Technical Writing: An option for those who love both words and technology
Say you have an avid interest in technology but your brain just clicks more with language than it does with computer logic and programming. Or say you’re an English major but lean digital over paper. For those who love all things computers while still retaining a love of language, technical writing is the perfect marriage between the two.
Technical writers are tasked with creating and maintaining a wide-variety of materials such as instruction manuals, how-to guides, web articles, API documentation, and a whole lot more. While the type of documents you work on differ from job to job, all technical writers share one core goal in common: translating complex and technical information into a more digestible, easy-to-understand form.
Think of it like trying to read a jargon-heavy study about quantum mechanics. You may be interested in the findings of the study but struggle with understanding the complex calculations and technical jargon. You could look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary or crack open a Wikipedia page, but it would save you and everyone else a good deal of effort if the author provided an explain-like-im-five edition of the article.
Here is where technical writer’s come in- they do the work of looking up jargon and interviewing subject matter experts (SMEs) until they have a good enough grasp of the study to shorten it and rewrite it in layman terms. Think of the bite-sized news snippets you see on your typical news site- a short summary in plain English of a study on Yahoo News is a lot easier to digest than trying to read the original study yourself. This is the core essence of a technical writer’s work.
And contrary to popular belief, you probably won’t be writing any Ikea assembly manuals.
Despite how it sounds on paper, technical writing is a surprisingly creative career path with near countless options. Of course, writing a novel or creating poetry allows you to stretch your creative muscles more so than technical publications, but that doesn’t mean tech writers are mindlessly creating task lists (i.e. Step 1…Step 2…).
Technical writers are constantly learning about the latest innovation in their given field. From writing about medical devices to the state of financial markets, or even the features on the newest model Tesla, tech writers can find work in any field. This means you can search for opportunities in the areas that interest you no matter what the field.
Depending on the project and size of your organization, you might also be tasked with creating materials other than just written documentation. It isn’t unheard of for a technical writer to assist with creating instructional videos, promotional materials, illustrated diagrams, or basic graphic design. Working for a smaller company means there is less of a chance that you will have a dedicated design team, so keep that in mind when thinking about what kinds of companies you want to be applying to if you aren’t planning to freelance.
Is technical writing a good career?
There’s no universal answer to this question, and your mileage will vary based on whether you work as an in-house technical writer versus freelancing, the size of the company you work for, and how interested you are in the field your company resides in. A job writing for a global corporation like Apple will be vastly different from working at a 50 person firm that imports coffee beans.
Regardless, there are a few things that make technical writing a desirable field.
Pay and Job Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, technical writers make an average of $74,650 per year. The need for technical writers is predicted to grow 12%, or faster than average, between 2020 and 2030. With the typical entry-level tech writer only needing a bachelor’s degree, relatively good pay and a fast growth outlook for the profession, it’s almost enough to convince your parents that an English degree isn’t the worst idea in the world.
Work Environment
Like any other office job, technical writers spend their daylight hours at their desk. It’s air-conditioned and not physically draining, but whether this kind of workplace sounds appealing or not depends on the individual. Don’t expect to be driving or working much with your hands; the magic happens all at your desk.
But there is another plus. With Covid and the rise of remote work, there has been a huge influx of technical writing positions that don’t require you to come into the office. You could live anywhere with an internet connection and work as a technical writer. Since all of the materials you need reside server-side, a laptop and wifi is all you technically need. So if you know you don’t want to be commuting into an office everyday, tech writing allows a great deal of flexibility in choosing how you work.
And if you don’t like the idea of working in-house for a company? Consider freelancing. Technical writers are sought out on sites like UpWork and Fiverr, but you can work directly with clients too. There are plenty of examples of technical writers with successful personal websites and portfolios that don’t need to rely on third-party services to find work.
But like any freelance gig, it’s actually finding the clients that’s the hard part. Building up a clientele will take months and even years of effort regardless of the quality of your work, but ultimately it will offer you more freedom in choosing how you want to work.
A compromise between the stability of an in-house position and freelancing is doing contract work. This technically falls under the freelancing side of things, but it’s worth mentioning it separately. Technical writing contracts typically range from a month or two to a couple years, typically just long enough to help with a single large project by the hiring company.
Contracts can offer higher pay and are paid out either by hour or by project. Since contracts are a temporary commitment, they can allow you to explore different sized companies and different fields of interest to find what works best for you.
Where to Find Work
There are two major routes you can go as a technical writer: in-house or freelance, both of which can be done remotely.
In-House
If you want to work at your standard corporate 9-5, plenty of listings are available on sites such as Indeed and LinkedIn. These positions tend to have high job security without much turnover. Deadlines are typically known well-ahead of time but crunch-time can be common if you worked in a faster-paced role.
Freelance
For those who would rather have the flexibility of remote, there are several ways to freelance as a tech writer.
Popular sites to find work include:
But gig sites aren’t the only way to find work; you can also search for contract work on your typical job-hunting sites or create your own professional website. There are also sites that host portfolios for your work if you don’t want to create your own site.
Concluding Thoughts about Working Remote as a Technical Writer
Technical writing is a vast and multi-faceted field that offers flexibility to those who harbor a love of both writing and technology. It typically only requires a bachelors and while English is popular, anyone from actors to engineers can enter the field without needing to complete extra education. Whether you prefer the stable 9-5 grind or are looking to carve out a career path that doesn’t require ever stepping foot inside and office, technical writing is a growing field that has options for everyone. And no, you don’t ever have to write instructions for putting a chair together.
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