Technical Writer Resume Examples
If you’re clear, communicative and easily understand complex systems, you may find technical writing to be a rewarding career. Many in this field hold English or communications degrees and see this role as a great way to apply their skills. To establish your own technical writing career, you’ll need an attention-grabbing resume that demonstrates your writing prowess. LiveCareer’s technical writer resume examples, written by our own professional resume writers, can show how to craft the ideal document that’s customized to fit the role you’re after.
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What Is a Technical Writer?
Technical writers author documents containing complex, often technological information. They may work on instruction manuals, journal articles, how-to guides and more. Typically, their goal is to communicate complicated topics in a manner that can be more easily understood. They may also create and distribute technical information through their organization’s various communication channels.
Computer systems design, architectural work, engineering, and scientific research and development are the most common fields for technical writers. Management, scientific and technical consulting services and pharmaceutical manufacturers are also the next most common employers of technical writers.
What Makes This a Great
Technical Writer Resume Example?
To advance your career in technical writing, a profession characterized by autonomy and high editorial standards, you’ll need an eye-catching, well-written resume and a strong portfolio.
LiveCareer can help you master the former. With technical writer resume examples to use as inspiration, as well as our handy resume builder, you can craft a document that will grab the attention of any hiring manager. Here’s how our resume examples can help:
- Ready-made, expert-approved content: Our resume examples include professionally written content that you can use as inspiration or take as-is for your resume. Written by our experts for the example above, effective phrasing like “Detail-oriented editor with a commitment to accuracy and efficiency” might just as easily have been offered by our builder. Language like this can help you nail your professional summary, skills section and work history by emphasizing your most notable qualifications when you apply for a job.
- Picking the appropriate format: Finding the right resume format helps you to best emphasize your most valuable qualifications. In this example, the job seeker has selected a combination format to highlight her only moderately lengthy work history as a writer. We can help you craft resumes that use chronological, functional or combination formats to help you best display your writing qualifications depending on your unique level of experience.
- Choosing a fitting template: We have an array of stylistically diverse resume templates for you to choose from. Be sure to pick a template that suits the culture of the organization to which you’re applying. This example job seeker chose a relatively conservative template, offering a small splash of color while respecting a likely more traditional office culture.
3 Technical Writer Professional Summaries Examples
On your technical writer resume, the professional summary is your first chance to impress hiring managers. You can use our resume examples as inspiration or create your own by combining our resume builder’s suggestions with your clear, concise voice.
Here are three examples of professional summaries that our builder might recommend:
- Multi-talented technical writer with 5 years of experience crafting detail-oriented documentation for diverse audiences. Consistent commitment to accuracy, clarity and efficiency. Proficient with product documentation, technical sales writing and crafting instructional copy.
- Software technical writer with experience writing API documentation, user instructions and complex project reports. In-depth knowledge of technological communication and the unique needs of software-focused audiences. Strong team player with experience collaborating with others throughout the software life cycle.
- Enthusiastic technical writer with a bachelor’s degree in English. Eager to apply classroom knowledge and internship experience in a new professional setting. Dedicated team member focused on delivering consistent results.
3 Technical Writer Work Experience Section Examples
The particulars of your work experience matter greatly in the technical writing world. Support your portfolio with a resume that compellingly describes specific achievements related to your past job responsibilities. By taking cues from our technical writer resume examples or incorporating pre-written text from our resume builder, you can frame your work history details in a way that grabs a recruiter’s attention.
Here are three examples of work responsibilities that our builder might suggest:
- Researched and wrote 12 technical white papers published on company website.
- Collaborated with three full development teams to document functional specifications of the product.
- Developed 64-page user instruction manual for complex networking hardware product.
Top Skills for Your Technical Writer Resume
Hiring managers look for technical writers proficient in writing about specific, complex topics. Don’t guess at which qualifications they’ll find most attractive. LiveCareer’s technical writer resume examples and resume builder can identify those high-value talents that belong in your skills section. Additionally, you can add even more of your own skills in the builder. Here are some examples of the skills our system may recommend.
Hard Skills
- AutoCAD
- JIRA
- Confluence
- IBM Notes
Soft Skills
- Critical thinking
- Active learning
- Writing clarity
- Time management
Building Your Technical Writer Resume with Our Builder:
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Technical Writer FAQs
- What are the duties and responsibilities of a technical writer?
- How do you become a technical writer?
- Is being a technical writer a good career?
What are the duties and responsibilities of a technical writer?
Technical writers author documents intended to communicate technical concepts and information in an easy-to-understand manner. These documents may include instruction manuals, journal articles, how-to guides and similar supporting documents for products and services. They determine an audience’s needs and create materials accordingly. Technical writers may collaborate with illustrators, photographers, animators and other content creators.
How do you become a technical writer?
Most technical writer jobs require a degree in English or another subject related to writing or communications. According to O*Net, 35% of jobs require an associate degree, 33% require a bachelor’s degree and 16% require some college but no degree. Many technical writer jobs require a portfolio of representative work. Writers also need to be familiar with technical concepts relevant to the product or brand they are supporting.
Is being a technical writer a good career?
Technical writers earn a median annual wage of $72,850, which is significantly more than the median for all occupations ($39,810 in 2018). They also earn more than other media and communication workers (2018 median of $59,230). Working as a technical writer is a good career choice for people who enjoy explaining complex subjects in understandable terms.
