Career in technical journalism 3

[AngelVSDemon]

I have fantasized over being a technical journalist/writer for many years. I have "lived" on web-sites that feed me with the latest news regarding technology for over a decade. I am what you might call a "gadget junkie", I crave to have all of the latest releases at my finger tips (spend about $750 a month on these toys).

Although I am not without job-experience, I feel that I am still fresh-meat and I am still searching for the right career path to follow. I have a diploma in IT - I am qualified in PC servicing, network administration, etc. While I feel that more schooling would be valuable to me, I am very hesitant about embarking on a Bachelor's course as I am very "incompatible" with the school system (don't ask). I am considering an online choice like U of Phoenix, but I am still gathering information on it. If I do "go for it" for an Associate or Bachelor's degree, I am thinking e-business would be a wise-choice that I would enjoy.

...sorry for getting side-tracked there. Anyway, whether or not more schooling is in my future, I want more than anything for a chance to "get my foot in the door" as a technical journalist. I have been curious about it for some time although people have done their best to talk me out of it - telling me that it is unrealistic. Well forget them, I want to do what makes ME happy. I would like to write about technology, to review devices, to explain where technology is going... I don't know where to start though. My dream job in tech. writing would be at Cnet; as you all know they do an amazing job of keeping the public both informed and interested. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this kind of thing. Does anyone have any advice concerning how I should go about this? How I should prepare myself? Where opportunities might lie?

Thank you.

 

[CajunCenturion]

By all means, you should do that which makes you happy. If you are serious about a career in technical journalism, then I suggest that you focus your education on journalism. You are more likely to be hired based on your ability to write than on your technical expertise.

Good Luck
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[willir]

You can always take lessons from the Cajun who is pretty savy when it comes to writing code and writing eloquent replies to Tek-Tip posts.

I agree with the Cajun -- the journalism skill set is most important. However, there are some who have always written well without formal journalism training.

What needs to be "earned" is the respect from the technical community. For example, not many DBA's and system administrators will place a high value on a high level technical article written by a non-technical person.

Writing technical articles for "gadget" hardware and home-user software would have less requirements for industry "respect".

 

[langleymass]

Many tech writers have advised me to avoid it. It is easily outsourced.

 

[Stella740pl]

langleymass,

Did you mean technical <documentation> writing?

Some of them can do both, but usually it's not the same. Even though technical magazines can accept articles from all over the world, I don't think most of the permanent staff of those magazines lives abroad.

 

[kHz]

Outsourced.

I wish that word would go away. It is overused and too much abused. Mostly without any real knowledge other than what the news media spews.

Now. About outsourcing technical articles or technical documentation. I work with many foreign workers who are from India and other countries. English is taught in school in India, so they can speak and understand it. However, they typically forget their use of adjectives when writing. And they don't understand fully American English as we speak it. Given that, I don't anticipate American publishers to rush out and use foreign writers because they are cheaper.