Technical Writer Resume—Sample and 25+ Writing Tips

Whether you are adept at explaining the intricacies of cryptocurrencies to Joe Average— 

Or you are particularly good at documenting the operation of a toaster— 

Those skills will be for nothing if your technical writer resume ends up in a pile of others, or worse, the trash. 

Writing a resume is a sales and marketing exercise even if all your skills are technical.

So, we are here to help.

In this guide: 

• A technical writer resume sample that gets traffic.
• The appropriate resume format.
• How to get the most out of your technical writer job description. 

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Looking at other positions you’ll need resumes for? See our guides:

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Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Samples.

Technical Writer Resume Sample You Can Use

1. Prepare Your Technical Writer Resume Format

I am not going to be the one to tell a writer how to write. After years of writing content and documentation, you know how to make text look professional. You may not have had to send a resume in a long time, however, so here’s a refresher on the right resume layout.

Here’s what’s usually done with the resume format:

Technical Writer Resume Format

• List your job history in the reverse-chronological resume format. When listing freelance clients, list the most prestigious first. If you’d like to give more prominence to your skills than work experience, consider writing a functional resume instead.
• Pick one of our resume fonts in a 10–12pt. Recommend us your favourite.
• We normally recommend 1-inch resume margins.
• How long should a resume be? A one-page resume is standard. A two-page resume is acceptable if you have a lot of relevant info you know will impress.
• Here’s the best resume outline: Header, Profile, Experience, Education, and “Additional.”
• Send your resume as a PDF. If .docx is required, use a Word resume template. 

Got your pad ready?

2. Write a Convincing Resume Summary or Objective

If you were a product you had to document, which specifications would you list? Years of experience, most impressive things you have done and can do, and your suitability for the task. Remember to be concise here. At this stage, you are only convincing them to read your portfolio. Don’t bore them.

Collate a resume profile that summarizes reasons why they should read your portfolio.

Answer these questions with one sentence each:

• Start with an powerful resume adjective, then your job title, years of experience and type of work you’ve done or the industry.
• Spell out your resume accomplishments in numbers.
• Personalize the resume in the last sentence by mentioning the company.

Technical Writer Resume Summary—Example

Incisive technical writer with 5+ years of experience in writing technical documentation and core material for a company in the engineering industry. Regularly working with 80+ engineering experts to collate best practices and scale them to all projects. Managed to reduce customer and subcontractor queries and problems for one product by 47% after introducing new documentation. The redesign of core company material in 2017 was cited as one of the reasons for the growth of efficiency and turnover in the 2017 annual company report. Seeking to leverage proven qualifications at Opto-Metrix.

Experienced Technical Writer, creating mainly technical documentation and core materials for an engineering company. Gather data and insights from employees globally to collate best practices. Proven track record in reducing queries and problems by redesigning documentation.

That will construct a cohesive resume summary statement.

What if you’ve got the right qualifications but no experience? A resume objective statement will do the trick when writing your entry-level resume for technical writer jobs.

Technical Writer Resume Objective—Example

Diligent writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and a passion for engineering and technology. 2 years of experience as a guest columnist for an online tech-news magazine. Looking to apply writing and technical knowledge at Opto-Metrix.

Enthusiastic writer with a bachelor’s degree in English. Interested in engineering and technology. Occasionally writes for an online tech-news magazine. Ready to start immediately.

Expert Hint: How to write a resume profile? It is best to do this once you have completed the other sections of your technical writer resume, especially your job description.

3. Write a Concrete Technical Writer Job Description and Skills Section 

There are several facts of reality to grapple with when writing the job description on your tech writer resume. When companies look for writers, they seldom look for someone who can phrase it just right, and use just the right words to paint the vision the company had. I mean, that would be cute, but— 

More often, they look for someone who can churn out a certain quantity of content in a certain field. Demonstrate your ability to deal with volume by estimating your contributions to your clients. Refer to examples and previous work that matches the profile of your new employer.

Remember that before they hire you, they will surely read your work. Don’t describe work past the necessary generalizations, and focus on the measurable effects it had. Words have power. No one knows that better than you, so start each bullet with a resume power word.

Write your work experience section like one of our technical writer resume samples below.

However—

Before you get carried away, be sure to scan the job ad for skills and competencies you possess. These will be your resume keywords that you should deftly interweave throughout your resume.

Technical Writer Job Description

Technical Writer

engineeric.

2016–2020

• Authored 1500+ pages of technical documentation and core company material in the engineering industry. 
• Regularly worked with 80+ engineering experts to collate best practices and scale them to all projects.
• Introduced new documentation for a flagship product in 2016 that reduced queries and problems from client and subcontractors by 47%.
• The redesign of core company material in 2017, which I authored, was cited as one of the reasons for the growth of efficiency and turnover in the 2017 company report.
• Managed the documentation system using Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, SnagIt, Help+Manual, SharePoint and WikiTools.

Clients

• Engineeric.
• TechNews
• Lenovo
• LG
• Business Insider

Technical Writer

wareHouse

2011–present

• Independently handling on-site hardware and software issues 24/7.
• Responsible for providing hardware and network infrastructure for new hires.
• Responsible for installing and maintaining network equipment.
• Proven track record in fast problem resolution.

Next, write a resume skills section. List your skills also mentioned in the job ad first. This will further tailor your resume to the specific job, which is also a super important part of creating an ATS-friendly resume. When doing this, though, try not to be overzealous and list required skills you don’t have. Lying on a resume can backfire like Columbo’s ‘55 Peugeot.

Technical Writer Skills for Resume

Soft Skills

• Attention to Detail
• Friendliness
• Verbal & Written Communication Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Time Management Skills
• Teamwork Skills
• Collaboration
• Critical Thinking
• Interpersonal Skills
• Decision Making
• Dependability
• Communication
• Problem Solving
• Perceptiveness
• Self Motivated

Hard Skills

• Research
• Subject Matter Expert Collaboration
• Understanding the audience
• Visual Communication
• InDesign
• Photoshop
• SnagIt
• Help+Manual
• WikiTools
• Scrivener
• Computer Skills
• Marketing Skills

Expert Hint: Did you take four months off to help rebuild tornado-hit neighborhoods in Tennessee? When it comes to explaining employment gaps on a resume, it’s simply best to do it. Otherwise, there’s no way of telling what your prospective employer imagines you were doing.

The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.

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4. Don’t Let Your Education Section Sabotage You

Reading one paragraph of your copy can tell someone more about what kind of writer you are than a whole stack of your diplomas. That’s the truth, unfortunately. Keep it brief, listing your degree name, school, and graduation date. Only list your GPA if you graduated within the last couple of years.

If there’s a specific topic area or prerequisite degree requirement for the assignment you’re applying to, feel free to expand with a relevant coursework section.

This is enough to list degrees on your resume:

Senior Technical Writer Resume Sample—Education

Education 

BS in Creative Writing

Houston University

GPA: 3.8

2018

Expert Hint: A good LinkedIn profile can go a very long way. If someone goes to that extent to find out more about you, make sure you reward them with something interesting, so they reward you with that job. Check out our LinkedIn career advice examples.

5. Bolster Your Technical Writer Resume With Added Sections

This is the part most resume writers go crazy with. They do extremely well up to here, plugging in their achievements and numbers into job descriptions, get to the bottom of the page and start discussing photography and their penchant for dog walking.

I don’t need to tell a technical mind that only what’s relevant should have the privilege of gracing your bonus resume sections.

Split them up like this for clarity:

• Awards
• Certifications
• Foreign Languages
• Hobbies, Activities, and Interests
• Volunteering
• Professional References
• Skills—if you haven’t included them as part of your other sections

Compare these two examples:

Technical Writer Resume Example—Extra Sections

Key Skills

• InDesign
• Photoshop
• SnagIt
• Help+Manual
• WikiTools
• Scrivener

Languages

• French—Fluent
• Spanish—Intermediate

I hope your fountain pen is filled up.

One last thing you’ll need to write—a cover letter to include with your technical writer resume. Nearly half of all hiring teams out there expect so see one, and the ones who don’t, will be pleasantly surprised to get one from you.

Expert Hint: If you don’t have your own website, you can host a low-cost portfolio on Squarespace, Carbonmade, or Journo Portfolio. All are high-functionality fully customizable options that professionals all over the globe use.

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

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Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

Key Points

Proofread your technical writer resume and check again the:

• Resume format—margins, fonts, 1 page, reverse chronological.
• Achievement-laden technical writer job description. Enough numbers?
• Bonus sections should separate your certifications, skills and other additional info. 
• Portfolio or website—is there a link in your resume? 
• Technical writer cover letter. 

Got questions on how to write a great resume for technical writer jobs? Did we help you get your technical writer resume right? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply.

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