How To Land a Blockchain Career in Technical and Content Writing

Technical writing and content writing are often used interchangeably, but the two fields have a few marked differences. The field of technical writing involves translating technical and complex jargon into everyday English. The first thing that often comes to mind is instructional user manuals, such as pamphlets for the new Apple product you purchased, or an operating guide for a lawnmower. Technical writing covers all instances of technical processes converted to simple language. This includes briefs, reports, grant proposals, and white papers. 

While content writing is similar, its general purpose is to create content for digital marketing. Duties for content writers include researching the preferences of their target audience, creating content (product descriptions, blog posts, email newsletters), and editing that content. The content created is generally more informal and less detailed than that of technical writing.

Both technical writing and content writing are used in a myriad of industries. Companies in the pharmaceutical, engineering, information technology, financial, and manufacturing industries all benefit from employees who can write manuals and reports, as well as develop online marketing content.

Passing an exam is required for all three levels, and for Expert Certification, interviews and sample work products may be required. Click here to become CPTC certified.

Companies often request technical writing samples from job applicants, so it would be valuable to first pursue volunteer work and internships that provide opportunities to practice technical writing skills and build a portfolio.

Research and audience understanding are also important because depending on the specific content that is being written, writers may change the manner of communication to garner higher interest from readers. In some cases, technical writers may gather test subjects to read through an instruction manual to ensure that the information is comprehensible and unambiguous.

Technical and content writers need to be savvy with digital tools because the content they write is often accompanied by graphs, charts, and other graphics. Content writers in charge of developing content for a website must use these digital tools to produce visually appealing graphics to capture readers’ attention. Of course, a writer explaining a distributed ledger (a concept in blockchain) in a white paper will likely need to understand the details and technical processes behind it, so technical blockchain knowledge is also crucial.