Having outlined the broader landscape of career progression in technical writing, let’s focus on the very beginning of this journey: your first role as a technical writer. Stepping into the professional world, especially in a field as ever-evolving as technical writing, can be both exhilarating and daunting.

Surviving and Thriving in Your First Technical Writing Role

Okay, so you’ve gotten your first job as a beginner technical writer. Congratulations! Are you feeling impostor syndrome yet? Don’t worry, that’s normal. We’ve all felt that at some stage in our careers. To support you in this initial phase, we’ve compiled practical tips from experienced technical writers who have navigated this path successfully. Their shared wisdom, drawn from various stages of their careers and diverse professional backgrounds, will provide you with valuable insights as you embark on your own journey.

Voice of Practitioner

Layale Role: Junior Technical Writer with over three years’ experience Location: Quebec, Canada Expertise: Process and procedure documentation “Get a book and start reading! If you’re starting off as a tech writer, before you write anything, read a book that will inform you about what you will need to know in your technical writing process.”

Voice of Practitioner

Carly Role: Technical Writer with three weeks’ experience; 18 months as a Knowledge Management Specialist Location: Queensland, Australia Expertise: Process and procedure documentation “Get a qualification. Do some formal training before you start. I wish I’d had a better understanding of industry standards and ‘what good looks like.’ I think my experience was specific to my team and my industry.”

Voice of Practitioner

Anh Role: Technical Writing Intern with one month’s experience Location: Pennsylvania, United States Expertise: Software documentation “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and reach out to more experienced people. I know a lot of people are like me; they’re afraid to bother others, afraid they’ll waste someone’s time. But it’s natural for people to help newcomers, as many received significant help from others early in their careers.”

Voice of Practitioner

Nellie Role: Documentation Specialist with six months’ experience Location: Pennsylvania, United States Expertise: Software documentation “When you’re confused, be present, and let the confusion wash over you. You don’t have to make sense of it all at once; it eventually will. Go take a walk or whatever, and let diffuse thinking happen—your brain will make sense of it later.”

Voice of Practitioner

Amanda Role: Technical Documentation Manager with 10 years’ experience Location: Texas, United States Expertise: Software documentation “Ask all the questions. Don’t try to act like you know the answer when you don’t. I know culture varies by company and country, but engineers and other SMEs tend to respect people when they admit to not knowing. They’ll eat you alive if you pretend to know and you don’t.”

Voice of Practitioner

Colin Role: Senior Technical Writer with 5 years of formal technical writing experience and 7 years of experience creating documentation under different job titles Location: Quebec, Canada Expertise: Software, hardware, process, and procedure documentation “Find a mentor. There are a lot of very talented people in this space who love talking about it. Groups such as Write The Docs are filled with individuals who are very happy to share their experience and tips. It’s very important to find a mentor at the beginning of your career to encourage and support you because it can be very difficult at the start.”

Voice of Practitioner

Sarah Role: Senior Technical Writer with five years’ experience Location: Toronto, Canada Expertise: Software documentation “Keep a record of everything you’re doing so you can bring it up during your performance reviews—what you did, how you did it, and the outcome. I didn’t do that in my first couple of positions and regretted it. Keep records of your accomplishments—you’ll thank ‘past you’ for doing that.”

Insight

Insider Perspectives: Technical Writer Interviews To understand technical writing as a career, we interviewed over twenty technical writers at all stages of their careers—from interns with only a month’s experience to senior writers with over thirty-five years, reflecting on long and successful careers. We talked with documentation managers responsible for leading teams across continents and aspiring technical writers wishing to break into the industry. We asked questions about every aspect of their careers—from the tools they use to their advice for newcomers to the profession and what they think the future holds. You’ll see snippets from these interviews used throughout this section.