Software Engineer to Technical Writer: How to Transition
A software engineer might start technical writing as a side job since many companies require technical documentation.
This article has everything you need to learn technical writing for engineers. If you’re interested in learning via video, watch below. Otherwise, skip ahead.
How to Transition to Technical Writing for Engineers?
Learning technical writing skills can be a technical challenge. But, the more technical documents you write, the better you get.
The software development background is the primary touchpoint between an engineer and a technical writer. Since many technical writers have the required tech skills, explaining technical things and abstract concepts is easier.
Naturally, the easiest way to start your technical writing career is inside your existing company. If you’re currently working as an engineer for a specific business, you already know the insides and outs. You have a clear overview of technical communications and internal web development. Most importantly, you know people that can help you get a head start.
If that’s not the case, but you enjoy writing technical documentation, there are several ways to break into technical writing.
Take Technical Writing Courses
Depending on your experience writing technical documents, you might want to brush up on your writing first. A great way to do that is to find a tech writing program or take a technical writing course.
Gaining technical knowledge might take some time, so a course is a great way to speed up the process.
Your software engineering experience and computer science background will help you land jobs and develop a technical writing style.
The certification will not be as helpful if you are transitioning inside the same company. But if you decide to switch companies, having a certificate will help.
Alternatively, you might already have the necessary knowledge and skills. Either way, taking a course and brushing up on your technical communication helps.
Connect with Professionals
As an engineer, you already have connections with writers and other software developers, so you don’t need to do as much networking.
A quick search on community websites such as Reddit will connect you with writers who enjoy writing technical documentation as much as you do. More importantly, you can find technical writers from different industry fields.
Another great resource is LinkedIn. You might already have a LinkedIn profile, making online networking much more effortless.
Alternatively, it’s also a good idea to contact coworkers from your previous job, not only engineering teams. Tech writers are in demand, and the estimated job growth is 7.36% until 2030.
Create a Tech Writing Resume
You might feel that your previous job resume is enough. While engineering does give you a competitive edge, you need a technical writing resume.
Your resume should include all your past engineering experience since it’s a clear sign of your capability to write good documentation. Furthermore, don’t forget to include any technical writing courses you take.
You can find technical writing resume templates online to help present your tech skills in the best light possible.
Expand Industry Knowledge
As a software developer, you have the knowledge you need. But you need a mind shift if you plan to become a full-time technical writer.
Explaining complex concepts to your intended audience isn’t as easy as it sounds. Often, knowledgeable people have difficulty defining a concept in simple terms. They get lost in complex phrasing.
A technical writer doesn’t need to know everything about the industry. They need to have a fair understanding of the topic at hand. This means that more knowledge doesn’t necessarily make a person a better writer.
Although writers typically specialize in a specific industry, as an engineer, you’ll need to exit your engineering comfort zone.
Expanding to related fields, such as software design or marketing, is a great way to start.
Set Goals
Depending on your experience, full-time writing can be quite a technical challenge. You need to write both internal documentation and external for exciting new features. You’ll have more than a single target audience that is primarily non-technical people.
So you don’t falter, set practical goals. For example, a great starting goal for technical writers is to write a flawless first draft. What’s tricky about creating documentation such as end-user manuals is reviewing your work.
It’s easier for a software developer to know when they did a good job. Although the software-building process is arguably more complex, it’s evident that the final product doesn’t work.
When you start, you’ll need an editor to proofread the copy to ensure it’s simple and self-explanatory. But you’ll notice patterns that make an excellent copy as you write more perfect first drafts.
Finally, although your job is to write, that doesn’t mean that you’ll get all the necessary data all the time.
Set yourself the goal of having the necessary data without having to backtrack once you start writing. This way, you’ll learn to gather information independently instead of depending on others.
Required Skills
Since a technical writer is a hybrid between a writer and a software engineer, the skills you need are somewhat unique.
You already have the first half in the bag with your experience in the technical field. Here are some technical writing skills that you need. Some of them you probably also possess. If you don’t, simply being aware of them as you work will help you improve.
Communication
The main reason technical writing can be challenging is that you need to communicate with everybody properly. As you research, you need stellar verbal communication with your team. When you start writing, you need better communication to present the subject.
Technical Skills
Since you have experience writing code, you have some of it covered. But tech skills don’t address coding. It also includes team, product, project management, and marketing. Although you might need those initially, they are essential for advancing your technical writing career.
Research
As mentioned previously, lousy research can lead to disaster. Knowing where to look and what to look for is the key to becoming a better technical writer.
Writing
This one is a no-brainer. But remember that technical writing involves piecing proper grammar and vocabulary together. The content you write is the window to your company’s product, and plain writing isn’t enough. You need to know for whom you write and why you write. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself rewriting the exact copy over and over.
Editing
Depending on the organization, some technical writers work as technical editors. Other companies separate the two job positions. Your editing skills should develop alongside your writing skills, but remember that the editing POV differs from the writing POV.
Responsibilities After You Transition
Responsibilities vary depending on if you’re writing for the user or for the company itself.
When writing for users, the technical writer doesn’t need to explain the software-building process. Imagine a company that develops a search engine for finding freelance jobs. The end-user doesn’t need to understand how the service’s back end works. They need to know how to use the service effectively and how it helps them in their everyday lives.
For internal documentation, a technical writer might need to explain software development to team members who aren’t developers but require the information to make proper decisions. A great example is the product management team, which consists of people who lack software design knowledge.
The writer is responsible for writing both innovative pieces and cold data documents. Tech writing also requires proper research and proofreading, as there is little room for error.
Although responsibilities vary from business to business, some of the core responsibilities are:
- Explain technical concepts most simply to the intended audience.
- Write documentation for internal needs such as company decision-making.
- Communicate with the product team to understand the developer’s perspective.
- Analyze and gather information independently.
- Understand the rhetoric relevancy for the specific audience.
- Review and edit existing content.
Although simple products require less tech writing, the more complex a product gets, the more essential technical writers are. This is especially the case for B2B SaaS companies, which often struggle to convince customers why their product is better than the rest.
Finally, software development teams constantly develop internal tools, and without proper documentation, the benefits can be lost as communication weakens.
How Much Do Technical Writers Earn?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average technical writer’s salary is $74,650 a year. The Bureau also predicts 5,500 openings new job openings each year.
Since the demand for technical writers is growing, you can expect the average salary to increase accordingly.
Technical Writer vs Engineer – Benefits
Finally, let’s review some of the technical writer benefits over software engineers.
- On average, technical writers have less strict deadlines. There are usually a couple of deadlines, such as the release date of a product or update.
- There’s less back and forth, mainly because you’ll face fewer bugs and errors than an engineer.
- Although this can be subjective, another benefit is that you’re closer to the user. Many engineers get stuck creating a product without getting any feedback.
- You interact with different teams inside the company besides the development team.
Although some people don’t like communicating with other people every day, if you enjoy writing technical documentation, you probably like talking to people.
Final Note
Becoming a tech writer is much easier for someone with an engineering background than a background in writing. The main reason is that you already understand the product you must write about.
Learning to write simple yet effective copies is also tricky, and getting into that tech writing flow takes time.
Becoming an excellent technical writer requires time and effort. But if you want to make the career shift, you will achieve the goal sooner than you think.
FAQs
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about technical writing.
Is a technical writer a good career?
Many businesses need tech writers, especially in the software development industry. A tech writer has a unique mix of computer science understanding and engaging writing. Since most professionals focus either on one or the other, a technical writer is a valuable asset, making it a solid career choice.
What makes technical writing a valuable career skill?
Technical writing is a valuable career skill because it bridges the gap between complex information and user-friendly content. Professionals with this skill can distill intricate concepts into clear and concise technical documents that enhance understanding and usability, whether in engineering writing, software documentation, or business writing.
How does engineering writing differ from general business writing?
Engineering writing focuses on precisely documenting technical processes, procedures, and systems, often using specialized technical terms. In contrast, business writing emphasizes communication in a broader context, focusing on clarity, active voice, and the effective transmission of ideas in various business documents like emails, reports, and proposals.
Why is active voice preferred in technical documents?
Active voice is preferred in creating a technical document because it is direct, clear, and concise. It reduces ambiguity, making instructions and descriptions more straightforward for the reader. In engineering and business writing, using active voice enhances the document’s readability and ensures that actions and responsibilities are communicated.
How should technical terms be handled in technical writing?
When first mentioned in technical documents, technical terms should be introduced clearly and defined. Definitions or glossaries are useful to prevent confusion for audiences unfamiliar with specialized language. Balancing precise terminology with user-friendly explanations is crucial, especially in engineering writing, where technical terms are abundant.
If you are new to technical writing and are looking to break in, we recommend taking our Technical Writing Certification Course, where you will learn fundamentals of being a technical writer, how to dominate technical writer interviews, and how to stand out as a technical writing candidate.
