From time to time, in this blog, we turn to analyzing the job market for tech writers, to provide you, our readers, with fresh and precise info on who's hiring. And, well, the industries at the top of the list are pretty much the same: IT, engineering, spacecraft, gas and oil, medicine, and a couple of others.
But technical writing is not limited to these spheres. Like we always say - the beauty of help authoring lies in the fact that technical documentation is required everywhere.
Today, we will talk about the gaming industry which sounds like a lot of fun to be involved in as a technical communicator.
Writing in the Gaming Industry
If you are looking to get employed and frequent job boards, then you might have noticed some gaming companies looking for tech writers . However, tech writing can mean a lot of things from writing whitepapers and scientific articles to developing presentations and learning materials or even making video tutorials. Job descriptions don't always specify what exactly they want you to do. So, let's try to understand what tasks a tech writer can be faced within a gaming company.
For those into gaming, even being part of a game development process sounds appealing. This is a great chance to see the inner workings.
What is important to mention is that the bigger a game development company is the better chances you get to land a tech writers' position. In smaller companies, doc writing responsibilities can be simply given to other teams.
Bigger business means more internal documentation. And, this is one possible way to get inside the gaming industry without coding or design skills. Another thing is game engines. Engines are complicated, they need serious and detailed user manuals with tutorials. Creating technical docs of such complexity is hardly a job for a dev - a real technical communicator is required.
However, a game is still a product that an end user (a player) is going to understand how to use. Interface text, in-game tutorials, dialogues, any text that appears on screen is written by someone. In-game tutorials, for one, look quite similar to tech writing. So, there’s a chance that you will be hired to create these texts. But, since these are not technical things for the most part, be sure to place the right accents in your resume and include enough text examples that work stylistically.
Technical writers are different, indeed. So, if you feel like you have a ‘real writer’ in you, give it a shot! Teams of professional writers are working on content development in big gaming companies, the bar is raised high there. But you can always try your luck with smaller indie studios looking for people who are good at writing.
Conclusion
The gaming industry is a peculiar place to work. It is the heart of entertainment and fun. And, a tech writer can sneak in!
Just remember that if your portfolio is mostly technical, expect your work to be related to internal documentation or technical stuff more than anything. Once you are settled in a company, and want to write something more than user manuals, the opportunities might reveal themselves.
Good luck with your technical writing!
ClickHelp Team
Author, host and deliver documentation across platforms and devices