Skill #23: Transitioning into Tech Writing from Very-Much-Not Tech Writing

📣 Special announcement: The Not-Boring Tech Writer team (Kate and Chad) will be at Write the Docs Portland in May. Thanks to KnowledgeOwl's sponsorship, they’ll be wearing KnowledgeOwl and The Not-Boring Tech Writer t-shirts and giving out The Not-Boring Tech Writer stickers. If you're attending WTD Portland this year, please say hi to Kate and Chad, let them know what you think of the show, and swing by the conference swag table to grab some free stickers so you can flaunt your not-boring tech writer status with the world!_____________________________________________Think back to the early years of your career as you considered pursuing a career in technical writing. Unless you happened to pursue a formal education in technical writing; and perhaps land an internship, it’s a challenging period—just like any career change. You have to learn the jargon of the technical writer; the networks with which they mingle; and the skills they use. For people working in very-much-not technical writing hoping to make the transition, all of it can be overwhelming. That’s why, in this episode, I have Chad Sterling on the podcast: Product Technical Communications Specialist at Kuka, an Austin-based robotics company. Before Chad joined Kuka, he worked as a hotel security director across the united states. He enjoyed—and excelled at the work—however, after discovering his skill for writing and interest in technology, he made the switch to technical writing and has an excellent story to share about the process. In this episode, Chad shares how you can transition to technical writing from very-much-not technical writing including:Where to find a tribe of technical writersHow to use your existing skills to transition into technical writingHow to ramp up your skills to find your first gigShow Notes: MadWorld ConferenceWrite the DocsWrite the Docs SlackWrite the Docs Job BoardWrite the Docs MeetupsSociety for Technical CommunicationI’d Rather Be Writing I’d Rather Be Writing API Documentation coursePeter Gruenbaum courses on UdemySkill #14: Contributing to Open-Source ProjectsChad on TwitterChad on LinkedIn