How to get a Technical Writing Position at Google
Working at Google is prestigious for many obvious reasons and one of them is the possibility to fulfill your potential, that’s why many people want to work there. However, getting a job at Google is hard because requirements are high. So, let’s review the open position at Google and think over what you should do to meet the requirements of this vacancy.
Here is the information that Google provides us.
About the job
As a Technical Writer, you will be working on developer products, support popular developer platforms, including APIs for the Android Platform, Google Maps Platform, App Engine, and Chrome. You will communicate with developers worldwide through conceptual documentation, detailed developer guides, code samples, API references, and other online materials. You have a background as a developer, and write as a hobby or perhaps you are an experienced communicator who loves digging deep into code. You are also passionate about helping developers do amazing things.
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
- Experience with online publishing or web development, and proficiency in technical writing, product documentation, journalism, or related writing disciplines.
- Experience with code written in Java, C++, Python, and/or JavaScript.
- Legal authorization to work in the United States.
Preferred qualifications:
- Graduating from Bachelor’s or Master’s program in 2018.
- Familiarity with source code management, build systems and related. ability to quickly learn and use technology.
- Proficiency with HTML, CSS and a UNIX environment.
- Ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment.
Responsibilities
- Write technical documentation for our external developer audience, such as API reference docs and developer guides.
- Design and organize documentation sets for new APIs and developer products.
- Edit, clarify and proofread documents written by others, and coach non-writers on ways to improve their writing skills.
- Supplement developer documentation with relevant sample code.
How much will you make? According to glassdoor, the typical Google technical writer salary is $122,124.
As you can see, a technical writer should have strong skills not only in technical writing but also in coding and design because nowadays tech writing professionals don’t create documentation in a printed form, they use help authoring tools for this purpose. That’s why you should have the design skills to make your documentation more user-friendly. For example, I use ClickHelp because it has all the necessary features for styling documentation. ClickHelp documentation is clear and even a novice can style the content easily but basic knowledge on CSS and HTML helped me personalize manuals faster without any help.
So, here’s what I recommend. First of all, you should build strong skills in technical writing. Books and online resources will help you:
- Top 7 books for Technical Writers
- Resources to Get Practice in Technical Writing
- Top 7 Online Courses in Technical Writing
Soft skills are also essential because you will need to communicate with SMEs, designers, programmers and others.
In order to learn more about what a technical writer needs to succeed and get a job at Google, get acquainted with existing Google team members and interview them. I think they will share their experience gladly.
Of course, getting a technical writing position at Google is hard, and that’s why it’s prestigious — only the best work there. You should work hard and be curious, but I believe you can do it! Here is an article where I categorize some articles of mine that will be useful for your career growth and help you improve yourself as a technical writer: ‘How can I Improve as a Technical Writer’.
