Working as a technical writer is a very important job role - you will be writing technical instructions, creating diagrams and overall creating content to help provide an industry or product with essential instructions.
Robert C. Hudson robert.c.hudson@gmail.com +1234567899
Professional Overview
Forward-thinking, goal-focused IT educator, with 11 years of experience being responsible for tech writing, looking for a training role in a software maintenance establishment.
Work History
Technical Writer, Dell 08/21/08 - 01/29/17
Developed technical architecture proposals for enhancing and integrating software systems supplied by third parties.
Designed and implemented complex interfaces to support and enhance various third-party systems adopted by companies.
Directed a project team to maintain quality performance criteria and scheduling objectives.
Education:
Bachelor's Degree in Technical Writing Michigan Technological University (2001-2004)
Key Skills
Software development practices
Familiarity with writing technical resources for end-users
Research-led troubleshooting
Research-led instructional writing
Strong knowledge base of IT industry and infrastructure
It’s also worth mentioning that the money technical writers make is pretty high! As a result of this, the career is generally pretty competitive so it is essential that your next job application is paired with an excellent resume.
Don't worry though - we will be discussing everything you need to write, format and structure a high-quality technical writer resume for your dream career! Read on to find out more about our resume writing tips!
Based on US labor statistics, technical writer positions can pay anything from $40,000 to $125,000. This is a pretty wide range in terms of average annual salaries, with the high end of this resulting in a highly desirable paycheck! The variety of salaries is due to the fact that technical writers are needed for all sorts of different experience levels.
From junior roles to senior roles, technical writers are needed for instructional content in almost every industry, so don't panic if you don't have too much experience yet. Firstly, let's look at some average annual salaries for tech writers in the U.S.
Junior Technical Writer: $45,000
Experienced Technical Writer: $61,000
Senior Technical Writer: $85,000
There are plenty of entry-level jobs in the $40,000 to $50,000 range, but highly qualified senior writers can easily hit six figures annually! To provide further perspective, let's take a look at some real samples of annual salaries that technical writers earn in the U.S.
Junior Technical Writer at National Instruments Corporation: $49,500
Experienced Technical Writer at CACI International Inc: $70,500
Senior Technical Writer at Amazon: $129,000
Check out this sample resume to see how you can write one
These tech writer resume examples should be plenty to get you started, but if you need any more help then feel free to check out our website for another technical writer resume example!
How to make a Technical Writer Resume
Building up experience in a technical writer career will require hard work, so it is essential that your resume demonstrates your qualifications, abilities and experience.
Your resume must contain your personal details, key skills and work experience
The documents should be completely personalized for the job description
You should craft personalized cover letters for every job that you apply for
Expert Tip Never include irrelevant information on your resume! Employers use applicant tracking software (ATS) search engines which filter out any resumes that do not use specific keywords.
The layout of the Technical Writer Resume
It's always best to layout your technical writer's resume in the reverse chronological form. This means including your most recent experience first to ensure that hiring managers reading it can see your most relevant achievements first.
The structure of the Technical Writer Resume
Your resume should follow the exact structure that is outlined within this guide, as there is always a specific way that employers expect resumes to be written. It will also help you save time! Your resume should ultimately consist of a heading, skills section, educational history and most importantly work history!
These technical writer resume samples should provide a good guide for how to structure your sections, but if you need more samples then remember to head to our website to find more!
Start with the Header of the Technical Writer Resume
You should always begin your technical writer resume with a strong header. This should include your basic personal and contact information, professional social media links, and any other information that is essential to your job role. You may find inspiration in the following examples.
Example of a good header for a Technical Writer
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Frank G. Russell
Senior Technical Writer
987-654-321
frankrussellauthor@gmail.com
Raleigh, North Carolina
linkedin.com/frankrussell
Example of a bad header for Technical Writer
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Frank Gerald Russell (Franky)
Author for technical documents, instructions, computer programs etc.
987-654-321 or (555) 123-4567
frankywritestech@hotmail.com
House No. 54, Stratford Court, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27612
facebook.com/frankyrussell
Married
tiktok.com/frankywritesfast
If you're still unsure what to include in this section and would like to see some more samples, check out our website and try our resume builder. It should offer excellent support through technical writer resume templates!
Is a photo required in the Technical Writer Resume?
Did you know that 80% of employers in the U.S. state that they would not consider hiring someone who included a photograph on their resume? It’s best avoided - there is no reason to include this and it can make you look unprofessional. If they really want to see a photo of you, they can check out your LinkedIn after all!
Choosing your Technical Writer Title
Always ensure that you write a high-quality resume title. It is one of the first things employers will see and it's your opportunity to highlight what you do and why you will be an asset to the tech team!
Professional summary for Technical Writer
CORRECT EXAMPLE
Expert-Level Technical Writer with 15 years of experience in troubleshooting and problem-solving. A solid track record of creating cutting-edge solutions to a wide range of issues.
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
Hello there - my name is Daniel and I am a tech writer with senior experience, I would be happy to join your team and take on responsibilities for instructional and trouble-shooting content.
The aim of this section is to act as a summary of your abilities, experience and area of expertise. Avoid any informal details and try to keep it as concise and informative as possible.
Work Experience in the Technical Writer Resume
Most technical writer jobs will require subject matter experts with experience, even if it is not tech writing. You will need to inform your employer of all your past experiences in writing professionally, and the work experience section is exactly where you should do this!
Always remember to use the reverse-chronological format, especially when it comes to work experience. The last thing you need on your resume is to have your part-time student job at the top of your professional experience list!
Describe your professional experiences on your Technical Writer Resume
You should always follow the strict format enclosed in this guide when writing about your professional experience. You should state the employer, responsibilities, position and start/end dates for each listing. Include three to five bullet points to outline your responsibilities for the job.
Examples of professional experiences for a Junior Technical Writer
Apprentice Technical Writer
Danny’s Software Company
Hours worked: 12 hours per week, 2011 - 2013
Authored training manuals for various software packages, updated online and hard copies to be used in-house and benefit others work process
Communicated with customers and offered technical support for software instructions.
Designed framework for components to create and deploy custom applications for 3D viewing
Examples of work experience for Senior Technical Writer
Technical Writer
Serco
Dates of Employment: May 2016 - April 2021
Created and implemented documentation, maintained accurate records for the network, and developed Visio diagrams to explain organizational requirements to management.
Kept informed of regulations and requirements dictated by accreditation bodies, federal, state, and local authorities to develop policies for Serco
Developing and maintaining company project plans and updating management on status and updates.
Education in the Technical Writer Resume
Technical writer jobs require excellent written skills and knowledge of technical tools, and this will be supported greatly through an appropriate educational history. Ideally, this would include a university or college degree, but you should list any educational institutes and relevant qualifications.
Should you start with education or work experience for a Technical Writer Resume?
As long as you have appropriate work experience, you should always start with this. Educational history is important, but a hiring manager will likely want to know more about their new employees' work history. However, if you don't have any experience yet then you should focus first on your qualifications that show you are capable of the job.
How to properly list your educational history in a Technical Writer Resume?
Each educational listing should include the institute name, course/major name, years of study and overall grade. However, if your GPA or grade was not very high, it's probably best to skip this step!
Example of the education section of a Technical Writer Resume
University of Denver
Colorado
Technical Writing
Years Attended Degree: 2007-2010
GPA: 3.7
Ensure that you follow this format to make your educational section look professional and concise. If you have any trouble, don’t forget that you can take a look at our additional examples on our website to get further samples!
Technical Writing Skills to put on the Resume
Your technical writer skills section is an excellent place to boast about... well, your skills! This is a great place to optimize your resume for the applicant tracking system so don't slack off here! Ensure that you write between five to ten skills to cover all the bases in bullet-point form.
What are the main skills sought for in a Technical Writer Resume?
The main skills that will be required as a technical writer include technical skills (such as troubleshooting, instructions and quality assurance in this area) in addition to general formal writing skills!
What skills for a Junior Technical Writer?
Basic technical content skills
Tech knowledge
Fluency in MS Word and Microsoft Office
Familiarity with white papers
New technical documentation
Basic user manuals
Proficiency in writing training materials
Preliminary quality assurance
Tech support
What skills for a qualified Technical Writing Senior?
Advanced tech content production skills
Content management systems
Functional specifications
Software tools development
Experience in writing software documentation
End user documentation
Computer science
Complex user manuals
Standard operating procedures
End product quality assurance
The vast majority of these skills will be beneficial for a technical writer’s job, but this list is not exhaustive or specific to the job that you will apply for! Always read the job description thoroughly to ensure that you include any relevant skills to the position, and remember to check out our website for more resume samples!
Write the Ideal Resume Hook for a Technical Writer Resume
You will now want to write a concise resume hook - here you can highlight your skill sets, experience level and other relevant points you want your hiring manager to know!
Example of a tagline for a junior Technical Writer
Talented and people-focused junior technical writer, with excellent communication and 3 years' experience in producing detailed tech specifications, looking for a test reporting and defect resolution role.
Sample tagline for a senior level Technical Writer
Goal-driven technical writer senior with wide-ranging expertise in design and layout and extensive training in a number of programming languages and coding. Looking for a challenging role in a values-led company that offers opportunity for tech development.
Additional Headings for your Technical Writer Resume
Depending on the specific position that you are applying for, it may be relevant to add additional sections to summarise information relevant to the job. For example, if the application requires evidence of existing documentation, you could provide a section specifically outlining this. Other potential headings could include programming languages or sub-categories of technical writing that you are confident in.
Computer skills and certifications in a Technical Writer Resume
A vast range of technical writing concerns computer programs, especially in this digital age that we live in! You should outline any computer experience and certifications that you have in this additional section, in addition to providing evidence of computer documentation literacy (such as familiarity with requested software tools, platforms, Microsoft Office, etc.)
Interests in a Technical Writer Resume
Generally speaking, it is a bad idea to include a section regarding your interests outside of work. This is due to the fact that it can be distracting from the purpose of your resume and can look a bit unprofessional. Unless you are enclosing interests specifically related to the job (i.e. computer programming, product testing etc.) then it’s best to leave this section out.
Languages in a Technical Writer Resume
Any U.S.-based technical writer position will require you to speak fluent English. Some writing jobs may even require that you be able to write fluently in other languages or even be fluent in a programming language.
Fluency in another language must be demonstrated whenever it is requested of you. With this in mind, both IELTS and TOEFL (with at least a 30-point score) are acceptable for English, and qualification or bootcamp evidence would be relevant for programming languages.
Summary: Key Points for Writing a Perfect Technical Writer Resume
We’ve covered a massive amount of information throughout this guide, so take a step back and revise what we have learned with this technical writer resume summary:
Remember to follow the professional resume format enclosed in this guide - don’t improvise!
Keep it personalized and avoid general application writing
The ATS systems are always filtering out resumes, don’t let this happen to yours and focus on relevant keywords!
There’s no rush - take your time, this job could see you through for many years!
Write a Cover Letter That Goes With Your Technical Writer Resume
Last but not least, you should always write a supporting cover letter for your technical writing job applications. This is your chance to be a bit more liberal with your writing and express why you want this job, why you will be an asset to the team, and any other relevant points that did not fit within a section. The document should be word processed and should not exceed one A4 page.
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