Introduction
The world of technology is as amazing as it is vast. People today see the field of tech as the new oil and everyone wants to tap in. A popular misconception about tech careers is that they all involve sitting in front of your computer and writing long lines of code. This discourages a lot of people from getting into tech. I used to think that too until I stumbled upon an article on non-coding tech jobs, and technical writing was one of them. This article highlights my tech writing journey so far.
After I discovered that I could get into tech without necessarily writing long lines of code, I got very interested to know more. I did some research to see where I could fit in, and I found technical writing. Technical writing is a form of writing that explains complex concepts in the simplest way possible. As a technical writer, you need to understand perfectly what you are writing about to be able to effectively pass the knowledge to anybody.
I am a student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and right now, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is on strike. So most Nigerian students in the country are at home, including me. So, I decided to use this time to get better at technical writing. I reached out to a couple of people who were already in the field for some pointers and they were all very helpful.
I told a friend about my interest in tech writing and she being as supportive as always was on the lookout for events, videos, and write-ups about tech writing for me. One day, she sent a flier for a Bootcamp organized by She Code Africa, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (SCA, UNN) chapter to me and the link to register too.
Thank goodness! Help, Finally!
I was especially happy because the guest speaker for the Bootcamp was Cynthia Peter. The Cynthia Peter! I registered and got onboard.
An onboarding call was held on the 16th of May, 2022, and the convener of the Bootcamp, Chidinma Oduenyi, explained to us what the Bootcamp entailed. It was going to run for a month and we were going to be assigned some tasks too.
Below are my submissions for each task:
During one of our live sessions with Cynthia Peter, she explained to us that technical writing is any form of writing that explains technical concepts or processes, or that documents tech stuff.
Some of the aspects of tech writing are:
How-To guides.
Conceptual writing – the art of teaching or explaining new stuff to people.
API documentation.
Content creation.
Internal documentation and so on.
Cynthia also shared some tips on sustaining the inflow of ideas as well as staying relevant in the tech writing field.
Some of those tips include:
It is impossible to prevent writer’s block and feeling burnt out. When those days come, do not force it. It is okay to take a break.
To stay relevant, one has to be consistent and produce quality work. It is not always about the quantity of your content, but the quality.
Identify your target audience. Are you writing for beginners in the field? Who is reading your work? These are some things to keep in mind as you write.
Explore as much as you can. Do as much research as possible. Make sure your facts are straight before you write. This form of writing is mainly informational and as such, you want to teach people the right thing.
Learn something new every day. Even if you do not feel like reading, watch a movie or something. But learn something new every day.
Finally,
This Bootcamp introduced me to some amazing people. The other ladies on the Bootcamp were supportive too. We were always willing to constructively criticize each other’s articles to help us all grow. The entire Bootcamp was nothing short of amazing and I am very grateful to She Code Africa, UNN chapter for this wonderful opportunity.
Thank you for reading. Please react and share! ☺️