by Nisa
(India)
Hi, I am currently working as a technical writer drafting patent applications. But I am also a graduate in Information Technology. I have studied several computer programming languages. I am not very interested in these programming languages and coding.
After completing the course I attended several interviews and didn’t get a software-related job.
So I decided to learn another subject not related to software coding- Technical Writing.
I got trained from an institution. Through that institution, I got a job as a Patent Analyst. A Patent Analyst drafts Patent Applications. This job requires technical writing skills. So I have been in this job for 4 years. And I like it.
There is only one patent company in my home town and a lot of issues here. There is no growth in this company. No career development. No designation change.
So I applied for some jobs in Technical writing. I am not having success because I have no hands-on experience?
Anyway, I want to change my job. Earlier I wasn’t aware that there are a lot of job opportunities in software. I am not interested in coding, but there are jobs like software testing.
Please give me some advice on which career/job I should select.
Simon Replies
Hi Nisa
Here are some things for you to think about.
1. You say you like using your technical writing skills in your current job but it lacks further advancement opportunities etc. Is relocating to another city an option to find a similar job since there is only one company in your town that processes patent applications. Or increasingly organizations are happy to let you work remotely and it appears to me that a technical writing job could be performed remotely.
2. What type of jobs have you been applying for in the area of technical writing? Perhaps the type of technical writing you have done does not match the jobs you have been applying for. If you like this type of work and want to stay in your current town, think about companies and jobs in your town that need some form of writing done. Technical writing is a fairly generic term that you could apply to lots of different business types. Have a look at this technical writing site for some more ideas. If you enjoy this writing style and are good at it, it just a matter of finding out about companies who use these skills and then go visit them. Don’t spend too much time responding to advertised positions. This is not a very effective job search strategy.
3. You could begin thinking about other job types in software areas such as software testing. But the starting place for any career that will bring fulfillment and satisfaction, is to ask yourself the question ‘will I be utilizing skills that I am good at and enjoy using. Also, you could benefit from doing my Free Career Finder Assessment.
Hope this helps
Simon
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