Hi Don, In my case I "just started doing it". I was always the person who documented procedures and such in each workplace and over the years I ended up doing more and more writing and less and less of whatever it was I did before! I keep having to dabble in Business Analysis, Web Development and Project Management but my main focus is technical communication. An IT support area is a great place to start as good support systems always need lots of documentation. My real start came when I did a grad certificate in writing and met a few people who put me in touch with others who actually knew what technical writing was. So networking is the go. Join the ASTC and go to a few meetings (www.astcnsw.org.au). You can then list yourself as looking for work on their website. The recruitment section of this site also lists agencies who specialise in recruiting technical writers. Give them a call, I'm sure they'll be able to point out what else you might need to get yourself set up as a technical writer (or perhaps tell you you're already there). If you can take on a few short jobs while still doing your regular job that'll get more experience on your resume too. A portfolio would help. If there are any short courses in business or professional writing nearby, you could use these to both get credentials on your resume and build up a portfolio. Even if the manuals were years ago, add them to your portfolio. Good writing is good writing, no matter how old. Good luck :-) Deborah