I have been a high school English teacher for the last 8 years. Due to a combination of long commutes to suburban high schools, a little burnout, and a growing need for diversity in my working life, I am considering changing careers to something related to the tech sector. Based on my English degree and work experience, I think corporate training or technical writing jobs would best use my existing skill set. For those of you who have experience working in or hiring these types of positions, I would appreciate your advice on how to proceed in terms of upskilling, certification, and how / where to pitch myself.

With regard to training roles, I am already comfortable working with large groups and presenting complex information to novices. However, I don't know how much emphasis is placed on instructional ability as opposed to content / product familiarity. Similarly, both writing and editing are central to my skillset, but I would like to know what other skills may be valuable for technical writers. For example, I've seen a number of positions calling for front-end web development skills. I have some modest HTML/CSS and LaTeX experience, but are there other specific technologies that I should invest time in learning?

Though I would love to find something before this fall, realistically I expect to start another ten month teaching contract in September. This gives me some time to consider certification programs, MOOCs, or other resources that you suggest. In addition to your thoughts on the specific jobs mentioned earlier, I'm open to suggestions for other roles that might fit my skills. Finally, I'm based in Seattle, so any Seattle-specific advice would be most welcome.