Skill #23: Transitioning into Tech Writing from Very-Much-Not Tech Writing
Think back to the early years of your career as you considered pursuing a career in technical writing. Unless you happened to pursue a formal education in technical writing; and perhaps land an internship, it’s a challenging period—just like any career change.
You have to learn the jargon of the technical writer; the networks with which they mingle; and the skills they use.
For people working in very-much-not technical writing hoping to make the transition, all of it can be overwhelming.
That’s why, in this episode, I have Chad Sterling on the podcast: Product Technical Communications Specialist at Kuka, an Austin-based robotics company. Before Chad joined Kuka, he worked as a hotel security director across the united states.
He enjoyed—and excelled at the work—however, after discovering his skill for writing and interest in technology, he made the switch to technical writing and has an excellent story to share about the process.
In this episode, Chad shares how you can transition to technical writing from very-much-not technical writing including:
- Where to find a tribe of technical writers
- How to use your existing skills to transition into technical writing
- How to ramp up your skills to find your first gig
Show Notes:
- MadWorld Conference
- Write the Docs
- Write the Docs Slack
- Write the Docs Job Board
- Write the Docs Meetups
- Society for Technical Communication
- I’d Rather Be Writing
- I’d Rather Be Writing API Documentation course
- Peter Gruenbaum courses on Udemy
- Skill #14: Contributing to Open-Source Projects
- Chad on Twitter
- Chad on LinkedIn
Creators and Guests
Host
Jacob Moses
Jacob Moses is the founder and original host of The Not-Boring Tech Writer podcast, which he launched in 2016 to celebrate tech writers and push back against the stereotype that technical writing is boring. He studied technical communication at the University of North Texas, and his first gig out of college was as a tech writer at Rainmaker Digital (formerly Copyblogger Media). Since then, he's carried the skills and values he cultivated as a tech writer into community development and real estate. Today, Jacob is owner of Care Block Development, a real estate development company that acquires, rehabs, and manages historic buildings in Denton, Texas. Pairing historic preservation with thoughtful improvements, Care Block honors the culture of the neighborhoods in which it works to create lovable places for the people it serves. He's also the owner of Sardinha, a premium tinned seafood pop-up pushing premium tins in Denton. If you need a tinfish plug in Denton, Jacob is your guy.
