Please see below for some suggested steps to becoming a technical writer:
- Understand the role: Look into the key responsibilities and core skills required. You could look at job vacancies for technical writers to see what employers are looking for and the types of industries the role is found in.
- Develop key skills: Practice writing concise, clear, and user-focused content. Learn editing techniques to refine your work. Familiarize yourself with document creation and editing tools.
- Obtain relevant qualifications: Although not mandatory, a degree in English, journalism or communication could be beneficial. There are also specialized courses and certifications available (see section below).
- Gain practical experience: Volunteering to write documentation for local organisations or charities can be a great first step to get experience and hone your skills. Alternatively, you could take freelance or contract roles. These will all help you to build your portfolio and progress your technical writing career.
- Networking: Joining organisations and online groups/forums can be a great way to connect with professionals and stay up to date with industry trends. Becoming a member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) gives you access to technical communication education and training programs, career development and professional networking opportunities.
- Subject Matter Knowledge: Technical communicators often benefit from some subject matter knowledge of the particular discipline in which they are employed. For example, a technical writer that produces content for the medical field might benefit from some basic coursework or supplemental training in the specific medical discipline in which they write and produce documentation.
With regards to academic degrees, technical communication is also a degree that can be earned at the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral levels in many colleges and universities. While a degree in English, Journalism, or Communication Studies might be beneficial, a more specialized degree in technical / professional / scientific communication may be even more beneficial to build one's academic credentials.
In this article, Anne Hempy, Senior Technical Marketing Engineer, shares her educational journey when she decided to make a career change into a technical writing role.
As an alternative, or in addition, to a degree, there are technical writing courses or professional writing courses on platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Coursera and Udemy, which would give you the writing and editing skills needed to perform the role.
Certifications, like the Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC) from the Society for Technical Communication (STC), can enhance your credibility and demonstrate your expertise.
Finally, demonstrating your skills in using common technical writing tools from Microsoft, Adobe and MadCap, for example, can enhance your skillset and could differentiate you from other applicants when seeking a technical writing role.
The majority of technical writers work in organizations whose primary business is something other than providing technical communication or writing services, for example:
- Software development
- Defence
- Education
- Healthcare
