Need a new content challenge? Interested in alternative career paths in your technical communication career?
Last month we talked to marketing leader Alyssa Fox (pictured) about her sideways (and upwards) move into marketing from techcomm – a change that was triggered after she started spotting and solving wider content problems in the organisation she was working for. (Read how she made the transition here: How I moved from techcomm to marketing.)
We also asked Alyssa for her general advice on how to make a techcomm career move. We hope you find something to inspire your career development in the list below. They are written for techcomm but can apply to many other specialisms in the field of digital communications.
10 tips for mid-level content career progression
- Be willing to step out of your comfort zone
Losing your sense of familiarity will be a challenge, but being versatile by expanding your skills into new areas could pay dividends in new work opportunities. - Be pro-active
Look for challenges or content-based problems that you can solve within your current role or organisation. - List your techcomm strengths
Map what you’ve learned and highlight any transferable skills; don’t focus on the job title. - Work on your communication skills
Increase your level of confidence to present yourself with clarity to those hiring. - Research new possibilities in the field of information delivery
From enterprise content strategy, to information delivery using AI and machine interfaces, to technical marketing roles – there are countless options out there. - Network
Talk to people in your network and peers in other departments – know what is going on and what skills hiring managers are looking for. - Speak out
Don’t be afraid to raise issues (and bring solutions) to management level – it will put you in line for the work that follows. - Learn the business case for the skills you offer
How will you help save money or improve the bottom line for your employers? - Practice continuous learning
Listen to podcasts, go to conferences, sign up for skills training – the future of work is changing at such a fast pace that the digital skills gap is already huge. - Look ahead
Sign up for job alerts and build your online profile for the job you want, not the job you are in!
Alyssa Fox is currently Senior Director of Partner Marketing at Alert Logic, a leading cybersecurity managed detection and response company. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, past president of the Society for Technical Communication and speaks at conferences around the world.
Join our digital communications talent bank
Read more on career transitions in techcomm with Firehead’s STC round table events from summer 2020. Or get inspiration with our behind-the-scene job Q&As in Interview with a…
Firehead is a specialist recruiter in techcomm and other digital communications roles. We also are also focused on career development for our talent. Find out more about Firehead – here is our information for hirers and information for candidates, who can apply to join our talent bank in response to a job vacancy or at other times.
Featured image (CC): Gerd Altmann/Pixabay
