So You Want to Get Into Technical Communication?
Curious about technical communication as a career at Salesforce? That’s terrific! Technical communicators (also known as technical writers) work on teams with product managers, engineers, and user interface designers. We’re part of development teams, but we don’t necessarily write code. We aren’t quality assurance people, although we make sure that the product works well. And we aren’t designers, but we choose the words and labels that help make the user interface intuitive. We get to work in a fast-paced environment where thoughts, ideas, and products continually evolve, so we never get bored.
Depending on your background, you might have questions about what competencies you need to work as a technical communicator at Salesforce. Check out the following information to learn how you can gain additional skills and transition into a terrific career.
You Have A Writing Background But Little Technical Expertise
Perhaps you already work as a journalist or an editor. Maybe you write proposals at a nonprofit. Or, you write well but you primarily manage projects with lots of stakeholders. You could be a perfect fit for technical communication! Besides excellent writing skills, we look for other attributes that help make writers successful on our team. Here’s what you can do to prepare yourself as a possible candidate.
You Have A Technical Background But Little Writing Experience
Do you have a software development background but enjoy explaining how things work to others? Or, maybe your background includes tech support and you wonder if you have the writing chops to make it in technical communication. A technical writing career might appeal to you for some of the reasons that software development does: we write using a structure, we work with engineers, and we think about user requirements.
Technical communication always needs more people who love to dig deep into technology. Here are some of the attributes we look for in writers and ideas about how you can develop these skills.
If you scan both tables, notice that the skill requirements overlap. It’s just that a writer likely needs to take different steps than a software engineer to fill any knowledge gaps before moving into the field. However, whatever your background, technical communicators must write well and understand constantly evolving technologies.
Technical communication offers fantastic challenges, interesting work, and a passionate community of technologists who enjoy the demands of an ever-changing technical arena. We welcome varied backgrounds. Come and join us!
