Writer Resume Examples, Skills and Keywords

Writers provide content for every industry, from technical documents to long-form news and fiction. In general, they need to have an eye for detail and strong research skills. Specific necessary skills can vary dramatically. For example, technical writers need industry-specific knowledge, copywriters need to match brand voices, and grant writers need to understand the grant application process.

If you want to work as a writer, you need to understand what your target employers expect from candidates. Your resume is your best chance to do that. You can use your application to show that you know the position’s requirements and demonstrate your writing ability at the same time.

If you write your resume well, it can convince hiring managers to look at your portfolio. It’s tempting to let your portfolio speak for you, but that can backfire. Many hiring teams will use your resume to decide whether it’s worth looking at your portfolio in the first place, so your resume needs to get their attention.

If you want to build a resume that gets you hired, you can learn from other resumes in that field. These three writer resume examples show how you can appeal to employers in the most common writing niches.

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As a writer, you’re probably familiar with the importance of using keywords in your work. It’s just as important to include writer skills and keywords in your resume. Employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to look for specific resume keywords. The ATS filters out resumes that don’t include the keywords the employers are looking for.

Your resume is more likely to be seen if you include the best writer resume keywords.

Writing is a popular career, but not every type of position is equally competitive. Technical writers generally earn more because there are fewer writers with industry-specific knowledge. In contrast, grant writers often work for non-profits and earn less.

Most writer positions don’t require any specific education or training. However, having a degree or certification can help you get hired if you don’t have professional experience as a writer. Education and training can help convince hiring managers that you have the skills they need.

For example, many copywriters have associate’s or bachelor’s degrees in fields like:

• ‌English
• ‌Communications
• ‌Journalism
• ‌Creative writing
• ‌Technical writing

‌These degrees include a lot of training in writing clearly, so they help you build your portfolio. They also reassure employers that you know what you’re doing.

If you’re interested in technical writing but don’t have a degree, some employers will require you to get a field-specific certification. The Society for Technical Communication, the National Association of Science Writers, and the American Medical Writers Association all offer specific certifications you can include on your resume.

Finally, grant writers often come from marketing and business backgrounds. If you want to transition into grant writing without prior writing experience, you can take college courses or outside certification classes to learn more.

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