I don't know if it's the economy or what, but I've had student after student beating down my office door asking me how they can get into technical writing. Some want to switch from a tech-related degree and some are getting ready to graduate and are hoping to expand their options.

Understand that technical writing is not simply writing well and knowing about technology. There was a time, up until about 10 years ago, when that's all one needed to get into the field. Anyone with an English degree and a fair amount of knowledge about technology could get a job as a tech writer. Likewise, anyone who knew a lot about technology and could put together a decent sentence could also get a (lower paying) job as a tech writer.

Heck, when I went to work for IBM there were three people on staff who had been moved up from administrative assistant, and one who was moved up from the assembly line because of his writing ability.

In addition to knowledge about technology and the ability to write well, tech writers have also been erroneously seen in the past as "tool jockeys" (people who "know" a bunch of different types of software tools).

Times, however, have changed dramatically. As technical writing has grown into a "legitimate" profession (whatever that is), employers have recognized the different skills that separate real technical writers from tool jockeys or people who simply know technology and write well.

So to break into technical writing from another major, there are two primary considerations: education and experience.

Education
If you want to quickly ramp up on your training, start by looking for some basic online courses on technical writing. What you want are the fundamentals that help you understand the differences between technical writing and other types of writing. We aren't talking a whole program or degree or anything, but some short, 5-week long, basic classes. For short classes like these, look at private schools that emphasize online learning.

Another tip is to start reading some of the books about the area you want to focus on. These will not only help you understand the differences between technical writing and other types of writing, but will also highlight specific topics in your area of interest. There's a world of difference between grant writing and software development.

Look at technical documentation as models of what you intend to write. This sounds utterly dry and boring, but what better way to understand what the product is supposed to look like. What's missing from this step is understanding why the document looks this way. To find this out, a good idea is to make contact with tech writers and ask them. You can do this through networking sites, like the local STC chapter, or through a local school with a tech writing program.

As far as technology goes, there's no avoiding the fact that you must learn and "know" certain tools--especially depending on what type of writing you want to focus on. If you hope to write sofware documentation, then tools like Adobe FrameMaker and RoboHelp will be needed, but for many others you can get away with simply knowing MS Word. However, when I say "know" MS Word, I mean have a pro's knowledge about it: how to create templates, styles, etc. As for the others (the FrameMakers and Flares and so forth), my advice is to get a good working knowledge of only one: don't worry about knowing all of them. If you know FrameMaker well enough, chances are you can easily learn a similar tool, and most employers know that.

A lot of these tools are pretty expensive, so there are a few ways to avoid having to go broke learning them. In the case of many of them you can download a 30-day trial version. That done you have a month to complete the tutorial included and really get a good grasp of the technology. There is an open-source software tool for creating online help, called HelpMaker. Again, the idea is to understand that tool well enough to port the knowledge to whatever the employer is using.

In addition to these tools there will be a thousand other items you can possibly try to learn in the meantime: XHTML, CSS, programming languages, XML, graphic design programs (like PhotoShop), etc. Try to learn what you can. As you look for a job, learn more. In fact, this is something you should never stop doing.

Experience
Technical writing is an applied discipline. Thus, when you attempt to get a job in the field, potential employers will expect that you've actually practiced technical writing and can prove it through examples. Portfolios, either the virtual kind or the traditional 3-ring binder versions, can often land you a job. So if you're trying to break into it from another major, you need to begin pulling examples of work together to show that you've completed technical writing-like projects before.

This may be easier than you think. If you're a computer programmer, surely you've written API's or Readme files before. These are both emblematic of internal documentation that tech writers are increasinlgy designing. Further, reports, business correspondence, web pages, etc., can also be used. But, you absolutely must ensure that the examples are of a high quality, and you must be prepared to talk about them and the writing or designing aspect of their creation (as opposed to the technology they may be about). If you're unsure about their quality take them to a tech writer or tech writing instructor and have them evaluated. Fix the mistakes or make them better and then include them.

Another good idea is to begin finding projects to work on gratis to build your experience. I always advise students get on to an open source software project, which are usually chock full of good programmers but no writers for doc support. You can also look at local non-profits that may need someone to help design brochures, correspondence or grant proposals.

Finally, a recent study of mine (forthcoming in Technical Communication, 2009) suggests that employers are want ever-specialized technical writers, instead of the generalists advertised for even five years ago. So, as I'm sure you already have guessed, if you are already specialized in a particular field, highlight this knowledge. If you're a programmer, don't suddenly try to shift into pharmaceuticals, and visa versa.

I hope these suggestions help. I know there is a lot of information here--and that's considering the volumes I left out. But I think this underscores something. Technical communication--technical writing, graphic design, technical editing, whatever--is not something with which most people can in no time begin a career. As I said earlier, at one time this was true, but it's not anymore. Technical communication has become a legitimate discipline, and is growing more specialized and rigorous every year. The amount of knowledge one must know to be really good in this industry is sometimes daunting. I say this not to discourage anyone, but only to help them understand that it may take more work than some originally thought.

Last update: 25-08-2008 20:19