Oliver
How do I transition from Academia into Science and Information (Technical writer/Science writer/Entrepreneurial editor)?
I am a postdoc fellow in life sciences. I have been in a lab doing bench work for years and this is not as much fun and exciting as it used to be. Now, I am looking at my options, trying to figure out what my next move should be; but I know that the academic world is no longer an option. #science #writing #academic-advising #editing #life-sciences #publishing #editorial-writing #technical-writing
7 answers
Cheryl Rogers
Cheryl’s Answer
You may find it easier to get experience in your new career by signing up at websites like upwork.com, where you can be hired for one-time assignments. Start small with easy assignments where customers won't be taking much of a risk. Over time you may find some that want you for repeat work. Upwork initially charges 20% of the fee, with no upfront costs. Of course there is a paid option if you intend to use the site extensively.
You also can check for other writer websites, including guru.com, freelancer.com and Profinder.
Another approach is to scope out print magazines, ezines, newsletters, blogs and other places that print scientific articles. Writer's Market comes out with a new book every year which writers use to investigate potential venues for their writing. You'll need to get Writer's Guidelines (you usually can find it at the library if you prefer) and check out the publications to see what they typically run and whether it is a formal style or chatty, etc. Then get in touch, however they prefer to be contacted, and make a pitch for an article you could write for them. Writer's Market will give you an idea what they pay so you can decide who is worth your time. But even if you write for free a few times it might be worth it to get clippings of your work. You can use these to get more, higher-paying assignments.
Ultimately, it will be easier to get permanent employment when you have a portfolio. If you let some of the editors that hire you for freelance assignments know you are interested in a full-time job, they may offer you a position when it becomes available.
Having expertise in science and entrepreneurship is great. Editors like to hire experts. Work at your writing craft, seek out potential employers and introduce yourself!
Best wishes.
Terri Dickens
Terri’s Answer
I wasn't always a writer. It wasn't my first. Therefore, I can understand where you're coming from. If you have expertise in a field already (such as Science), it may be helpful to find writing assignments regarding that; many people look for writers in specific fields. When I transitioned, I was a Network Administrator. Because I already had the technical background, people began giving me standard operating procedures to write on applications, etc. Likewise, for you, you may be asked to write the same types of docs, etc. in a field you know. And you could go from there.
If you do well at blogging, offer to write someone's blog. That's always good.
I would also recommend freelancing on those websites (Guru, Upwork, etc.), although if you are new there, it may be difficult to garner much attention. It's worth a shot, however!
Cracked is currently looking for article writers. :)
Julia Hunt
Julia’s Answer
Theresa Harbor
Theresa’s Answer
Theresa recommends the following next steps:
Chris Beckmann
Chris’s Answer
People come into tech writing from one of two directions - they are writers interested in technology or they are technologists interested in writing. The two intersect at the point of becoming professional at delivering effective communication products.
I came at it from the writing side. I did well as an English undergrad. I had been in math and sciences but kind of hit the ceiling in calculus and physics and bailed and went back to something I did well and enjoyed. I then went on to a Technical Communication MS (technical writing) and have been in this field ever since.
Tech writing is more a self-satisfying profession than anything else. More often than not, there are not tremendous accolades around your work and you'll only hear back if there is something wrong with what you produced. But it can pay pretty well! LOL. And again, when you create something from scratch that really, really works and makes someone else's job or life easier, there is a great deal of pride in that.
Greg Loomis
Greg’s Answer
As a scientist, don't underestimate your ability to understand the complex interactions of variables in a system. The ability to learn and assimilate large amounts of information is important in technology careers. Have you tried programming? Did you use any tools to help with data analysis, or visualization of experimental results? Did you think creatively to develop methods for testing hypotheses? What about problem solving to look for gaps in methods or identifying uncontrolled variables?
Deciding what products to offer and how they should look and feel is more of an art, but delivering a working product is a science. Maybe with some additional training there would be a better fit than you might realize.
Stefania (Mandrin) Revelli, CCSP, CPRW
Stefania’s Answer
Hi Oliver,
Congratulations on your accomplishments so far. I think if you can get some freelance blogging opportunities, it would be a great way to gain a bit of "real-world" experience. There are also many content marketing agencies who hire category-specific writers to help populate different websites. You may want to look up content marketing agencies and see if they need technical/science writers. If there are specific companies or organizations that you are familiar with, I'd go to their websites and see what their hiring qualifications and requirements are. Then see if they align with yours or how you need to position yourself to be desirable to these companies. Networking is also a terrific way to make some connections and find out where needs might be. Your college should have a career development center. They often offer continued support -- that may be a great place to start. Best of luck to you. - Stefania