Breaking into the tech writing job market

["Vincent Marianiello" <vincent -dot- marianiello -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Greetings all,

 

I'm new to the list and have a question (somewhat related to a previous
discussion about certification)  for all you tech writing veterans:

 

How does one get that first tech writing job without the experience?

 

I have a Masters in English, but apparently that doesn't mean much to
potential employers. It seems that there's no such thing as an entry level
tech writing job (all the job listings I've seen demand 5+ years of
experience) so how in the world would someone, fresh out of college, embark
on a tech writing career?

 

I'm sure this may appear as a rather dumb question but, being new to the
scene, I haven't a clue. The headhunters I've talked to make it sound like
one needs a science degree to be a technical writer; firms want engineers
who write, not writers who write about engineering. I've read in other
places that a good way is to do pro bono work for non-profits. Any other
advice, suggestions, ideas?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Vincent Marianiello

vincent -dot- marianiello -at- gmail -dot- com

 

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