Technical Writer Resume: Keywords & Tips to Get More Interviews
Technical writing is increasingly a technical role — companies hiring docs writers for developer tools, APIs, and SaaS products expect candidates who can read code and write for developers. ATS systems screen for documentation tools (Confluence, Notion, ReadMe), writing frameworks (docs-as-code, DITA), and domain knowledge (APIs, cloud, security).
Top ATS Keywords for Technical Writer Resumes
These are the keywords ATS systems and recruiters scan for in technical writer resumes. Include every one that accurately reflects your experience.
Technical Writer Resume Tips That Actually Work
Show your technical depth — not just your writing ability
"Wrote technical documentation" applies to any writer. "Wrote API reference documentation for 40+ REST endpoints, including code samples in Python, JavaScript, and cURL, reviewed for accuracy by engineering" shows you can work at a technical level.
Include documentation metrics where possible
Page views, search deflection rates, support ticket reduction — technical writing has business impact. "Rewrote onboarding documentation that reduced support tickets by 35% and improved new user time-to-first-API-call from 4 hours to 25 minutes" is compelling.
Name the specific tools and frameworks you work in
ReadMe, Stoplight, Docusaurus, MkDocs, Sphinx — each suggests a different technical context. List every documentation platform and publishing tool you've used, along with adjacent tools like Git, GitHub Actions for publishing pipelines.
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Related reading
The Resume Keywords Guide: How to Find and Use the Right Words →Keywords are what get your resume past ATS filters and in front of recruiters. Here's a complete guide to finding the right keywords for your industry and using them effectively.