If you’re considering jumping into a technical writing career, you need to consider whether the day-to-day life of a technical writer is for you and whether you have the kind of skills that technical writers need to excel in their role, or the aptitude to learn them. Not everyone is suited to be a technical writer.
Technical writing, at its heart, requires you to be able to learn new technologies and communicate them effectively to others through your writing. You must be able to understand technical information well enough to explain it to others, and you must be able to write clearly in a way that other people understand. To obtain the technical information in the first place, you need to be able to work with subject matter experts who hold this information in their minds. Interpersonal skills are an indispensable element of any successful technical writer’s toolkit.
Some folks truly love technical writing—it’s in their bones. Others may consider the role a stepping stone to another career.
 Insight |
| Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills Soft skills—also known as people skills or interpersonal skills—are the behaviors and attitudes you’ll need to bring to your work so you can flourish as a technical writer. Hard skills are technical skills that are easily measurable, i.e., you can prove them with a degree or certificate. Both can be learned, and both are essential to your credibility as a technical writer, but it’s much easier to prove on paper that you have hard skills. As your career as a technical writer grows, aim to gain a reputation among employers for your soft skills as well as your technical excellence. |
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