What is a scientific technical writer and how to become one

Key steps to become a scientific technical writer

1. Explore scientific technical writer education requirements

   Most common scientific technical writer degrees

   Bachelor's

   54.2 %

   Master's

   16.9 %

   Doctorate

   15.3 %

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2. Start to develop specific scientific technical writer skills

   Skills	Percentages
   Sops	26.27%
   Subject Matter Experts	20.49%
   FDA	13.94%
   Technical Reports	9.42%
   ISO	6.27%

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3. Complete relevant scientific technical writer training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New scientific technical writers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a scientific technical writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real scientific technical writer resumes.

4. Research scientific technical writer duties and responsibilities

   • Help company achieve ISO registration by determining best practices, writing ISO compliant manufacturing instructions and teaching best manufacturing processes.
   • Maintain contacts within the FDA and EPA to stay abreast of the latest regulatory actions.
   • Develop sophisticated PowerPoint presentations for cross-departmental meetings.
   • Develop sophisticated PowerPoint presentations for cross-departmental meetings.

5. Apply for scientific technical writer jobs

   Now it's time to start searching for a scientific technical writer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams