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Technical Writers resume skills and keywords

In 135 Technical Writers job postings from 95 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Communication (61 %), Technical writing (56 %), Technical Documentation (50 %), Collaboration (40 %) and Attention to detail (33 %). Of the top 40 skills, 31 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 9 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 40 skills in Technical Writers job postings

Skills requested in 135 Technical Writers job postings, by share of postings
SkillShare of postingsType
Communication61 %Soft skill
Technical writing56 %Hard skill
Technical Documentation50 %Hard skill
Collaboration40 %Soft skill
Attention to detail33 %Soft skill
Git31 %Tool
Leadership28 %Soft skill
Security clearance27 %Certification
APIs24 %Hard skill
Troubleshooting21 %Hard skill
AI Tools21 %Tool
Publication20 %Hard skill
Product development19 %Hard skill
Version Control18 %Hard skill
Microsoft Office17 %Tool
User Experience16 %Hard skill
Style guides14 %Hard skill
Confluence14 %Tool
Microsoft Word14 %Tool
Mentoring14 %Soft skill
Visio13 %Tool
Software development12 %Hard skill
Interviewing11 %Hard skill
Continuous improvement11 %Hard skill
Flexibility11 %Soft skill
SharePoint11 %Tool
SOPs10 %Hard skill
Jira10 %Tool
Talent acquisition10 %Hard skill
Interpersonal skills10 %Soft skill
Technical Manuals10 %Hard skill
Cybersecurity10 %Hard skill
Standard operating procedures10 %Hard skill
Information Architecture10 %Hard skill
Schematics9 %Hard skill
Decision making9 %Soft skill
Logistics8 %Hard skill
Problem Solving8 %Soft skill
Kubernetes8 %Tool
Microsoft PowerPoint8 %Tool

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Hard skills (20)

Soft skills (9)

Tools and software (10)

Certifications and licenses (1)

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these technical writers postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

subject matter 36 %matter experts 36 %clear accurate 26 %translate complex 23 %product managers 21 %user guides 19 %clear concise 17 %open source 17 %multiple projects 16 %release notes 14 %pull requests 14 %national security 13 %user focused 13 %customer facing 13 %command line 13 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Technical Writers resume example. Then prepare for the Technical Writers interview questions that test them.

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Technical Writers resume skills: FAQ

Which skills matter most for a Technical Writers resume?

In 135 Technical Writers job postings analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills were Communication (61 %), Technical writing (56 %), Technical Documentation (50 %), Collaboration (40 %) and Attention to detail (33 %). Lead your skills section with the ones you can back up, and show them in your experience bullets too.

Should I list soft skills on a Technical Writers resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 9 of the top 40 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Communication (61 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Technical Writers postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were Git (31 %), Security clearance (27 %), AI Tools (21 %), Microsoft Office (17 %), Confluence (14 %) and Microsoft Word (14 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 135 public Technical Writers job postings at 95 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (82), Lever (35) and Ashby (18). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 135. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Method and data

Source: 135 public job postings for technical writers roles (titles such as Technical Writer, Senior Technical Writer, Technical Writer II and Technical Content Writer) at 95 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from employer applicant tracking system job boards: Greenhouse 82, Lever 35 and Ashby 18. Employers in the sample include Anduril Industries, Grafana Labs, CyberMedia Technologies, Monks, Dexis and Freedom Technology Solutions Group. A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 135. Updated quarterly. Download the data: technical-writers-resume-skills.csv (CC BY 4.0). Browse skills for other roles.