As a technical writer, your resume is your most important tool for landing your dream job. But with so many other qualified candidates applying for the same positions, how can you make sure your resume stands out?
One of the best ways to do this is to use technical writer resume keywords. Technical writer resume keywords are words and phrases that are relevant to the technical writing profession and that are commonly used by hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) to search for qualified candidates.
By including relevant technical writer resume keywords in your resume, you can increase your chances of getting noticed by hiring managers and landing an interview.
Technical Writer Interview Questions and Answers
How to use technical writer resume keywords effectively
Here are a few tips on how to use technical writer resume keywords effectively
1. Use a variety of keywords
When using keywords in your resume, it is important to use a variety of relevant keywords throughout your resume. This will show hiring managers that you have a broad range of skills and experience in different areas of technical writing.
For example, instead of just using the keyword “technical writer” over and over again, you could use other relevant keywords such as “software documentation,” “user guides,” “help files,” “API documentation,” or “technical communication.”
You can also use keywords that are specific to the industry or job you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a job as a technical writer for a software company, you could use keywords such as “Agile development,” “Waterfall development,” or “UX writing.”
2. Use keywords in context
Instead of just randomly inserting keywords into your resume, use them in context to describe your skills and experience. This will show hiring managers how you have applied your skills in the past and how you can benefit their company.
For example, instead of simply saying “technical writer,” you could say “technical writer with 5+ years of experience in writing user guides and help files for software applications.”
You could also use keywords to describe your specific accomplishments. For example, you could say “increased user satisfaction by 15% by rewriting the user guide for a new software product.”
3. Be honest and accurate
Only include keywords in your resume that you have experience with. Hiring managers will be able to tell if you are trying to deceive them, and this could hurt your chances of getting an interview.
If you are not sure if you have experience with a particular keyword, it is best to err on the side of caution and leave it out.
You can always ask a friend, colleague, or mentor to review your resume and make sure that you are using keywords effectively.
List of most important technical writer resume keywords
Here is a list of some of the most common and important technical writer resume keywords:
- Technical writing
- Technical documentation
- Software documentation
- User guides
- Help files
- Technical communication
- API documentation
- Content management
- Editing
- Proofreading
- Style guides
- Agile development
- Waterfall development
- UX writing
- DITA
- MadCap Flare
- FrameMaker
- Microsoft Office
- Adobe Acrobat
- Visio
- XML
You can use these keywords in your resume summary, skills section, work experience section, and education section. You can also use them in your job search by including them in your LinkedIn profile and in your job search queries.
Here are some additional tips for using technical writer resume keywords effectively:
- Use keywords naturally: Don’t force keywords into your resume if they don’t fit. Instead, focus on using them naturally to describe your skills and experience.
- Use a mix of general and specific keywords: General keywords are broad terms like “technical writer” and “technical writing.” Specific keywords are more niche terms like “software documentation” and “API documentation.” By using a mix of general and specific keywords, you can reach a wider audience of hiring managers.
- Keep your resume up-to-date: As you gain new skills and experience, be sure to update your resume with new keywords.
Using technical writer resume keywords is an important part of landing your dream job. By following the tips above, you can use keywords effectively to increase your chances of getting noticed by hiring managers and landing an interview.
