Tech writing course in Israel.

amother

Wed, Aug 16 2023, 11:11 am

Hi,
Can anyone here recommend a really good online technical writing course in Israel whose graduates have good prospects?

Thanks in advance

amother

Crocus

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 12:54 pm

The 2 most popular courses are OnTarget and WritePoint (Paula Stern). I work as a tech writer here in Israel so feel free to ask me anything else about the field.

amother

Crimson

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 1:11 pm

Not Israel, but what is the field like and is there a demand? Is it freelance, remote, flexible, or 9-5? Does it get boring?

Do they want to see certification, or is a course only necessary for your own skills advancement?

amother

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 2:37 pm

amother Crocus wrote:

The 2 most popular courses are OnTarget and WritePoint (Paula Stern). I work as a tech writer here in Israel so feel free to ask me anything else about the field.

Thanks for replying!!
I'm interested in entering the field but I worry that it may become obsolete with the advent of ai. Is this a real concern?

amother

Crocus

Tue, Aug 22 2023, 1:27 am

amother OP wrote:

Thanks for replying!!
I'm interested in entering the field but I worry that it may become obsolete with the advent of ai. Is this a real concern?

AI will definitely impact the field. We are using it already at work. My guess is that each company will be able to hire less tech writers than before since some of the work will be done by AI. But AI won't be perfect for a while, and a human will still be required to guide AI (create prompts, etc.), check the work, extract info from developers, etc.

amother

Crocus

Tue, Aug 22 2023, 1:47 am

amother Crimson wrote:

I can really only speak for Israel since I've only worked in the field here.

There is a big demand for tech writers in Israel. There are so many start-ups and hi-tech companies and they all need someone to document their products. Headhunters reach out to me on LinkedIn all the time. I think that part of the reason that there aren't enough tech writers is because the job requires a unique combination of "left-brain/right-brain" skills - understanding technology, but also communicating and writing well. And they prefer native English speakers, which is an advantage here in Israel.

Here in Israel most companies prefer to hire people with a technical background. A degree in programming or another technical field (engineering, etc.) counts a lot more than a tech writing course. They want to hire writers who will quickly catch on and understand the technology so that they don't have to spoon-feed it to you. When people ask me which course to take to break into the field I tell them take a programming course! There are companies that will hire people with a non-technical background but you'll have many more options if you have some technical education or experience.

Courses are a good starting point but you mostly learn tech writing on the job. I never took a tech writing course but I have a computer science degree, and I had no problem breaking into the field. I'm a hiring manager and we hire people who never took a course. We give them a writing test to make sure they write well in general, but we figure that we can teach them tech writing conventions on the job. The most valuable part of a tech writing course is that it usually ends with a 3-4 month placement in a company. This provides you with valuable experience and the company may end up hiring you at the end of the placement.

You can find freelance, remote, hybrid, and in-office jobs. I would estimate that since Covid most jobs in Israel are hybrid. Non-freelance jobs are always full time in Israel - it's almost impossible to find part-time tech writing work. But the hours are usually flexible (I go to work early and leave early).

amother

Crocus

Tue, Aug 22 2023, 1:48 am

In terms of boring - I find the work very interesting. I'm always learning new things. But I like technology and I like writing.

Itsallfromhim

Tue, Aug 22 2023, 1:51 am

amother Crocus wrote:

In terms of boring - I find the work very interesting. I'm always learning new things. But I like technology and I like writing.

Cool. Intriguing! What’s the pay scale like?

amother

Crocus

Tue, Aug 22 2023, 3:50 am

justayiddena wrote:

Cool. Intriguing! What’s the pay scale like?

The pay is great. I used to work as a freelance copywriter, copyeditor, proofreader, and translator, and I'm making 3 times as much now (but I work many more hours).

Tech writers make less than programmers but not much less. They also receive all the benefits that come along with working at a hi-tech company (meal budget, medical insurance, stock options, bonuses, keren hishtalmut in Israel, etc.)

I'll just mention one disadvantage to working in hi-tech: most companies have very few religious employees and are left-leaning.

amother

Jetblack

Tue, Aug 22 2023, 5:00 am

amother Crocus wrote:

Just out of curiosity, I am a data analyst in hitech. (I know sql and python and how to interact with apis.) I make 26k as an analyst. How much could I make as a tech writer after 2-3 years?

amother

Tue, Aug 22 2023, 5:07 am

I know that you wrote upthread that people without tech experience have fewer options. As someone without any relevant background who is considering a massive career change, would you still recommend it or will I be seriously disadvantaged?

amother

Crocus

Tue, Aug 22 2023, 12:45 pm

amother Jetblack wrote:

Just out of curiosity, I am a data analyst in hitech. (I know sql and python and how to interact with apis.) I make 26k as an analyst. How much could I make as a tech writer after 2-3 years?

You can check out tech writing salaries in Israel in the results of this annual survey. https://docs.google.com/forms/.....ytics

amother

Crocus

Tue, Aug 22 2023, 12:51 pm

amother OP wrote:

I didn't want to give you wrong information so I asked on an email list for tech writers in Israel. Quite a few people responded that they didn't have a tech background or they know others who didn't have a tech background who are working at great tech writing jobs today.

There are definitely positions that require it but apparently there are many positions that don't. A few people said that so long as you have an interest in technology and can pick it up quickly, there are jobs out there for you. Attention to detail and the ability to communicate were also mentioned.

B'Syata D'Shmya

Tue, Aug 22 2023, 1:36 pm

amother Crocus wrote:

Fewer writers not less writers.

amother

Crocus

Tue, Aug 22 2023, 3:44 pm

B'Siyata DiShamaya wrote:

Fewer writers not less writers.

You got me. Wink