# Becoming a Technical Writer at Google

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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](https://developers.google.com/tech-writing/resources).

## 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](https://careers.google.com/jobs/results/?distance=50&q=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.