professional writers resume

professional writers resume

Creating an Effective Professional Writer’s Resume

1. Introduction

Creating an effective professional writer’s resume is a very useful course in which writers will be able to update, improve or create their resume using valuable skills provided. This four-module course is very effective for anyone who wants to work with improving resumes. Each module applies to a different key skill: identifying your best work, turning a list into engaging reading, writing with powerful word choices, and gaining objective feedback. These techniques allow freelance writers to prove to an organization that they have what it takes to work effectively, a trait that is always desired. In order to make this course effective, there are a variety of instructional strategies used. For every lesson, the author provides a demonstration using his own resume. This is very persuasive because he is very successful in the writing business and demonstrates very effectively on how he got there. Following the demonstrations are a set of specific steps that are meant to be followed in order to update your resume in that particular area. After these steps, there is a summary reviewing what was done.

2. Crafting a Compelling Summary Statement

Your summary statement is the first thing that is read when applying for a job. It is your one chance to generate a positive impression with an employer. If the mood generated is negative, or if the wrong words are used, the prospective employer may decide to look no further, and your resume will go on the growing pile of ones not selected for an interview. A compelling summary will entice the reader to explore the rest of your document. This statement should be a brief, custom-tailored narrative that conveys the excitement and enthusiasm you feel about your work. One with a clear message that the candidate is a strong match for the job, aiming to make the reader picture an employee they’ll be proud to have at the company. This should be no longer than two sentences, and will set the tone for the rest of the resume. A strong summary will establish a theme, and set the attention on the rest of your qualifications.

3. Showcasing Relevant Writing Experience

A. Developing a portfolio of work is essential to increase your desirability as a professional writer. B. Developing a portfolio can begin with your current positions; full-time, part-time, or non-writing related jobs can all be the starting point for showcasing your writing abilities. C. Assemble writing samples from internships, jobs, class assignments, and personal projects. Make sure to request copies of everything created on the job. Files can easily be lost or destroyed. If what you wrote never sees the light of day, a simple print screen of the document can be the difference between a job offer and a rejection. D. Credit Inclusion – all writing samples that eventually went public in any medium can exist in a portfolio. Whether it is creating a PDF file of web content, scanning printed articles, or creating screen captures of e-articles, the process can be finished in a short time with a little organization. Include a reference letter or proof of employment to document that you were the original author of the samples. E. If you have limited work experience, consider doing pro bono or low-paying work for non-profit organizations, friends, family, or private clients to build a small collection of varied samples. F. Special projects can provide valuable experience and unique writing samples. For example, for someone working in business in addition to writing, developing a company newsletter or creating PR material can produce work ranging from advertisements to informational articles. All of this is valuable work for a writer’s portfolio.

I. Understand the importance of developing a portfolio of writing work.

4. Highlighting Key Writing Skills

An effective technique used by professional writers is to make use of powerful action words in their descriptions. Using “I was involved with producing company manuals” is far less impactful than “I developed a series of comprehensive company manuals”. If there were achievements or positive outcomes resulting from your writing, emphasize it. This is all part of selling yourself, which is something you should become increasingly comfortable with throughout the course of writing this resume.

As a writer, you are undoubtedly aware of the difference between good and bad writing. Strive to produce a resume that is very much the former. Explain your writing responsibilities in detail and use this as a platform to demonstrate your skills. How did you go about researching and compiling information? What techniques did you employ to get past writer’s block and produce quality material? How was the end product received? If you can provide samples of your writing as an appendix, any published articles, newsletters, company reports, etc. can be used as evidence of your skills and should be mentioned.

Highlighting skills is a core concept of this resume, as your writing is the concrete demonstration of your abilities. In the “Professional Achievements” section, you can be quite explicit. Elsewhere, your skills will be revealed by the way you describe your various positions and achievements.

5. Formatting and Presentation Tips

Layout. Remember that ease of reading is priority. It’s highly recommended that you go with a simple bullet point format in the experience/qualities area. This makes it an ease to skim read, or get the main points without pouring over the details on an initial reading. Always double check to make sure that there is no crowding. Keeping the same font size and simply hitting space too many times can be overlooked and create an unintentional jumbled mess. It is also recommended to create a bit of a margin. White space is your friend and can make your resume easier on the eyes, and easier to separate different sections. Effects such as bolding or italicizing important headers or job titles can make skimming more effective. Always double check to make sure that you remain consistent throughout.

Font. Don’t use anything too fancy or that is an eyesore to read. Times, Garamond, Book Antiqua, and various other similar fonts are a safe start. Anything with class and readability will work in your favor. Keep in mind that your reader will print out your resume and might need to read it over at a later time. Do not force them to work with something hard on the eyes. Also, never use font size to take up more space. If you find yourself trying to fit in extra words to cover that last margin, you can be sure it’s going to be noticed and you’ll be kicking yourself in the end result.