April Ponto was unhappy in her job. She had two Masters degrees and her Chicago-based publishing job relied on her knowledge of French, ancient Greek, and ancient Hebrew, but she could barely cover her basic living expenses. Eventually she hit a crisis point and started looking for jobs in adjacent fields and stumbled upon technical writing. She then enrolled in the Technical Writing Certificate at Oregon State University, got a new job and doubled her salary.

Why technical writing?

Technical writing is a growing field, and it’s easy to see why April would want to work in it. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, technical writing jobs are projected to grow faster than average over the next decade and offer a median salary of $78,060 in 2021. Additionally, many of these jobs offer remote or hybrid options, which is an increasingly important feature as workplaces evolve.

When she started looking at career adjacent opportunities, April noticed a high number of job postings in technical writing, which wasn’t the case for her previous career area. “One of the benefits of technical writing is that employers will seek you out,” she said. “And they are trying harder to keep you because it’s valuable and they need to have employees in this field.”

Although April knew she wanted to work in this industry, she had a hard time breaking in because of her lack of experience. She applied for some jobs before taking the certificate. “I never even got an interview,” said April. “But then after I added this class to my résumé, that was when they hired me. So, it helped tremendously in the interview process, because I couldn’t get my foot in the door.”

Why the technical writing certificate at Oregon State University?

Once April decided to pursue a career in technical writing, she started looking for programs to give her the experience and, importantly, the credential that she needed. “I did a lot of research, because I wanted to find the right program that I felt would lead to the most job opportunities,” April said. But once she started looking, it was evident that not all programs were created equal.

"I felt like you get what you pay for. And that certainly turned out to be the case for me, because I got hired before the program was even over.”

She briefly considered a fast and cheap program somewhere else, but decided against it since it didn’t have a portfolio component. April noticed that most employers wanted to see some kind of writing sample before extending an interview. The certificate at Oregon State was the only one that offered a portfolio class to help her arrange and present the materials she built in the other classes.

“This program at OSU was longer and more expensive,” April said. “But I felt like you get what you pay for. And that certainly turned out to be the case for me, because I got hired before the program was even over.” Submitting the instruction manual she made in her first class and showing that she was in process for the certificate was enough to get her the interview and ultimately the job.

Her experience in the program

The program at Oregon State was designed for people like April: busy professionals looking to advance in a career of technical writing. Oregon State faculty collaborated with industry to design a fully online program taught by Oregon State’s expert faculty. April especially appreciated this connection to her instructors. “The professors just wanted us to sincerely do well and go out into the work world and be equipped to do our jobs, and I really appreciated that,” said April. “Things were just straightforward and down to earth and the professors really cared.”

Having expert instructors is great, but it’s also important to maintain a manageable workload. April found it possible to complete the certificate, even while working a full-time job. “I felt satisfied that I was in a program where they were conscientious of our time and telling the truth about what the expectations were,” she said.

Considering the manageable workload, April was surprised by what she accomplished in the program. She was especially intimidated by the first Manuals class. “It was daunting at first, because I felt like I had to write this whole manual,” she said. “The class was broken down into really manageable pieces. It was like you were climbing up a ladder step-by-step and then all of a sudden you look down and you’re like, ‘Oh! I did it!’”

Where she’s at now

Before finishing the certificate, April got a job as a technical writer and advanced her career. “I’m in a competitive field now and the pay is higher. The benefits are better. The work environment is professional,” she said. “I can’t tell you how much my quality of life has improved.

In addition to enjoying the work, April is also pleased to be in a more secure position. “When I embarked on this path down technical writing, I made a list of goals that I wanted to be able to achieve,” said April. “I set a salary range for myself that I felt like was a little bit above the median. I kind of wanted to reach for the stars but not reach too hard. And the job that I landed actually turned out to be financially more than what I thought I could achieve.”

“Financially I was floored by the payout in this class.”

Would she recommend the program to others?

When asked if she would recommend the program to others, April doesn’t hesitate: “Yes. Big yes.” Before she took this class, April applied for technical writing jobs to try and get some interviews, but she couldn’t get anything. “Not a phone call, not an email back, nothing,” said April. “But as soon as I enrolled in this class and put on my résumé that I was taking this class and it was in process, having that line on my resume, tremendous night and day difference. Then I was being contacted by recruiters and getting more looks on LinkedIn.”

Now that she’s in her new career, April couldn’t be happier. “Not only do I love my job now and I’m happy, but my quality of life has dramatically improved financially and I’m able to save money for retirement. And I hadn’t been able to do that before,” she said.

Ultimately, April was able to double her salary from her previous job. She said, “Financially I was floored by the payout in this class.”

Are you interested in finding out more about the Technical Writing Certificate at Oregon State University? Visit our program page to see upcoming start dates, find out information on the individual courses and learn how you can register today! Click here to find out more.