The content writing market is a predominantly female, growing, and shifting industry. Traditionally, content writers were full-time employees who wrote solely for one company. Today, with the increasing need for content, companies are contracting freelancers and new companies are being created to offer clients content writing services.
Thankfully for some, content writing has pretty low barriers to entry. While a degree might be helpful, it is not mandatory. What will ultimately determine your success is your writing skills. So gaining as much experience as possible and building a strong and effective body of work is key.
This guide will take you through 7 content writer titles, give you some insight into what recruiters are looking for when hiring each one, give you resume samples, and some tips to take your resume to the next level.
Jump to a template:
Jump to a resource:
Get advice on each section of your resume:
A content writer writes engaging and attractive content for a company’s website, newsletter, advertisement material, or anywhere else they may need. The topics you write about may be broad and often require research and fact-checking.
Having a degree in English or a similar field is definitely beneficial to your resume but it is not necessary for success. Your resume should focus on showing as much experience as possible. Take a look at this strong content writer's resume.
Along with your resume, you need to show recruiters samples of work you have written in the past. If you know what kind of content a company wants you to produce, provide your strongest samples of that type of content.
You should show recruiters that you are capable of producing many different kinds of content. So mention your experience writing blog posts, advertisements, website content, social media posts, and more. The more variety the better.
Creative content writers create copies that require creativity and imagination. This is in contrast to more technical copies such as manuals or guidebooks. Creative content can include blogs, ebooks, advertisements, poems, etc. You must be able to think outside the box and create unique copies to thrive in this position.
Your resume should focus on your experience writing creative copies and any background in the arts or a similar field is likely to be attractive to a recruiter. Here is a sample resume for a creative content writer.
Being able to create content in multiple languages is a huge advantage and is very attractive to recruiters. It means you can translate your work and also expands the number of companies you can apply to, and countries you can apply in.
Content is written to be consumed. Your content, therefore, needs to be very engaging. Show recruiters that you can create engaging content by using metrics. This resume does this effectively. E.g. this applicant’s copy ‘[shot] engagement up by 200% within 5 months of [a] campaign.
A technical writer writes content that gives information to a target audience. Some of the mediums used include guides, manuals, journal articles, etc. Your goal is to make complex information easily digestible and understandable. Your resume should show a strong background in technical writing and, preferably, a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field as well. Take a look at this recruiter-approved resume sample.
When applying to technical writing jobs, you should always include a portfolio. In this portfolio, include your strongest and most recognizable technical writing samples. This will give recruiters a better idea of what you can do.
Show that you are a well-rounded technical writer by mentioning the different mediums you write in. This applicant has included tutorials and product manuals among the mediums they have experience with.
Technical writing gives little space for creativity and is commonly used for laying out a company's procedures or giving very specific or educational information to their audience. This content includes manuals, guides, product instructions, etc. In most instances, you will be given the information you need to use, and your job will be to transform it into engaging and easily-read content.
A degree in English or a similar field would be beneficial but not absolutely necessary. A history writing technical copies, on the other hand, is essential to attract recruiters. Take a look at this impressive technical writer’s resume.
Go the extra mile by earning certification in technical writing. It’s an easy way to show recruiters your dedication and prove your skills. This is especially helpful if you are trying to transition into technical writing or just starting out.
If you generally specialize in writing for a specific industry, mention that in the intro to your resume. This is especially useful if you are applying for a job within that industry.
As a Medical Writer, you'll be bridging the gap between complex medical and scientific information and your target audience, working on various projects like academic papers, promotional materials, and educational content. This field is evolving rapidly, so it's essential to showcase your knowledge of the latest industry trends and adaptability to new formats on your resume. Not only should you highlight your educational background and writing experience, but also demonstrate your ability to understand and communicate complex medical concepts and terminology in a clear, concise manner.
In your resume, emphasize your expertise in areas like clinical research, regulatory submissions, or medical education, depending on the specific position you're applying for. It's crucial to tailor your resume to the needs and requirements of each organization, as some may prioritize candidates with experience in a particular therapeutic area or a background working with specific target audiences (e.g., physicians, patients, or payers).
Medical writing is very specific and very technical. It could take the form of medical studies, training programs, literary reviews, brochures, etc. To be suited in this industry you need to have a medical background or a strong understanding of the field. This work may require in-depth research and specification. There is no room for error as the consequences of any misinformation could be deadly for the reader if acted upon.
Recruiters will be looking to see your experience and qualifications in the medical field. Here is an example of a strong medical writer’s resume.
If you have worked as a writer in other fields, make sure you create a specialized portfolio containing your strongest content from the medical field only.
Show recruiters that you are well versed in the medical field by using industry-standard keywords. Use words like ‘clinical trials’, ‘PubMed’, ‘RW medication, etc. It shows that you are knowledgeable in the field and may help you bypass resume filters recruiters may have put in place.
Scriptwriters write scripts for performances. You may create scripts for theatre, film, TV, adverts, etc. Scriptwriting requires expertise in storytelling and script structure. You also need to have an in-depth knowledge of the medium your script will be performed on. Film scripts and theatre scripts, for example, are different in style and structure.
A degree in the arts would be very attractive to recruiters, as would a background in writing and/or performing. This applicant has an educational background in film and creative writing which would be very attractive to recruiters.
If your scripts have won competitions or if the plays or films you wrote were wildly successful, highlight this in your resume. Include titles of your work if they are well-known.
This form of content writing focuses on creating a narrative for a brand by writing engaging stories. It is a creative and effective way to market a brand and express the company’s values and ethos. Recruiters will be looking for an educational background in journalism and any journalism experience so ensure that your resume highlights that. A background in marketing would also be helpful to your application. This resume is a great example of a strong brand journalist resume.
Show recruiters that you are skilled in creating brand journalism content for different mediums by listing them in the skills section as this applicant has. This applicant has experience with social media marketing, and email marketing among others.
As the name suggests, these content writers write copies for digital platforms. A couple of examples of digital platforms include websites, social media, emails, blogs, etc. Consumers are inundated with digital content all day, so you need to create particularly engaging content to be successful. You also need to be knowledgeable about the digital space and how to use SEOs to get as many viewers to read your content.
Recruiters will be looking for any qualification that shows your expertise in the digital space, as well as any qualifications or experience to show your creativity and success in creating copies. Here is a resume sample from an entry-level digital content writer.
Your skills list should show recruiters that you are experienced with digital media tools and concepts. These skills can include SEO, JavaScript, WordPress, etc.
We spoke with hiring managers who recruit content writers at top companies like HubSpot, Shopify, and Vox Media to get their insights on what they look for in content writer resumes. The following tips are based on their real-world experience and can help you create a resume that stands out from the competition and gets you hired.
Employers want to know that you have experience writing about topics relevant to their industry. Highlight your niche and the industries you've written for prominently in your resume.
Compare these two examples:
Instead, be specific like this:
A summary on your resume is optional. While it's not mandatory, it can be a helpful way to provide context about your career journey, especially if you're changing industries or have a lot of experience. However, you should never use an objective statement, as it's outdated and focuses on what you want rather than what you can offer.
When writing your summary, avoid repeating information that's already included in other sections of your resume. Instead, use it to highlight key skills, experiences, or accomplishments that are most relevant to the content writer position you're targeting. Keep it concise, ideally no more than a paragraph, and tailor it to the job description to improve your chances of passing applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Your work experience section is the heart of your resume. It's where you show hiring managers what you've accomplished in previous roles, and how that translates to the content writer position you're applying for. Here are some tips to make your work experience section stand out:
The education section of a content writer's resume should be concise and highlight your most relevant qualifications. Hiring managers will look for a mix of formal education, industry-specific training, and any other credentials that prove you're the best candidate. Here's how to write an effective education section:
Strong action verbs help recruiters easily understand the tasks you have undertaken as a content writer and the successes you have had with those tasks. They help you and your successes stand out from the crowd and can help you secure that job. Content writers create concepts, and write, edit, and proofread copies. They also do this in several different mediums. Your action verbs should help show off this variety in experience.
Here is a list of useful action verbs to get you started.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
Content writing is a broad and creative industry with fairly low barriers to entry, especially for general content writing. When creating your skills section, you need to make it specific to the industry you want to write in and the mediums you want to write for. This will inform which skills are the most relevant to list. E.g a digital content writer needs to show their skills in the digital space like SEO, while a medical content writer needs to show their skills in the medical field.
Here is a list of recruiter-approved hard skills that content writers should consider including in their resumes.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Content Writer job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
