How to Tell If You’re a Technical Writer at Heart (Even If Your Job Title Says Otherwise)

Not all technical writers have “Technical Writer” printed on their business cards. In fact, some of the best ones are hiding in plain sight—masquerading as engineers, customer service reps, trainers, marketing and sales team members, or even your coworker who sends the clearest “How to Use the Coffee Machine” email the office has ever seen.

If any of the following sound painfully familiar, you might just be a technical writer at heart 💛.

1. You can’t stand unclear instructions.

If you’ve ever muttered “This could be so much clearer” while reading an appliance manual—or better yet, red-lined it—you’re showing classic technical writer instincts. You see confusion and think, Challenge accepted.

2. You break complex things into simple steps—naturally.

Whether you’re explaining VPN setup to your parents or helping a coworker with the new CRM, you instinctively strip away jargon/acronyms, order the steps logically, and make sure they can follow along. Bonus points if you add a quick diagram on a sticky note.

3. You’re allergic to typos (and inconsistency).

Your friends might call it nitpicking. You call it quality control. You notice when Step 3 says “Click the green button,” but the button is clearly blue...and it haunts you until it’s fixed.

4. You think in both text and visuals.

You know some concepts need bullet points, others need a diagram, and sometimes, the right answer is a GIF. (Because if a picture is worth a thousand words, a GIF is worth at least a thousand and one.)

5. You secretly enjoy creating processes.

You can’t help it—you like turning messy workflows into neat, repeatable processes. It’s not about control (...maybe a little - call out to our type A's out there). It’s about efficiency and making life easier for everyone.

6. People say, “You explain things so well.”

Whether it’s the new software rollout or how to get the office coffee machine to make cappuccino without flooding the breakroom, you’re the go-to explainer. And you love that role.

Now What?

If you recognize yourself here, congratulations—you might already be a technical writer, even if you’ve never had the title. And the good news? The skills you’re already using—clarity, organization, and empathy for the reader—are in high demand.

At Writer Resource, we connect companies with technical writing talent (and budding talent) who can turn complexity into clarity.