Feature: A Day in the Life of an A/E/C Technical Writer
By Barry W. Morris, Technical Writer
When I Was Working at Webcor
Approximately two-and-a-half years ago, I joined the marketing team at Webcor, a commercial construction firm in San Francisco that celebrated its 50th anniversary in January 2021. I brought to my new role 15 years of proposal writing and management experience, mainly within the heavy-civil side of the A/E/C industry. When I was hired as a technical writer, my manager, Webcor's VP of Marketing, Tom Soohoo, clarified how the role differed from my previous experience: "You'll be focused on writing proposal sections as needed, but most of your time will be spent on marketing initiatives that better position the firm in terms of competitiveness and responsiveness."
Tom was true to his statement. Although I also took on the leadership of the occasional SOQ or technical proposal when our five proposal managers were overloaded, I remained focused on marketing initiatives that provided content support for our proposal managers. Although I no longer work at Webcor, my days currently pass in a similar fashion as described below.
A Typical Day
Minus the usual commuting adventures, this is how my typical workday runs its course:
05:00. I awaken and shuffle into the kitchen for a steaming cup of Peet's dark roast, then engage in some light stretching (I call it old man yoga). My all-purpose music studio/meditation space/home office is where I renew my sense of belonging in the universe.
06:00 – 07:00. I peruse my personal email, bring some coffee to my partner Karen, and check my social media accounts to see how my four adult kids and 10 grandkids are doing.
07:00 – 13:00. I attend any Zoom/MS Teams meetings for pursuits I'm supporting; if none are scheduled, I outline new narratives for the boilerplate project or those I've been asked to provide for RFQ/Ps. I also follow up on MS Teams messages and updates from around the company and the Marketing team.
13:00-14:00. I usually have lunch at my desk while I catch up on YouTube channels or practice the drums. Both activities are a nice break from the focus required for writing and planning content.
14:00-16:00-ish. I like to spend the last two hours of my official workday polishing previously drafted narratives that need a final touch. It's a nice way to finish the day on a create up-note.
What My Role Includes
My duties are varied but revolve around content creation and planning. For example, earlier this year, my colleagues and I participated in a four-week exercise to explore, document, and crystalize the personality of our firm. It was an important exercise because it provided the foundation for the overall tone and style in internal and external communications.
I'm also led the initiative to create and extend our A-Z internal library of proposal boilerplate narratives. I researched past responses on the same subjects and used them to develop comprehensive narratives that address the most common questions asked by clients in RFQs and RFPs. Proposal managers can access the library via Box and adapt them to their specific RFP requirements.
Another responsibility I had at Webcor was writing articles and posts for the extensive CONNECT intranet site Webcor maintains for its employees. I enjoyed writing these articles, and it's a nice break from writing about construction topics daily. Earlier in the year, I published a well-received article on my experiences dealing with anxiety in the workplace. I'm currently working on a follow-up article about the modalities that have helped me achieve a much less stressful mindset, including working with my physicians, twice-weekly Pilates workouts, and practicing mindfulness and meditation.
A Growing Trend
General contractors have begun to see the value of hiring technical writers with past proposal experience (also called content developers and marketing writers) because they realize that the way firms say something is just as important as what they say. Positions within the A/E/C industry for these roles are increasing within visionary construction firms.
I enjoyed my role as Webcor's technical writer, especially the frequent interactions and conversations with my fellow employees while gathering the information I need. But perhaps the greatest reward I received was knowing that I helped my team experience more success—with less stress—because managing proposals and SOQs, as any proposal coordinator or proposal manager knows, is often like herding cats. The less stress, the better!
The Benefits of Dedicated Content Development
Most general contractors who pursue work in response to RFQs and RFPs in private and public sectors will benefit from staffing such a role. That's because proposal writing and proposal management are very different functions. Not all Proposal Managers are great writers. Not all talented writers can effectively manage the shifting needs of an A/E/C SOQ or technical proposal.
When proposal managers have access to carefully crafted boilerplate or a colleague who specializes in writing technical narratives, they can quickly delegate narratives or adapt the boilerplate to their needs. It saves everyone time and eliminates having to reinvent the narrative wheel.
Should Your Firm Hire a Technical Writer?
The universal goal of every proposal professional in our industry is to win more work with less effort. To ease the process of content creation and development across the marketing spectrum, consider adding this role to your marketing team.
Here's how some of my teammates feel about having a technical writer on the team:
“While engineers know how to apply their technical knowledge, sharing it with others can often be complex and challenging. Having a technical writer on the team ensures the technical content within proposals is just as effective as the design and construction of a project site. Aside from the quality of the content, its level of effectiveness is fundamental, and technical writers ensure content is communicated clearly and concisely. It's what clients read that will convince them to read further.” -Emily McAtee, Proposal Manager
"In the A/E/C industry, technical writing is an extremely important part of telling our story and communicating our experience to clients. Having a dedicated technical writer on our team bridges the gap between marketing, communications, operations, and safety, allowing us to document projects and processes and bring more value to our clients." -Sara Bowhay, Sr. Marketing Manager
"Writing is challenging for many individuals. It's further complicated when communicating complex engineering and construction methodologies that can often be dry reading. Having a Technical Writer on the team helps us communicate those concepts efficiently. If they are especially talented, the content comes to life and speaks directly to the client, building confidence in our capabilities and fostering trust. Webcor has learned that having a Technical Writer on the team helps alleviate much of the anxiety around content creation. It's great to have someone on the team you can rely on to research and create relevant content for your SOQs, proposals, and marketing collateral." -Thomas Soohoo, VP of Marketing
Barry W. Morris has 18 years of experience writing proposals and communications content for A/E/C firms. He currently is a Proposal Writer for Kiewit’s Infrastructure Group.
