I’m Just a Writer…

The Heretical Musings of a Jaded Tech Writer

1. nashife 7.31.08 / 8pm

   I’m very glad I found your blog and this post. I’ve also experienced this problem, but sort of from the other direction. I’m the least technical (and youngest) writer in my organization, and I’ve been very conscious and insecure about my lack of experience ever since I was hired.

   I’m still pretty technical in general though. I’m much more geeky than most of my friends and all of my family, but my technical experience comes mostly from my hobbies and nerd obsessions I had in college rather than formal education (I was one of two English majors in my entire university who used Linux).

   What do you suggest to writers who have landed a tech writing job, but feel we need more formal technical experience? I can play around in linux and read books and try to teach myself programming in my free time all I want, but I feel like I’m missing out on developing my tech skills in a classroom or engineering team or community type of setting.

   I also think that earning some kind of tangible certification or finishing a project/program that I can point to as a sign of my progress would help with the insecurity, but I don’t know where to start searching for ideas on this.

   I also don’t have a whole lot of time to seek out classes or get a second degree due to the full-time job. I know I would work more efficiently and feel much more confident if I had a second degree in networking or computer science or something (and may seek this in the future), but do you have any short term advice for writers like me?
2. imjustawriter 8.5.08 / 5am

   Hello nashlife,

   Being the new writer on the block is not easy to be sure. I’ve been a technical writer for quite a long time and there are still areas that I can’t seem to break into and be completely comfortable technically. Being a little insecure is normal, but how do you go about easing some of that insecurity? Here’s some pointers…

   1. Keep doing what you’re currently doing - Seriously, reading articles, books, blogs, etc. on topics (no matter how geeky they may be to co-workers, classmates, or friends) and poking your nose into techie areas in your spare time is a big plus. This will help you out in the long run if/when you do decide to enter a more formal classroom setting. It’s also helped me with job interviews. I actually landed a job offer from one company not due to my writing portfolio, but due to the fact that I solved an issue that one of the interviewers was having on his linux box…seriously. Gathering knowledge on-the-side whenever you can is always worth pursuing because you never know when it will come in handy.

   2. Get formal training - Yes, reading and tinkering around with Debian and Red Hat in your spare time isn’t exactly going to be something you can put on a resume and only goes but so far in easing those insecurities. So, yes I do recommend taking those certification classes wherever and whenever possible. This can be difficult because some certifications can be expensive, so I would check with your employer to see if they offer any kind of academic/educational reimbursement opportunities.

   What certifications should you take? Well, ultimately that depends on what you are interested in for short-term or long-term. I know some writers who wanted to get into product/program management in the long-term so they gravitated to certifications like the Project Management Professional (PMP) cert (http://www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/Obtaining-Credential.aspx). Others wanted to go more into software engineering and development so they pursued more programming-based certifications like the Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) cert (http://www.sun.com/training/certification/java/index.xml). You said you liked playing around with Linux. Have you considered studying for and taking the Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) certifications (http://www.redhat.com/certification/)? You are already have an interest in that area, why not capitalize off it?

   And remember…even if you don’t have the money to take the certification exams consider taking just the courses. You might not be able to put the cert down on a resume if you can’t afford the exam, but you can put what courses you’ve taken. Plus you can always take the certification exam later (and hopefully on your company’s dime).

   If you are still having trouble figuring out what you should focus on, look at the job ads. What are people looking for in folks they want to hire? And don’t just look at the technical writer job ads either. Look at the ads for developers, quality assurance engineers, or other job titles that you may interact with on a regular basis at your company. If you know what people in those job positions know and are responsible for, it makes you appear more “technical” and therefore more interesting to a potential employer as a writer.

   Finally, don’t forget your own workplace. If you are part of a company that offers training classes or certifications of their own (even if it’s only on their products), take them if you have the opportunity. Every little bit helps.

   3. Network via groups and affiliations where you have interest - For a while I wanted switch over and do medical writing. I had no experience at all in that field other than what I had read and studied on my own. I did a search online and quickly ran into the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA). I read up on the group and then joined as a member. As a member I used all of the educational resources available within that organization to learn more about medical writing and writers. They even offer a medical writers certification course. I strongly encourage you to do the same for whatever area where you have a keen interest.

   Also, as a technical writer, If you haven’t joined STC yet, I would recommend that organization. Mainly because they can also give you a helping hand in various places to get certified in Technical Writing (if you haven’t been certified already) as well as point out areas within the realm of technical communications that you may want to learn more (like single-sourcing, DITA, XML, etc.).

   Last but not least, joining these organizations will also allow you to network so you can keep your ear to the ground on emerging technologies or areas where you want to apply further study.

   4. Don’t forget about your more seasoned co-workers - You have to be careful with this because not all people are comfortable “being a teacher” in the workplace. However, if there is someone there that you feel comfortable in asking newbie writer questions to and is comfortable in answering them in return you should take advantage of that. I learned a lot in class, and on my own, but some of my more valuable knowledge came from talking to or simply observing what other more seasoned writers did.

   Of course, if you don’t really trust anyone at your company to be a mentor to you. This is another area where being part of an organization can really help. STC also offers writers the opportunity to hook up with other writers in a mentoring relationship.

   I hope this helps,
   imjustawriter
3. nashife 8.12.08 / 8pm

   Wow. Just wow. Thanks SO MUCH for your reply. It’s longer than your blog post and I really appreciate your advice and suggestions.

   I had never thought to network via groups and affiliations. That’s a great suggestion and I’ll be sure to look into that.

   I’m also very lucky that I work for a company that does have educational benefits, so I’ve been looking into this already. In fact, I just had a meeting with my manager to start this conversation officially, so there you go.

   I’m also really happy to see you mention that all the “side knowledge” is valuable. I do frequently solve my co-worker’s one-off problems with different tools they use, and have gained a small reputation for being a “misc guru”. So yes, the small side knowledge is great, and your advice is great encouragement to dive deeper.

   Thank you again.