From Software Engineer to Documentation Engineer: My Journey and Why It Was the Right Choice

Brittney Ball
The <B> Word
Published in
2 min readFeb 2, 2022

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Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash

It was a little more than two years ago that I made the switch from software engineer to documentation engineer. At the time, I wasn’t sure if it was the right choice, but now I can say without a doubt that it was. In this blog post, I’ll talk about my journey and what led me to make the switch. I’ll also share some of the reasons why documentation engineering is such an important role in today’s software industry.

When I first started my career as a software engineer, I had no idea what documentation engineering was. All I knew was that it involved writing and creating documentation for software products. As I learned more about the role, I realized that documentation engineering is essential to the success of any software product. Good documentation can make or break a product, and that’s why it’s so important to have a skilled documentation engineer on your team.

One of the main reasons I made the switch to documentation engineering was because I wanted to work in a more strategic role. As a software engineer, my job was mostly focused on writing code and debugging issues. While that was fun and challenging, I eventually reached a point where I wanted to do more than just write code. I wanted to work on bigger picture issues and help shape the direction of a product. That’s what led me to documentation engineering, which is a role that involves working with Software Engineers and other team members to create accurate and timely documentation.

In today’s software industry, good documentation is more important than ever. With so many products and services competing for attention, it’s essential to have clear and concise documentation that can help set your product apart from the rest. As a documentation engineer, it’s my job to make sure that our product’s documentation is accurate and up-to-date. I work with Software Engineers to understand their needs and then create documentation that meets those needs. I also work with the development team to make sure that the documentation is accurate and reflects the latest changes in the product.

So, if you’re looking for a more strategic role in the tech industry, I would highly recommend considering documentation engineering. It’s a challenging and rewarding field, and it’s essential to the success of any software product.

Thanks for reading!

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