I made a video about my recent experience interviewing for technical writing jobs. Key points from the video in case you don’t have time to watch it:
Overview of the typical technical writing interview process
The process usually starts with a recruiter reaching out to you on LinkedIn or you applying through an online job application portal. The recruiter and hiring manager will screen your resume and cover letter and if they find you a suitable candidate, they will arrange a phone screen. The phone screen usually has questions about your background, education, experience, etc. If the phone screen goes well, they will ask for your writing samples. If they find the samples suitable, they’ll ask you to interview with the team. The interviewing rounds are generally a combination of writing assessment/portfolio discussion, technological comprehension, and culture fit/culture add. If all the rounds go well, the recruiter will call you to discuss salary expectations and make you an offer!
My experience
I responded to recruiters reaching out to me on LinkedIn. Took informational calls with many recruiters to figure out what niche I want to target for my job search. Once I decided to focus on the data space, I researched the keywords in interesting job postings and customized my resume and cover letter to emphasize the keywords. Also crafted my portfolio to highlight the range of my tech writing experience.
Before the interviews, I studied the company, its market, and the existing docs. During interviews, I found the questions to fall into one of three categories: my experience, my technical writing process, and the company’s documentation and potential improvements.
Tips for new tech writers
Don’t be afraid to shop around, research the market, and hone in on the niche you want to specialize in. Spend time and effort on your portfolio, resume, and cover letter — they make the first impression for you, so make sure it’s a strong one. And ask for referrals!
The video goes into more detail about each of these topics. Hope it helps! Good luck 🙂
Amruta Ranade 