Small updates to primer page

Author: devalog

_posts/2025-05-23-primer.md

@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ My experience is working for tech companies making software products. But techni
 
 Technical writers have a big range of technical abilities. Some are literally ex-engineers. Others have very little experience writing code, but write for nontechnical users so that works. 
 
+### Resources
+
 Here are some general resources on the technical writing field:
 * [Write the Docs community](https://www.writethedocs.org/). The site has some good resources on the field (including salary information and a hiring guide). The Slack group is super prolific and contains a ton of channels on topics like AI, jobs, resume review, etc. 
 * [I'd Rather Be Writing](https://idratherbewriting.com/) blog, written by technical writer Tom Johnson. Pretty much every technical writer I've ever met knows about this blog. There’s lots of information on the field of technical writing. There's also a free API documentation course. While I haven’t taken this course myself, I’ve heard it can be good for producing writing samples or just learning about API docs (a popular speciality within technical writing).I read this blog religiously when I was a technical writer intern almost a decade ago. I still check in now and then to keep up with trends. 
@@ -31,7 +33,9 @@ These definitions are intentionally vague because you can demonstrate these skil
 
 Web development (Markdown, HTML, CSS, GitHub/version control) skills are broadly applicable to many technical writing jobs because many technical writing jobs use these technologies to publish and update their docs. (Not all, though! I interviewed with a company that used Microsoft Word to write all of their docs.) I think the best way to approach technical writing as a field is to figure out what you’re good at, what skills you already have, and what skills you can refine or add. Then, look for jobs that align. 
 
-You will probably be able to frame some of your past work as relevant technical writing experience. Of course, it’s not all about framing. You also might just not have the background. You might decide you need to go back to school, or do a certificate program, or teach yourself some new skills. But if you have some kind of experience doing something technical and some kind of experience writing, I’d think you’d probably be able to make a go of it:
+You will probably be able to frame some of your past work as relevant technical writing experience. Of course, it’s not all about framing. You also might just not have the background. You might decide you need to go back to school, or do a certificate program, or teach yourself some new skills. 
+
+But if you have some kind of experience doing something technical and some kind of experience writing, I’d think you’d probably be able to make a go of it:
 * If you’re a software engineer looking to break into technical writing, you’ve probably written documentation in previous roles. This is technical writing experience, and you can emphasize it in your resume. Lots of tech writing roles are specifically looking for people with engineering experience. 
 * If you’re an English teacher who took one Python class in college, you could start by brushing up on your Python skills and maybe making a simple app. Maybe you could look for opportunities in the edtech space. You could focus on curriculum developer or instructional designer jobs, which typically fall under the technical writing umbrella but require more extensive learning design and teaching experience. 
 
@@ -44,9 +48,9 @@ Besides thinking about your background and what skills you bring to the table, I
 
 After you have a rough understanding of the kinds of jobs you’re looking for but before you start actually applying to jobs, it’s crucial to have writing samples. Many (most?) technical writing jobs require writing samples, typically alongside the initial application. (Though some companies ask for them later in the process.) Especially if you’re new to technical writing, writing samples are the number one way you can demonstrate your skills. Yes, there’s interviews and often take-home assignments, but you need to prove your skills before you even are able to get to those stages. 
 
-
 If you’re just getting into the field, you might not have a relevant writing sample. When I was going through the application process for Google back in 2017, I literally submitted an academic paper I wrote as one of my writing samples, though I had a couple more relevant samples from my tech writing internship the prior summer. When I left Google in December 2024, I once again found myself in need of writing samples. The tutorials I wrote for my internship in 2017 were too old (in my own opinion). Plus, I’d grown so much as a writer since then. However, almost all of my work at Google was for internal engineers and thus wasn’t shareable. 
 
+### My own samples
 
 After a bit of trial and error (error = getting a lot of rejections!), I wrote a few samples that I’ve had pretty good success with. (Success to me is getting to the initial interview for a job that requires writing samples upfront.) Here they are:
 * [Using an LLM to revamp my site](2025-02-09-jekyll.md)
@@ -74,7 +78,6 @@ I’m not a huge LinkedIn user, but [Sarah Goose](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sa
 
 ## Takeaways
 
-
 * **Technical writing is broader than you might think.** You don't need to be an ex-engineer writing API docs. Many careers that involve some amount of writing and working with technology can translate well to technical writing, which brings me to the second takeaway...
 * **Your experience is more relevant than you realize.** Whether you're a teacher, marketer, or engineer, you likely have transferable skills. The key is learning to frame documentation you've written, teaching experience, or technical problem-solving as relevant technical writing experience.