Becoming a Technical Writer at Google

Technical Writers provide a key link between Google engineers, product managers, marketing associates, developer advocates, as well as client developers and users, tying together many vital but disparate parts of the Google ecosystem.

Who can become a technical writer at Google?

There is no single path to becoming a technical writer at Google. Although a few have earned degrees in technical writing, most technical writers come from other worlds. For example, you'll find plenty of software engineers, development operations engineers, journalists, physicists, lawyers, and teachers now working as technical writers at Google. Despite the wide range of educational and professional backgrounds, this diverse bunch share the following skills:

  • Write clearly in English. We don't care whether English is your first language or your tenth; we only care about the quality of your writing in English.
  • Learn complex technologies relatively quickly.
  • Explain complex technologies in useful ways for the target audience.
  • Wield strong interpersonal skills.
  • Understand code.

Technical writers are rare hybrids, possessing an uncommon mixture of talents.

What if I don't have professional experience as a technical writer?

In some cases, applicants have the requisite talents but don't have demonstrable professional experience. If you don't yet have a technical communication portfolio, we recommend contributing documentation to open-source projects. Your documentation portfolio should ideally meet the following criteria:

  • Represent a variety of documentation types.
  • Adhere to a well-known style guide.

What do Google's technical writers document?

Although some Google technical writers focus on hardware and others on consumer products such as Google Docs, most Google technical writers document programming products, including:

  • Google Cloud
  • Android
  • Google Maps
  • Chrome
  • TensorFlow

Helping developers use these technologies or platforms might involve traditional documentation, code samples, videos, slides, or any other media that gets the job done. Technical writers are seldom bored.

How can I become a Technical Writer at Google?

To apply for a job as a Technical Writer at Google, do the following:

  1. Go to the Technical Writer page on the Google Careers website.

  2. Read through the positions and click Apply on those that interest you. (Note that you must click Expand in order to see the Apply button.)

  3. Complete the application form.

Actual humans review every resume that comes through. To optimize your chances, highlight your experience documenting technical topics.