Think you have the perfect combination of geek knowledge and writing skills? We’re looking for an experienced, security-focused writer to join our team.
What We’re Looking For
We are looking for an experienced writer and security expert to cover how-to guides and explainers in the realm of infosec from a consumer standpoint. You’ll need to be able to distill complex subjects into friendly explainers or guides, discussing everything from malware to VPNs to encryption and everything in between. We are not looking for writers that focus solely on Linux or tech news, though occasionally security topics may deal with something that’s been in the news (for example, major bugs like Heartbleed.)
Ideally, we’d like someone willing to come on full-time, but we are open to part-time writers as well. You’re also welcome to start as part-time to see if it’s a good fit, before making the jump to full time.
All of our writers need to have the following qualities:
- You must be a geek at heart, always looking to learn more about technology and make your gadgets work better.
- You must be able to write tips, how-to articles, and explainers about complex topics that are clear and easy to understand, even to non-experts. Again, we are not looking for news writers!
- You must be creative, and have the ability to generate article ideas, take suggestions, and make topics interesting and exciting.
- You must be at least 18 years old and have your own computer.
- You must have solid English writing skills, and ideally professional writing experience.
- You should have some basic screenshot and image editing chops. HTML skills are a plus.
Here’s a couple of examples of recent security-focused articles–from our own site and others–that demonstrate what we’re looking for in terms of quality and content. Please make sure to look through these before you decide to apply:
- What Is SHA-1, and Why Will Retiring It Kick Thousands Off the Internet? [How-To Geek]
- Wi-Fi Security: Should You Use WPA2-AES, WPA2-TKIP, or Both? [How-To Geek]
- How to Lock Down TeamViewer for More Secure Remote Access [How-To Geek]
- The Impossible Task of Creating a “Best VPNs” List Today [Ars Technica]
- HTTPS Is Not a Magic Bullet for Web Security [Ars Technica]
Put simply: We want to write about security for normal people (or geeks)–not other security experts. These are just a few recent examples, but they all exemplify what kind of articles we’re looking for.
How to Apply
Send an email to jobs@howtogeek.com with the subject How-To Geek Security Writer and include the following in your email:
- List your credentials in this topic area, and explain why your geek skills are worth touting to millions of readers each month.
- Your name and location.
- Any previous experience you have with writing and/or blogging.
- Whether or not you are currently employed, and what you do if you are.
- A brief overview of the topics you are familiar with, what kind of guides you’d be interested in writing, and what operating systems/computers you have access to.
- Most Important: We want a writing sample. If you have previous writing to showcase, particularly of the security how-to or explainer variety, include a link to it in your email. If you have a personal blog, a forum account, or a commenter account from anywhere, feel free to include that as well.
We don’t have normal office hours, or even an office, so you can be located anywhere–this is strictly a telecommuting job (although only US residents are eligible for the full-time positions).
Bonus points if you can find the grammatical error in this post.
So what are you waiting for? Email us already!