Some thoughts on UX Writing careers

From time to time (like today), I get the question: "How do I break into a career in UX writing?" So I thought I'd collect a few thoughts. This is by no means a comprehensive list of my thoughts on the topic.

Skills. With enough practice, any well-rounded writer can be a UX Writer.

• You need empathy for and understanding of the user and their needs as they move through the digital experience you are creating with your designer and devs. Luckily most writers are already well-practiced with tailoring their message to an audience.
• You also need some content strategy skills—that is, an understanding of how this experience you’re creating supports the marketing/communication goals of the project and the company at large. Read Adlibweb’s helpful guide to both UX writing and content strategy roles for a better understanding of how these skills come into play.
• It’s also crucial to have an understanding of accessibility for the web and other digital experiences. There is so much to learn in this field especially, but a good starting place is this resource from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3c), the organization that writes the standards on accessibility for the web: https://www.w3.org/WAI/tips/writing/.

Practice. Like I said, practice is important. I recommend the free 15-day UX writing practice course from https://dailyuxwriting.com/. It’s a great kick-starter for the skills and mindset you need.

Community. Finding a mentor or a community of other writers in this field can be helpful, not just to help you develop your skill, but to point you toward possible jobs in the field. Gordon Macrae’s UX Writers Collective started as a jobs email newsletter, but it’s grown into offering courses as well as providing links to news articles about the field and links to readings with helpful tips. Highly recommend.

Jobs. Few U.S. companies outside San Francisco and Seattle hire pure UX writers, but opportunities are growing in the Midwest and elsewhere, especially at startups, software/app development companies, and large companies that develop their own website and app experiences. I recommend it as a skill for every marketing writer and ad copywriter out there, as it makes you more marketable. In the various jobs I’ve held, UX writing has made up anywhere from 10% - 80% of the work I do on a daily basis. If you’re looking for jobs, try Product Writer in addition to UX Writer as keywords.

I hope these thoughts were helpful. If you have any more questions about UX writing and careers, please hit me up.

#uxwriting #uxjobs