Danielle Vansia, Senior Technical Writer at Pluralsight, has had a unique career path in technical writing. She began her career in higher education but was inspired by an article on job opportunities in the tech industry. Danielle began to enjoy the documentation aspect of technical writing and pursued this new career with great success.
In this episode, She’s now writing courses in the development industry alongside her work as a technical author.
Danielle and Adam also discuss the importance of tech fluency and how companies can discover hidden talent in their “nontech” teams.
What is the role of technical writers
Danielle is a Senior Technical writer at Pluralsight. She receives content from technical authors and training architect and reviews it through a student’s eyes. She asks herself, “Does this content make sense to me?” “Can I learn from it?”
She says that one of the essential traits for this position is to research and know where to find important information, such as vendor documentation or style guides, to validate content.
The editing process is divided into two types: copyediting and proofreading. Danielle says, “With copyediting, we review the piece in its entirety and make sure that it looks good when viewed from a larger lens. We look at the grammar, including commas, when proofreading. We spend a great deal of time on content and always keep in mind the student.
The non-traditional way to enter the tech sector
Danielle has had a career in technical writing for a long time. After studying marketing at college; she began working in higher ed. She found that working with Excel and Access databases, as well as documenting business processes and process, was enjoyable during her time at higher education. Technical writing was the obvious choice for a new career.
“Structured Query Language was my first love. Danielle shares that she realized there was a profession where she could combine business analysis, writing, and documentation. She now works on internal documentation and content for Pluralsight’s hands-on labs.
How to enter tech from non-tech areas
Danielle suggests immersing yourself in the field by taking courses, getting certifications, and, most importantly, getting hands-on experience.
Contributing to open-source is one of my biggest tips for those who want to enter the tech industry. She shares, “I was able to work with two open-source organizations.” “Open-source is a volunteer-based project, so no matter your experience level, everyone will be happy to welcome you aboard.”
You don’t know what coding is? You don’t have to know how to code. Danielle points out that open-source projects often require people to write about the product, create product documentation and even conduct user testing. These projects can also be an excellent place to find mentors. Danielle discovered her mentor through an open-source program, and now she is mentoring a colleague via Pluralsight’s mentoring program.
Technical writers require specific skills
Technical writers possess a unique set of skills. Danielle says, “It is not all about the words.” You’re also very wise. You are able to pick up on the slightest nuances or inconsistencies. It is not necessary to be able to code in order to enter the field. However, once you have mastered these advanced concepts, you can move on to other positions.”
Danielle urges team leaders to consider technical writers for technical roles. API technical writers are, for example, often eager to learn and possess the skills needed to work more closely with code.
Here are some skills that successful technical writers have (that they can also use in other roles).
Research that is relentless
Researchers are also good technical writers. They can also learn about many different tech areas by doing research. Danielle has gained more knowledge over the years. She now knows how to program in Python and SQL.
Danielle gives this advice to technical writers: “Focus only on what can make you more effective in your role and improve your work. As an example, I have created multiple style guides in my work. It has helped me decide what to add to Pluralsight’s style guide, and identify important points to communicate with writers when creating documentation.”
Clear documentation
Technical writers are also excellent at writing documentation. They constantly review sources to verify styles, conduct research and fact-check the information. Danielle emphasizes the importance of documentation to the health and efficiency of the software development process. The best code and product won’t work properly if the end user does not have the necessary information to use them.
Technical writers must have a broad knowledge of many subjects to create useful documentation. It is not necessary to be an expert to write about a subject, but it does require you to know enough to communicate key concepts clearly.
It’s also important that they take good notes. Danielle has a section in OneNote dedicated to editing choices, style guidelines, and the individual intricacies for each course.
The desire to learn
Many technical writers are driven by curiosity and the desire to learn. Danielle has requested to be assigned as a writer for courses on topics that interest her, like machine learning. She can then take the course while she is editing it.
“I love to push myself beyond my limits.” In the last two years, I have worked on two different Pluralsight Hackathons. Few years ago, I never would have imagined working with a group of developers to help create a product.”
She’s co-published with Amy Coughlin a course called Introduction to Azure Data Studio : An Explorer’s Guide. This course uses explorer themes to provide a User Interface Overview of the Azure data Studio tool and its features.
Advice for future technical authors
What advice would Danielle offer to someone just starting out? She has a lot of advice for technical writers. “Do your research. Find your niche, and find a mentor. You can ask them about their career path and what resources they use. Take courses such as Tech Foundations to gain initial knowledge and determine what you are interested in. You can challenge yourself, and remember that everyone experiences imposter syndrome. “Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. That’s how you’ll learn.”