March 2026

"Professional development"

Professional development in technical writing isn't one-size-fits-all. This month's writers share how they've invested in their careers, from personal reflections on the skills and communities that shaped their path, to practical tutorials for building the technical skills that matter most right now.

Hosted by Brandi Hopkins

In this issue

From prompter to builder: a tech writer's guide to MCP and agentic workflows

By Jill Shaheen

Why using AI tools and building agentic workflows are different skills, and a hands-on walkthrough of standing up an MCP-based workflow.

Jill Shaheen is a documentation leader who's been building content systems, leading documentation teams, and figuring out where infrastructure breaks for nearly 20 years.

Portfolio · LinkedIn

Getting started with GitHub

By Shelby White

A beginner's walkthrough of what Git and GitHub actually are, and how to set up an account, connect VS Code, and create your first repository.

Shelby White is a technical writer specializing in security and identity documentation, with a background in cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure troubleshooting.

Portfolio · LinkedIn

Positive Vibe Coding

By James Beach

Lessons from building and shipping over 40 AI-assisted app prototypes in two months, and the habits that made the process work.

James Beach is a content strategist and technical writer with a knack for prompt engineering and AI-assisted workflows — always finding new ways to bridge the gap between ideas and execution.

Portfolio · LinkedIn

Professional Development for Technical Writers: What to invest in as your career evolves

By Brandi Hopkins

How early-career design instincts and later technical depth end up compounding together in an AI-assisted documentation career.

Brandi Hopkins is a senior documentation strategist who builds scalable content systems, with expertise in docs-as-code workflows, AI-assisted documentation, and developer experience.

Portfolio · LinkedIn