Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Technical Writer job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. Go to Sample Templates ↓ below to see how to include them on your resume.
Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all keywords on your resume, identify those that are most relevant to the job you're applying to. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.
Does your resume contain all the right skills? Paste in your resume in the AI Resume Scan ↓ section below and get an instant score.
Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.
Go through the Technical Writer posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like Technical Documentation, MadCap Flare and Technical Communication are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.
The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Technical Writer job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.
Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.
As the name suggests, this is a technical writer joining the industry. You would not be expected to have a wealth of experience but having any writing experience even outside of technical writing would be expected. Ensure that you build a strong skills section and have a clear title to help you get past ATS filters. Here is a successful resume sample.
To make up for your lack of experience, you can pursue certification in technical writing. It will show recruiters that you are passionate about the profession. The knowledge you will gain will also help you thrive in your work.
You may not have a lot of professional technical writing for your portfolio. If you don't, create a concept and create technical writing for it. E.g pick a product on the market and create a how-to manual for it. Just make sure to indicate that the content is a mock sample.
To be hired for this position, you need to show that you have years of experience as a technical writer and that you have had notable successes. Part of your job as a senior technical writer might also include managing or training other more junior technical writers. So showing leadership experience as well as your technical writer experience is key. Take a look at this successful resume sample.
This is not an entry-level position, and as such recruiters will want to see a progression in your career up to this point. Showing promotions in your career indicates to recruiters that you are an exemplary employee and have had a successful career. This applicant grew from a copywriter to a senior technical writer.
Metrics can be used to make your achievements clearer and more impressive. E.g it is more impressive to say that you ‘developed 300+ pages of a user guide’ than you ‘developed a user guide’. So where possible quantify your achievements.
This resume template is suitable for experienced hires or mid-level hires. The education contains two examples of an education experiences, but only include one (your most recent one) if you're a senior level employee.
It strikes the right balance between white space and content, and doesn't waste space on unnecessary images and icons. Remember, recruiters aren't looking at how creative you are when it comes to your template. Your content is core and should be the focus.
This job seeker uses resume bullet points that uses strong action verbs, and most importantly, contain numbers that demonstrate the significance of their accomplishments.
This template is clean, readable by resume screeners, and is effective at calling out key accomplishments and projects from specific work experiences. This would be useful if you have been at a company for a while, or been in a consulting-type of role, and want to point hiring managers to your most impressive accomplishments.
Action verbs are important on your resume are vital. They evoke strong imagery to your reader, and this resume does an excellent job by using words such as “spearheaded,” “managed,” and “drove.” These words will help you to put your achievements in perspective, in conjunction with measurable results. Use action verbs relating to the skills you want to highlight.
Many of your accomplishments will involve your responsibilities in your employer's high-level projects. Recruiters want to see what you’ve completed in previous roles -- such as the Operations Improvement Project and new iPhone app launch highlighted in this resume. The numbers make your experience real, rather than a vague “oversaw several teams for a project.” What did you do specifically? Be specific.
This two column resume template has been designed and created in Google Docs, and puts an emphasis on a skills section. You can download it in Word, or edit it directly in Google Docs.
The two-column in this Google Docs resume template prioritizes the work experience sections, while maximizing the content into the resume. Not all two column templates are ATS-compatible, but this one is when it is saved as PDF and passed through a resume screener.
Skills sections are a great way to include specific keywords and skills that you have, that haven't been included in other parts of your resume. This helps you get past resume screeners that scan your resume for specific keywords.
If you're a job seeker with a few years of experience under your belt, use a template like this one. It's simple, effective at highlighting our work experience, and minimizes the emphasis on the education section (the dates are omitted which is good to prevent ageism, especially if you graduated more than 10 years ago).
Minimal templates like this one are exactly what mid-to-senior level recruiters want to see - it shows professionalism, focuses on accomplishments, and makes full use of each page.
The first rule about including a resume summary is that it does not repeat accomplishments mentioned elsewhere on the resume. This resume stresses new software engineering and leadership skills right at the top of the resume, and includes an award too. If you include a summary, try to include a mix of both technical accomplishments (e.g. projects you developed or led), as well as career-related accomplishments (e.g. being promoted).
Here are some of the most popular skills we see on Technical Writer resumes:
While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.
It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.
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.
