How to become a successful technical writer

What is technical writing?

Technical writing is any type of writing that explains technical concepts and processes in a clear, simple way. Contrary to popular belief, technical writing isn’t just in user manuals. You can also find it in white papers, medical summaries, blog posts, case studies, online help sections, standard operating procedure documents, legal disclaimers, pitch decks, brochures, and professional reports.

Most technical writing falls into one of three categories: consumer technical writing, technical marketing writing, or traditional technical writing.

Consumer technical writing—which is geared toward the end user of a product or tool—is designed to help a consumer use, fix, or make sense of something complex. If you buy a pair of bookcases from Ikea, for example, you’ll see technical writing in the assembly instructions that come with your purchase. If you search Google because your email account isn’t loading new messages, you might find a blog post that uses technical writing to explain how to fix the problem.

Technical marketing writing is used to sell or promote a technical product or tool to another business. You typically see technical marketing writing in case studies, annual reports, white papers, and pitch decks.

Traditional technical writing, which is written for experts in a particular field, provides more information on a complex subject. You can find this type of technical writing in medical papers, legal documents, research compilations, and employee handbooks and guides.

What skills do you need as a technical writer?

Every writer needs to be able to organize their ideas in a clear, compelling way, but technical writers have to be especially adept at outlining complicated concepts. They also need skills that go beyond the act of writing.

Here’s what every technical writer needs to succeed:

• Analytical thinking skills: As a technical writer, you need the capacity to think critically about how a process or tool works.
• A strong command of language: You should be comfortable translating industry-specific jargon into simple terms.
• Specialized knowledge: You need to have a deep understanding of a technical subject or field, whether it’s coding, pharmaceuticals, or another topic.
• Excellent attention to detail: You should be able to find and fix holes in logic.
• Clear, concise writing skills: Being a technical writer means you have to make dense, confusing concepts digestible.
• Adaptability: You should be able to cater your writing style and tone to the audience you’re speaking to.
• Good communication: You need to be comfortable interfacing and chatting with other technical experts, such as engineers, researchers, and scientists.
• Curiosity: You should have a genuine desire to learn and further your understanding of technical topics.
  
  

How to become a successful technical writer in 7 steps

Accomplished technical writers spend years building up their knowledge and expertise in a single area, not to mention working on their writing craft. If you’re starting from scratch, you can still become a successful technical writer, but you should be prepared to dedicate significant time and energy to learning and honing your skills.

Ready to go? Here’s a roadmap for breaking into technical writing:

Step 1: Identify your areas of expertise

The first step to becoming a technical writer is figuring out what you can write about with authority. To start, consider your education and work experience. Maybe you have a degree in computer science or environmental law, for example. Maybe you’re a software salesperson or you spent seven years working at an auto shop as a mechanic.

It’s also a good idea to reflect on your technical interests and passions. Are you an expert at a certain video game or a wizard at home renovation projects?

Once you identify your skills and areas of technical expertise, conduct some research to see whether or not your knowledge is in demand. Search for companies in the niches you pinpointed, then scour their websites and product offerings. Online help sections, technical articles, and case studies are all signs a company might use technical writers.

Next, visit a few different employment search sites to look for technical writing jobs in your niche, like “video game technical writer” or “construction technical writer.” If you see a decent amount of job posts that correlate with your expertise, you’re on the right track.

Step 2: Advance your skills

Building upon your base of knowledge can take you to the next level as a technical writer. Consider what new skills or education you need in order to further your technical expertise or writing abilities. What will make you more proficient and adaptable?

Depending on your experience and goals, you could take a class, attend a seminar, or get some additional work experience. For example, if you have a medical degree but no experience with professional writing, you may want to enroll in a technical writing course. If you’re a front-end web developer, you might be interested in obtaining a certification in back-end web development to expand your skill set.

Here are a handful of technical writing courses to consider:

• Technical Writer HQ
• Certified Professional Technical Communicator
• Medical Writer Certified
• Technical Writing by Coursera
• Professional Technical Writing by Udemy
• Technical Writing: How to Write Software Documentation by Udemy
• TechWriter-Certification Basic Certificate in Technical Writing