Freelance Writer Resume Examples and Templates
Technical Writer Resume Examples and Templates for 2025
Last Updated:
January 6, 2025
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Technical Writer Resume Templates and Examples (Download in App)
- How To Write a Technical Writer Resume
- How To Pick the Best Technical Writer Resume Template
- Technical Writer Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
- Frequently Asked Questions: Technical Writer Resume Examples and Advice
- Check Out Related Examples
Technical Writer Resume Templates and Examples (Download in App)
- Technical Writer
- Entry-level Technical Writer
- Junior Technical Writer
Senior Technical Writer Resume Example
Freelance Technical Writer Resume Example
Technical Writer Resume with No Experience
Software Technical Writer Resume Example
A good technical writer resume focuses on your relevant skills like cross-team collaboration, document editing, or user-friendly content development. Give examples of your success as a technical writer or in similar roles, and show your knowledge base by citing any degree or certificate programs you’ve done. This guide provides expert tips to help you create a persuasive resume showing your best technical writer qualifications.
Key takeaways:
- Brainstorm details about your work history on a separate document or sheet of paper. Then, identify the most relevant ones to feature in your experience section – this helps you focus your resume on the role of technical writer.
- Spell out the positive impact of your work as a technical writer. Describe how your efforts helped the wider organization achieve its goals.
- Follow the combination resume format to provide all required information while positioning yourself for technical writer jobs that interest you.
How To Write a Technical Writer Resume
A template can help you organize your career information for an effective technical writer resume. Your technical writer resume should usually include these sections:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Key skills
- Professional experience
- Education and certifications
Before starting work on your resume, jot down any preferences you have for your target job duties, industry, company size, or work culture. These notes will help you determine and emphasize your best career details as you develop each section.
1. Share your contact information
Give your full name, phone number, email address, location, and links to any online professional profiles. Always double-check your contact information for accuracy when applying to jobs – it’s as important as anything else on your resume.
Example
Your Name
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | City, State Abbreviation Zip Code | LinkedIn
2. Summarize your technical writer qualifications in a dynamic profile
Impress hiring managers at the top of your resume by giving the three to five primary reasons you can excel as their next technical writer. Consider what sets you apart from other candidates, such as your:
- Years of related work experience
- Work style or approach (efficient, diligent, collaborative…)
- College degree(s) or certifications in your field
(Note: Most job seekers find it easier to write their profile last.)
Example
A highly skilled technical writer with a strong background in computer science and information technology (IT), and experience working with top tech companies like Microsoft and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). Proficient in developing comprehensive technical documentation, collaborating with technical staff to translate complex concepts into user-friendly content, and reviewing and editing documents for accuracy and consistency. Holds a master’s degree in professional writing and multiple certifications, including Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC).
3. Add your technical writer experience with compelling examples
For each recent job you’ve held, specify your title, company name, location, and work dates. Then, flesh out your description of each role to the extent it speaks to your target job. Give a brief overview of any unrelated jobs (even ones you held for a long time). And provide a detailed account of any technical writing jobs (even those you had briefly). Far from misleading, this approach gives hiring managers the clearest measure of your background relevant to the role they hope to fill.
Example
Technical Writer, IBM, New York, NY | January 2019 to present
- Developed and maintained over 50 technical documents, including user manuals, help files, and how-to guides, improving user understanding and product usability
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams of software developers, engineers, and product managers to gather and understand product information, resulting in accurate and comprehensive documentation
- Reviewed and edited technical documents for accuracy, clarity, and quality, ensuring information is easily understandable and usable for the target audience
Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience
When possible, cite relevant performance data and metrics to show the results you’ve achieved as a technical writer. Hard numbers put your work in context and give recruiters a better sense of your scope and impact.
Resume writer’s tip: Tailor your resume to each application
For each job posting you respond to, note any details about the hiring organization’s size, industry, customer base, or products and services. How do these areas compare to your recent experience? You can make a stronger first impression on the hiring manager by citing these similarities in your profile.
For instance, say the company is in manufacturing. You could enhance your profile by changing your first line from “Manager with seven years of experience” to “Manager with seven years of experience, including three years in manufacturing.”
What if you have no experience as a technical writer?
Writing a resume can be hard if you don’t have real-world experience. But you still have valuable skills and knowledge from your education and training. Include any relevant coursework you’ve done or certifications you’ve earned. Also, describe volunteer work or internships you’ve completed in your field, and emphasize your work ethic and willingness to learn. By focusing on these qualities, you can show you’d be an asset to any team.
4. Include technical writer-related education and certifications
With the education and certifications sections, you can show you have a strong knowledge base in your field. Cite any credentials you’ve earned that speak to your abilities as a technical writer. Below are templates and examples to help you organize this information on your resume (note, years are optional).
Education
Template:
[Degree Name], [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
[Relevant coursework or honors]
Example:
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English, University of California, Berkeley, CA
Certifications
Template:
[Certification Name] | [Awarding Organization] | [Completion Date]
Examples:
Certified Technical Writer (CTW), American Medical Writers Association
5. Include a list of skills and proficiencies related to technical writer
A skills section lets you quickly show the different ways you can add value to an organization. It also helps your resume perform well on applicant tracking systems (ATS) used by employers to screen candidates. Below, you’ll find some key terms and skills to consider for this section:
| Key Skills | |
|---|---|
| Cross-team collaboration | Document review and editing |
| Efficiency improvement | Junior writer mentoring |
| Project management | Subject matter expert (SME) collaboration |
| Technical documentation software | Technical publication standards |
| Technical writing and editing | Usability studies |
| User-friendly content development | |
Resume writer’s tip: Use common action verbs
One of the best ways to enhance your resume is by starting each bullet point with a strong action verb. Dynamic verbs help you make your resume more clear, concise, and engaging than with nouns or noun phrases.
Do
- "Managed and motivated a 12-person team "
Don't
- "Responsibilities included management of a 12-person team "
The following list can help you find a good mix of action verbs for your technical writer resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Clarified | Created |
| Decreased | Defined |
| Edited | Enhanced |
| Fostered | Generated |
| Grew | Improved |
| Increased | Introduced |
| Lowered | Managed |
| Prevented | Proofread |
| Ranked | Reduced |
| Researched | Streamlined |
| Updated | Won |
| Wrote | |
How To Pick the Best Technical Writer Resume Template
Choose a clear and straightforward template, and avoid those with elaborate graphics or various colors and font styles. Simple resume design helps a hiring manager scan for relevant information. It also helps you tailor the document to each job application and update your work history.
Technical Writer Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
Frequently Asked Questions: Technical Writer Resume Examples and Advice
How do you align your resume with a technical writer job posting?
First, look closely at the job post text and note any repeated or emphasized words. Compare these phrases to the language you’re using in your resume, particularly the profile and key skills sections. Then, seek ways to align your resume language with the job posting while not copying phrases or misstating your background. For example, if the organization seeks someone collaborative, call out that aspect of your experience in your profile. Or say the company has many non-English speaking customers. Cite your foreign language skills both in your profile and as a separate section farther down the document. With adjustments like these, you can make your resume more relevant to each opportunity.
What is the best technical writer resume format?
The combination (or hybrid) format, because it lets you present yourself both clearly and strategically. According to job search experts Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark, this format “gives you many opportunities to share your specific successes…. It offers immense flexibility in an easy-to-follow structure.” A combination resume has these two features:
- An introduction describing your strengths. The traditional resume intro comprises a profile paragraph and skills list, as in the examples on this page. But there are many variations. Depending on your job search, you may omit one or both of these sections in favor of a one- or two-sentence professional headline. You may also add other elements like graphs or client testimonials. Whatever approach you choose, your introduction should tell why you’re a strong candidate for the job opening.
- One or more experience sections. Hiring managers want to know your latest career activities. The combination format lets you provide that information with sections for your recent years’ work, internship, education, or other experience. For most job seekers, the bulk of their combination resume will be a “Professional Experience” section with detailed job descriptions in reverse chronological order.
Expert advice:
Include a cover letter with your resume
A good cover letter can enhance your job application. To write a standout letter, get specific. Tell the hiring manager why you’re interested in their organization and the technical writer role they hope to fill.
Check Out Related Examples
Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.
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