I had never considered myself a "techie" before I started working in the tech industry. I was pretty sure I couldn't handle it. But after I started working as a content writer, I understood that people don't care about your ideas if you can't convey them. So I decided to give technical writing a try.
I've been transitioning into technical writing for the last few months. I'm here to tell you: it's harder than it looks. I'm not saying this because I want sympathy or anything. If you're considering making the move into technical writing, you need to know what you're getting into.
If you love writing and tech (or are willing to put in the time to learn what you need), then this might be a great way for you to make a career change. But if you don't like writing or don't have much experience with technology and you are not willing to learn, then this isn't going to be your dream job.
What is Technical Writing?
First, let's talk about what technical writing is. It's writing that helps people use technology to do their job better or more. For example, if you're trying to learn how to fix your car engine, if you need help using an app on your phone, or even if you want to understand how a computer works. These and more are all examples of technical writing!
Technical writers work in all kinds of fields: IT support, web development, product management, and marketing—to name a few. The thing that makes them all similar is that they're all helping people who are trying to solve problems with tech products or services.
Why Technical Writing?
So why would someone want to become a technical writer? Well, there are lots of reasons! You'll earn good money doing something you love (and can be creative at). You'll be able to work from anywhere in the world.
## Here are some things I learned about transitioning into technical writing:
It's going to take some time to get used to the new style of writing and voice required for technical writing. You'll have to learn how to think like a techie and write in their voice.
There are lots of opportunities for growth within the industry. You can move from a junior writer position into a senior writer position or even an editor position at a very fast pace if you're willing to put in the work! This isn't any old job; it's an opportunity for you to grow as a person and have an impact on the world around you through your work!
There's no limit to how much money you can earn as a tech writer. The market for writers with tech skills is booming. So as long as companies need these skills, there will always be plenty of opportunities for growth and advancement. It is important to know that the money wouldn't come immediately, it is going to take a while before you start earning a lot of money. Like my mentor would say Tech money is not blood money.
There are tons of ways to learn more about your technical writing. There are conferences, workshops, boot camps, webinars, and online courses. There's always something new that could help enrich your career path even further. (And if all else fails? There's always YouTube.)
Your life is going to change—a lot. You'll have less free time than you ever thought possible, and your social life will be on hold for a while. If you're going to do this, do it for the long haul!
You need to be willing to start from scratch. There's no way around it—you have to learn everything from scratch because there's no one else who knows exactly what you're going through right now. It takes time, but with practice and patience, you'll get there!
There is a lot of learning involved in this job. If you are not the kind of person who likes to learn and consume a lot of information, this isn't the right job for you.
You need to know how to write in different styles depending on what kind of document you're working on. For example, if you're writing a user manual for software developers, it needs to be very technical and precise). So if you're not already familiar with these types of documents, then it will take time for you to learn how to do them well.
It's very important that whatever information you're writing about is accurate. This means double-checking everything before publishing anything! And sometimes this can feel like an overwhelming task when there's so much information out there already
There will be days where nothing goes right and you feel like quitting (or worse). Don't give up! You've got this!
How I Navigate The Waters
At this point, you are wondering what's the point if it is this stressful, well, I thought about it too, a lot. I always think about it, but I found some tips that help me, they can help you too.
Here are some tips for transitioning into technical writing:
Be sure you're ready. Technical writing is not for everyone. If you're looking for a job that involves less stress than writing, then this might not be the right fit for you. If you love to learn new things and writing is your go-to way to express yourself, then technical writing might be a job for you!
Think about what kind of technical writing appeals to you most. Are you interested in working on software documentation? Do you like the idea of teaching people how to use new technologies? Or do you like having more freedom with your writing style? The more specific your answer is, the easier it will be to find opportunities in those areas later on down the road!
Having someone to mentor you would do you a lot of good. When you transition into a new field or something new in life, it's essential to have someone (or some people) who has been there and understands the field. These person(s) will be there to walk you through paths and help you up when you're falling. You can see them as your accountability partners.
Open Source is the Holy Grail. Open source refers to source code that is available to the public to view, use, change, and distribute under a license. This is a little intimidating. I must confess that I am still learning how to contribute to the OS and find one. If you want to gain experience in technical writing, you have to find a job or an internship. But if you don't have a job or internship yet, Open Source Projects are the best way to do it.
Join Tech communities. If you are transitioning like me, it can be overwhelming, especially if you do not have any background in tech. One major thing that has helped me is joining Tech Communities like Empower Her Community, and Non-Tech In Tech. In these communities, you find people who are novices like you and you also find pros. They also post job opportunities, internships, and other resources that can help. You can find these communities on Twitter and other social media platforms.
Takeaway
If you're an aspiring technical writer, I hope my posts have been informative and helpful. Technical writing is a rewarding career track, and with few formal requirements (depending on your employer), it can be a flexible, low-pressure career path. But there truly is no substitute for experience in this field. The sooner you get out there and start writing, the better off you'll be.
Yours in transitioning, Temitope.