, consider technical writing. It isn't sexy, and it won't make you famous. But working as a technical writer has provided me with an ex

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

cellent, steady income, and greatly increased my creative writing skills.

The field of technical writing is exploding, due to the need to keep up with advancing technology, so there are plenty of opportunities. After

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

all, SOMEBODY has to write the instructions for all the products and services we use. And age is NOT an issue! I began my technical writing career in my 40s, and know plenty of technical writers who began in their 50s

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

In 2004, according to the Society for Technical Communication (from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook), the median annual salary for entry level technical writers was $42,500. The median a

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

nual salary for midlevel nonsupervisory technical writers was $51,500, and for senior nonsupervisory technical writers, $66,000. Rates for contractors are always higher at each level. In fact, I've earned as much as $

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

38/hour.

While you do need good writing skills and the ability to communicate instructions clearly to become a technical writer, you do not need a specialized degree or certification. And you can begin in this field

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

t any stage of your life. While some technical writing jobs will be way above your skill level (I’d never write a medical or legal manual, for instance), there are many types of documentation that may fit in with your

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

own background (for instance, a former HR professional could write a Human Resources manual or a former accountant could write the documentation for a new Accounts Payable system).

Here's the best news: more and more

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

technical writers telecommute ... every writer's dream. In fact, I’ve worked remotely part-time or full-time since 2000. But don't get too excited yet. You will most likely have to earn this privilege by establishing

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

your reputation first.

So, how DO you break into the field?

First, look at existing examples of technical writing, such as the Help section of programs you use, or even your car's owners' manual. You'll soon find t

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

at technical writing is simply documenting steps clearly.

Next, think about instructional writing experience you may have. If you've never written instructional material, do some on your current job. Volunteer to wri

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

e instructions on office procedures, a quick-start guide for the voicemail system, or a how-to article for the company newsletter. If you aren’t currently working, I’ll bet you can get an opportunity if you offer to p

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

ovide such services for free to a local business or non-profit organization.

Next, rewrite your resume, adding in this new experience. (But ALWAYS be honest. You’ll inevitably be tripped up if you don’t. It’s not wor

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

th the embarrassment.)

You'll need two copies of your resume. One will be nicely formatted. You'll present this resume to potential employers or when you mail the resume. The other must be saved as text. This is the

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

opy you'll place online. (TIP! Use asterisks [*] instead of bullets in the Text Only copy.)

Next, the job hunt begins. Most job opportunities for technical writers are located online (see listings below), but newspap

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

r Help Wanted sections are also a source. Check the online website for your local newspapers for jobs.

Here are some suggested web sites:

CareerBuilder
Monster
Dice
Jobsearch

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

omputerWork

Guru

Since these are technology-oriented sites, entering "writer" in the search box will return technical writing jobs. Tip: You may even think about putting yourself on www.elance.com o

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

r even www.craigslist.com. Though there is a lot of competition, if your rates are reasonable enough, someone may just give you a chance.

Many sites allow you to place your resume online. Be prepared to spend some ti

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

e (about 45 minutes) filling out questions on the forms. Once your resume is online, it's very likely that you will receive calls or emails from recruiters requesting more information, and maybe an interview, even if

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

ou are just starting out! Remember, recruiters make money by getting you hired and are hungry to find good talent.

So if you have writing talent, open your mind and increase your income by becoming a technical writer

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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I didn't start out dreaming about my own home-based business. I had a good job that paid well, with excellent benefits. This is the kind of job that is becoming increasingly rare in today's job market Here's a few reasons that were NOT part of my decision to start my own business.

Over the years, business attire has changed significantly. Because of the sudden change in business dress code it is sometimes difficult to draw the line between what’s acceptable and what’s unacceptable. Business wear in the traditional sense is stringent. Traditional business attire, for men, purely consists of wearing a dress suit. This includes wearing a matching coat and slacks, a long sleeved dress shirt, a necktie, and dress shoes.

Is your company interested in becoming more environmentally friendly? Look at using plastic corrugated returnable packaging and the results may surprise you!

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