Technical writing is a popular tech skill that combines technical knowledge with the ability to express difficult technical terms in a clear and succinct manner. 

Whether you’re just starting out or want to advance your technical writing skills, this article will give you the right insight as it discusses what is technical writing, how to begin, and how to position yourself for jobs and gigs as a technical writing Newbie. 

It covers everything you need to know to become a top-tier technical writer, from growing your writing abilities and expanding your professional network to knowing your audience and using the correct tools. Let’s dive right in! 

What is Technical Writing?

Are you among the many that hear technical writing and you start thinking it is about something technical like going to Pluto or building a Jet on a motorbike? No, that is not what technical writing is all about. 

Technical writing is simply writing about information that is not popular or common, this is done to make information to be easily understood by people who might not understand some technical terms that are used by some industry experts in their respective industries.

So, technical writing entails writing to explain technicality in Technology, medicine, engineering and every other industry. That being said, what can you do to become a technical writer?

Examples of Technical Writing 

Every type of writing requires you to have a voice and a tone, including technical writing. While I will discuss the most popular types of technical writing, I would like to let you know that, technical writing is mostly written in a serious and factual tone, because the idea is to present yourself as being factual and truthful. 

That said, it is important to state that companies have their own brand tone which they would like you to use whenever you are writing for them. Therefore, here are different examples of technical writing: 

• User guides 
• White papers 
• Case studies 
• API Documentation
• SDK Documentation 

Technical Writing Tools  

Now that you already know you need to take a course that will make kickstarting your journey quite easier, and you also know some examples of technical writing alongside the industry tone. Let’s discuss the software that you will use in carrying out your job. 

Some of these tools are common while some are not. However, these tools will be taught while you are taking the beginners course at More Techies Academy. These are tools you will use for publishing, authoring, image capture & editing, spelling checks etc. 

That said, below are the most used technical writing tools 

• Robo Help 
• Adobe Framework 
• Google Doc
• Grammarly
• Notion
• Microsoft word
• Markdown editor
• Panoramix capture etc

Average Salary/Income of a Technical Writer 

Like every other Tech skill, pay varies according to level, skillset, company, and country. Technical writing is no different, the pay is diverse especially if we factor in the economy of the country of the writer. 

Africa has been recently observed to be a cheap labour continent for the tech industry. However, some African talent still earn as much as their USA and UK counterparts. That said, a Jnr Technical writer makes about 2-3million Naira in a year, depending on how fast he grows and how well he can network. 

This is why I would advise you to take a course in the academy because that is an opportunity to network with colleagues and seniors that are already in the game and would most likely connect you to your first gig and future ones.

How To Secure Technical Writing Roles and Gigs

If you have followed the tips I have been sharing from the get-go in this article, you’ll never find it hard to secure gigs both locally and internationally. However, here are the 7 steps that will help you position yourself for technical writing roles and gigs.

1. Take a technical writing course and earn the certification
2. Build relationships with colleagues and instructors in your academy
3. Start talking about technical writing on your social media 
4. Create a technical writing portfolio with your samples 
5. Do self-learning to advance your skills
6. Keep applying for jobs and gigs when you see them
7. Ask for recommendations from colleagues  

Technical Writing Course and Certification 

I am one of the people that believe that geniuses are made and not born, I believe we can all get to an exceptional level in anything we choose to do, that includes Technical writing, for you to start earning big as a technical writer, you have to learn and own the skill. There are different ways to learn this skill. 

One is through youtube videos, although this is not an advisable route for newbies who do not have prior knowledge, it is also not good for you if you do not have certification yet, as many companies request certificates before they give you gigs and roles. 

Another way is to go through the tech academy route, this is better as you will have an instructor walk you through the course and get a chance to ask questions and get clarity. Another profound benefit of this way of learning is the network of writers it exposes you to, as these people will recommend you for jobs and gigs in the industry. 

Conclusion 

That’s it, I just gave you a route to the successful world of technical writers right from a non-tech background. While I would advise going over the blog again for clarity. Let me quickly debunk the myth that you need a technical background before you can become a technical writer.

No! You do not! All you need is to take a course, earn a certificate, and start writing until someone somewhere finds you good enough to be paid. GOODLUCK!