Librarian looking to change careers

[mm36]

I am going to be laid off by September because the school I work for is closing.  I am 41 and have been a librarian for 11 years now.  However, I would like to do something different, probably technical writing.  I have a bachelor's in English and a master's in Library and Information Science (MLIS). 

So, my question is, how do I break into technical writing?  I live in Colorado and there are a lot of tech firms moving to this state.  Technical writing interests me because I am interested in software but don't have a CS degree.  Any advice would be appreciated. 

[damnedbee]

Check out the Editorial Freelancers Association for some good info on rates, jobs, etc. Keep in mind that many technical writing jobs (at least here in the DC area) usually require security clearance, so they can be hard to break into if you don't have an organization willing to sponsor the clearance process.

[hubstash]

I never post here, but I have a library/archives background myself and ended up working in the tech industry. I would consider widening your criteria to include customer support and quality assurance for tech companies. Both of these involve skills that you surely have as a librarian - customer service, organization, ability to understand systems, attention to detail.

My route was through customer support. From there I was able to get into product management and eventually triple my librarian salary.

I don't know if there are any companies that fit this bill in Denver, but I would also suggest starting with tech companies affiliated with the library industry. Publishers, database companies, etc. Not exactly growing sectors but there are still a lot of really good jobs, and could help to transition to any tech company.

One thing I will say about QA - those types of roles are getting more and more technical. But, getting into a company that is moving from manual to automated QA could be an opportunity to get paid to learn valuable skills.

There may be other tech jobs that make sense too - designer, for instance. I know a lot of librarians have this idea of "Today I decided I am going to be X... now I must get the credential for X and only accept X as a job." Jobs for newer tech companies are a lot more fluid. If you are a smart person you can get in and adapt to the job. You just have to figure out how to market your skillset for a given job.

Hope this is helpful

[SC93]

In middle school I had band 0 period and then I worked in the library 2nd period (we stayed in band 2 periods). I loved working in there and they said I was one of the best and fastest workers they had ever had. I hope you enjoyed your job and find one that is as peaceful.