Technical Writer Resume Examples

Key Elements of a Technical Writer Resume

A resume for a technical writer is super important. It shows how good you are at making complex tech stuff easy to understand. Your skills, experience, and wins in this unique field should shine through. This paper must be carefully made with special parts that grab the attention of possible bosses. To help you make an awesome tech writer resume, we'll dig deep into what each part of a resume means. We'll talk about why each part matters and what it needs to have. Plus, we'll give advice on how to make each part really pop out.

1. Contact Information

A resume's key component is the contact information, especially for a technical writer. This part lets potential bosses reach out if they think you're right for the job.

Your contact details should be easy to see at your resume's top. Usually, it includes your full name, phone number, and work email address. Make sure your email address looks professional; using an email with your first and last name is often best.

If you have a LinkedIn profile or an online portfolio showing your technical writing work, add these links here too. These sites can show more of your skills and experience.

In our modern digital world, many bosses might like to first reach out to candidates through social media or professional networking sites. So it's good to add these details if you have them.

But don't forget not to add too much personal info. Things like marital status, race, religion or social security number shouldn't be on resumes because they don't matter for job applications and could cause potential bias.

• Full Name
• Phone Number
• Email Address (Professional)
• LinkedIn Profile (if any)
• Online Portfolio (if any)

To sum up, the Contact Information section isn't just about giving recruiters a way to get in touch; it's also about showing yourself as a professional from the start.

2. Professional Summary or Objective

The "Professional Summary or Objective" is a vital part of a technical writer's resume. It's like your introduction, showcasing your skills and setting the mood for the rest of your resume. Keep this section short, engaging, and specific to the job you want.

A professional summary usually gives a quick look at your career. It highlights important achievements and abilities that make you perfect for the job. For example, if you've done a lot of work creating user manuals or writing technical documents, mention it here.

But if you're just starting out in your career or moving from another field into technical writing, an objective statement might be better. An objective talks more about what you want to achieve in your career and how that fits with what the company needs. It's about what you can offer and how you plan to grow in the job.

No matter which one you choose, remember this section should show who you are as a professional. It should also show that you can explain complicated things in a clear and simple way - an important skill for any technical writer.

Also, make sure to use important words from the job description in your summary or objective. This will help get your resume through computer systems (ATS) that many companies use to check resumes before they go to hiring managers.

• Stay away from common phrases and cliches in this section. Instead, focus on real details about what makes you different from other people applying for the job.

Related: Top Technical Writer Resume Objective Examples

3. Technical Skills and Proficiencies

A technical writer's resume should showcase their abilities and expertise. These include specific skills related to the job, like making user guides, crafting documents, or penning product details.

1. Writing Skills: Top-notch writing skills are a must for technical writers. They need to craft clear, concise, and grammatically sound content that the audience can easily grasp.
2. Software Proficiency: Technical writers often rely on specific software for their tasks. This could be Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign), or other tools like MadCap Flare or RoboHelp.
3. Knowledge of Programming Languages: Knowing programming languages such as HTML, CSS or XML can be helpful in some technical writing roles.
4. Research Skills: Strong research abilities are key for a good technical writer to simplify complex information into understandable text.
5. Project Management: Many technical writers oversee projects from start to end – collaborating with different teams, meeting deadlines and maintaining quality control.
6. SEO Knowledge: As most content is online now, understanding SEO best practices can make your documents easier to find on the web.
7. Graphic Design: The skill to create diagrams, charts or other visuals can improve document readability.
8. Usability Testing: Some technical writers might also run usability tests to ensure their documents effectively meet user needs.
9. Understanding of Technical Concepts: Depending on your field (IT, engineering etc.), grasping specific technical concepts is vital.
10. Adaptability: Technology keeps changing so a technical writer needs to quickly adapt and learn new tools or technologies as required.

These are just a few examples; the exact skills needed can change based on the job description and industry sector.

So when you're building your resume as a technical writer, it's crucial to highlight these key proficiencies that demonstrate your efficiency in this role.

Related: Technical Writer Skills: Definition and Examples

4. Work Experience and Achievements

The "Work Experience and Achievements" part is super important in a Technical Writer's resume. It helps bosses see if you're right for the job. This part should be clear, organized, and show off your best work that fits with the job.

1. Job Titles and Dates: Write down your past jobs starting with the newest one first. Put down the job title, company name, where it was, and when you worked there.
2. What You Did: For each job, write a short summary of what you did. If you're a technical writer, this could be making guides or manuals, creating online help systems or checking how easy products are to use.
3. Wins: Show off any big wins or successes from each job. These could be finishing projects early or under budget, making things better or getting good feedback from users or clients.
4. Skills Used: Talk about specific skills used in each job that are important for technical writing like being good at certain software (like Adobe FrameMaker), being able to explain hard tech stuff in simple words or working well with different teams.
5. Numbers: If you can, put numbers on your wins. For example, you might say how many documents you made in a certain time or by how much you cut down mistakes in documents.
6. Matching Up: Make sure this part matches up with what the job ad asks for. Show off experiences and wins that prove you can do what they need.

Remember this part isn't just about saying what you did but showing how good you were at it. It's about showing off your skills as a Technical Writer and convincing bosses that you have what it takes to do great at their company.

5. Education and Certifications

The "Education and Certifications" part is vital in a technical writer's resume. It shows your school achievements, professional certificates, and extra training in the field. This data lets potential bosses see your history and decide if you have the needed knowledge to do well in the job.

1. School Achievements: Most of the time, technical writers have a bachelor’s degree in English, Communication, Journalism or something similar. But, degrees like Computer Science or Engineering can help too depending on where you want to work. Pointing out any classes or projects tied to technical writing can be helpful.
2. Professional Certificates: There are many professional certificates for technical writers that show their skill and dedication to the job. These include Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC) from the Society for Technical Communication (STC), Microsoft Certified: Technical Writer certificate etc. If you have these certificates, make sure they're easy to see on your resume.
3. Extra Training: Any extra training or workshops about technical writing should also be here. This could be courses on specific tools used for documentation like Adobe Framemaker or MadCap Flare, or trainings on special topics like API documentation or medical writing.
4. Online Classes & MOOCs: In today's digital world, many online sites offer classes on technical writing which give both theory knowledge and practical skills. If you've finished such classes from known platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning or Udemy, it's good to mention them under this section.

Don't forget that when listing your education and certifications, it's key to mention the name of the degree/diploma/certificate, school name, location (if needed), and date of completion.

To sum up, showing off your educational background and certifications correctly can help prove your ability as a technical writer and raise your chances of getting an interview call.

Related: Technical Writer Certifications

6. Relevant Projects or Portfolio

In a technical writer's resume, it's vital to have a section for pertinent projects or portfolio. This part highlights the applicant's hands-on experience and abilities, often more revealing than merely listing job roles and education.

A work sample portfolio offers concrete proof of a technical writer's capabilities. This could encompass user guides, white papers, online support systems, training resources, business procedure documents, API documentation and so on. These materials should reflect the writer's capacity to clearly and succinctly explain intricate subjects.

The section for relevant projects should elaborate on specific tasks the applicant has undertaken. It needs to accentuate their contribution to the project, the tools they utilized, their followed procedures, and any significant accomplishments or outcomes from their efforts. For example, if they participated in a project that boosted user engagement or drastically cut down customer support inquiries due to lucid instructions and guides.

• User Guides
• White Papers
• Online Support Systems
• Training Resources
• Business Procedure Documents
• API Documentation

Applicants might think about including links to online portfolios or digital versions of their work if feasible. However, it's crucial to make sure any shared documents do not violate confidentiality agreements with previous employers or customers.

In summary, the "Relevant Projects or Portfolio" segment provides prospective employers with a glimpse into an applicant’s writing style and approach towards technical communication tasks. It also demonstrates their capability to tackle real-world issues in technical writing.

7. References or Testimonials

Testimonials and references are crucial elements in a technical writer's resume. They show your skills and abilities, backed up by people who have worked with you directly.

As a technical writer, your references could be former employers, project managers, co-workers or even clients. These individuals can confirm your ability to deliver high-quality work on time, comprehend complex technical ideas and explain them clearly.

Testimonials are also valuable as they offer potential employers a glimpse into your teamwork skills and how you tackle problems. They can vouch for your problem-solving prowess, flexibility, and dedication to ongoing learning - all vital qualities for a technical writer.

When picking testimonials or references for your resume, it's essential to choose those that spotlight the main skills needed for the job you're applying for. For example, if the job posting highlights excellent communication skills and meticulous attention to detail, select references who can specifically discuss these abilities.

• Always ask permission before naming someone as a reference.
• It's also wise to give them details about the job you're applying for so they know what aspects of your work history to emphasize in their testimonial.

In summary, although not every employer might request them immediately, having strong testimonials and references at hand can give you an advantage over other applicants by offering concrete evidence of your qualifications as a technical writer.