How to Write a Technical Writing Resume

Technical Writing resumes are often scrutinized more carefully for how they are written than for what is written in them. A lack of demonstrated experience can easily be covered up by a well written and well designed resume. A lack of proper grammar and typos is not so easily covered up by experience.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Avoid typos, especially ironic ones, like misspelling "detail oreinted."
2. If creating your resume in Microsoft Word, use Styles to format everything. This displays your understanding of one of the most important concepts in Technical Writing. Not all managers will check on this, but many will.
3. Be consistent. For example, make sure all of your bullets are the same size, that you provide the same types of details for each entry, and that each paragraph or heading uses the same font (use Styles to prevent worrying about this).
4. Display a clear and concise writing style. Do not use run on sentences or ambiguous job descriptions.
5. Treat your resume like a writing sample. Most companies will ask for a writing sample, but your resume is the first one they will see. You are trying to get a job where you make complicated information understandable. Treat your life and work history as complicated information and make it understandable with the language and formatting of your resume.
6. Include a Technical Expertise section that lists all of the software and technical skills you have (such as any computer languages) that relates to Technical Writing. Provide basic details about those like how much experience you have or whether you have received any training. This is also a good place to list any organizations to which you belong.
7. Don't forget the basics: Name, contact information, education, and work history.