Crafting an effective writer resume is essential for landing writing roles. Highlight expertise, published work, and skills tailored to the job. Follow clear instructions for summary, experience, skills, and education. Avoid common pitfalls like errors or passive voice. Tailor your cover letter to each application, emphasizing authenticity and professionalism.
Create your own resume from the templateYou have a way with words. Your stories and articles leap off the page. But does your writer's resume tell your professional story in the best light possible?
Crafting a resume tailored to writing roles requires special care. You need to showcase your published articles, genre expertise, industry knowledge and command of language.
Follow our step-by-step instructions and land more interviews at newspapers, magazines, websites and other media organizations.
Table of Contents
How to Write a Resume Summary or Objective of a Writer Resume?
List Your Work Experience Correctly
How to add Educational Background?
How to add Contact Information and Other Details to a Writer’s Resume?
What to Avoid on a Writer's Resume?
Resume Writing Tips
Tips to Write a Cover Letter
The resume summary (or profile) introduces your value proposition as a writer. It should appear just below your contact info and be 3-6 concise sentences.
Aim to convey:
Your personal writing brand (e.g. engaging digital content creator)
Total years of professional writing experience
Your specialist writer niche if you have one (e.g. marketing copywriter)
1-2 key soft or hard skills relevant to the role
Greatest writing accomplishment or signature strength
"Digital marketing writer with 6 years experience creating SEO-optimized content that engages readers and drives conversions. Core skills include content strategy, keyword research, on-page optimization, and crafting landing pages and emails that motivate users to take action. Creator of the “Ultimate Guide to Keyword Research” that became a #1 bestseller on Amazon."
Take time to craft your summary - this first impression can make or break your resume. Stand out by including measurable achievements when possible.
Beyond your roles, the skills section is another opportunity to highlight your capabilities as a writer.
Think through your entire toolbox and selectively include 5-8 writing skills that apply to the target job.
Keyword research
Copywriting
Content Strategy
Audience Research
Editing/Proofreading
Creativity
Collaboration
Communication
Project Management
Time Management
List your strongest, most relevant skills first. You can break them into categories like Content Creation, Content Strategy, Writing Techniques, Soft Skills etc.
Adjust the skills you include based on each application. For example, content writing resume roles may emphasize SEO, outreach and editing. Marketing writing roles could highlight copywriting, A/B testing and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Showcasing the right skills proves you can deliver what the employer seeks in their next writer.
For each writing position on your resume, include:
Position Title and Company
List your official job title along with the magazine, website or employer. Use the full name, no acronyms.
Employment Dates
Provide the years or months when you worked there, e.g. March 2021 - Present
Key Achievements
Published articles or pieces with links if possible
Social media shares, page views, site traffic
Awards won for writing
Percentage increase in metrics you influenced
Responsibilities
Types of writing like magazine features, website copy, SEO blogs
Specific topics and beats you covered
Editing, fact-checking or reviewing others' writing
Interacting with subject matter experts
Let's look at two examples showcasing writing skills, one incorrect and one improved:
❌ Writer, The Daily Times (2015-2017): Wrote content for publication. Generated story ideas.
✅ Staff Writer, The Daily Times (Jan 2015 - Dec 2017): Authored over 200 consumer news and lifestyle articles on topics like personal finance and home improvement. Articles averaged 2,300 page views with 30,000+ total social media shares. Won "Writer of the Month" 3x for top-read stories."
The second example provides hard numbers, showing the impact of the writer's work. This quantifiable detail will grab the hiring manager's attention.
Follow these tips, and recruiters will get a clear picture of your writing expertise.
While work experience carries more weight, briefly listing your academic credentials is still recommended.
For each degree or certification, include:
Full degree name (e.g. Bachelor of Arts in English)
University name
Location
Year completed
GPA or other honors if high achiever
Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
University of Washington, Seattle, WA Graduated 2019, GPA 3.8
Dean’s List, English Department Award for Creative Writing
Ideally, your degree aligns with writing in some way, even if not a full creative writing program.
Listing your education checks the box while also confirming skills in reading comprehension, language mastery and communications.
Include your full name, phone number, email, city/state, LinkedIn URL and personal website (if you have one).
Add links to 3-5 writing samples or published clips. Choose pieces aligned with the target role.
List any professional memberships e.g. Association of Writers & Writing Programs
Note major publications you’ve been featured in and any awards/honors received.
If space allows, mention volunteering and other non-work activities or passions to add dimension.
Full Name: Jane Doe
Address: 123 Writer's Lane, Cityville, State, Zip Code
Phone: (123) 456-xxxx
Email: janedoe@xxx.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janedoe
Portfolio: janedoewrites.com
❌ Unclear, poorly formatted content
❌ Typos and grammar mistakes
❌ Verbose, dense blocks of text
❌ Passive voice and weak action verbs
❌ Generic, non-writing skills like "teamwork"
❌ Personal pronouns like I, me, my
❌ Photos, graphics or text boxes
Beyond your past roles, optimize your entire resume for writing success:
Craft a compelling resume introduction highlighting your writing background and skills. Draw them in.
Use active verbs like "authored", "edited", "reported". Avoid passive voice.
Vary your vocabulary using strong synonyms for common words. Show it off!
Implement short, scannable paragraphs, lists and bullet points to enable easy reading.
Emphasize quantitative details - stats, dates, numbers, percentages.
Check for perfect grammar and spelling. One typo can ruin your chances.
Use simple, readable fonts like Arial or Times New Roman, size 10-12 points.
Send as a PDF to maintain formatting on any device or software.
Keep your writer resume concise at 1-2 pages max. Cut any fluff.
With writing expertise and a well-formatted resume, you're ready to apply to that dream writing job.
Priya Sharma
Mumbai, Maharashtra
Email: priya.sharma@email.com
Mobile: 9876543210
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/priya-sharma
Profile Summary: Experienced writer and journalist with 5 years of experience writing news stories, features, interviews and listicles for Indian online and print publications. Specializes in lifestyle content spanning food, travel, health and parenting verticals.
Key Skills:
Article, feature & listicle writing
Interviewing subjects
Editing & proofreading
Researching stories in-depth
Writing SEO-optimized content
Social media & promotion
Professional Experience:
Senior Content Writer, The Indian Digest (Jan 2018 - Present)
Write 12-15 articles, listicles, quizzes per month in the food, travel and lifestyle categories.
Wrote viral article on "10 Best Street Foods in Mumbai" garnering over 200,000 page views.
Conduct interviews with chefs, celebrities and influencers for features.
Won "Best Lifestyle Article 2019" award by the publication.
Staff Writer, BuzzFeed India (Mar 2016 - Dec 2017)
Authored over 100 articles and listicles on food, nightlife, dating, gadgets and humor.
Viral posts included "20 Indian College Life Hacks" with 400,000 views and 50,000 shares.
Edited and proofread other writers' articles prior to publication.
Education:
PG Diploma in Journalism & Mass Communication, Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, Bangalore (2014 - 2015)
BA in English Literature, St. Xavier's College, Mumbai (2009-2012)
Address the cover letter to the hiring manager, recruiter or department head if you have their name. Avoid generic greetings like “To whom it may concern”.
Format the piece professionally with ample paragraph breaks and white space.
Limit to 3-4 concise paragraphs for quick skimmability.
Use a formal business letter format with your header information up top and their contact info below your name.
Send as a PDF attachment with your resume unless otherwise specified.
Personalize each letter to the target company - no generic templates.
Proofread closely and have someone else review to catch any errors. Typos are lethal!
Match your tone to the organization’s culture - more conversational for a startup, more formal for a law firm.
Follow up after submitting your application to politely check on status. Don’t just submit and wait.
Showcase your published portfolio of writing samples. Provide links and stats if possible.
Use numbers to demonstrate your writing achievements. Page views, shares, conversions and awards make an impact.
Emphasize specific topics and beats you have experience reporting on.
Ensure perfect grammar, spelling and formatting. Typos kill your chances.
Write strong, active statements about your responsibilities and successes.
Convey your authentic writer's voice. Do it with style.
Now you're ready to apply for your dream writing job at top newspapers, magazines, websites and more! You've got this
Your writer resume should include your name, contact information, relevant education and work experience, writing skills, and any published work or writing samples that showcase your abilities. You may also want to highlight any awards or recognition you have received for your writing.
Your writer resume should ideally be one to two pages in length. Focus on highlighting the most important and relevant information to the position you are applying for.
Some common mistakes to avoid when writing a writer resume include: spelling or grammatical errors, including irrelevant information, not tailoring your resume to the specific position you are applying for, and not including any writing samples or published work.
Yes, it is always a good idea to include a cover letter with your writer resume. This will give you an opportunity to introduce yourself and explain why you are a good fit for the position you are applying for.
To make your writer resume stand out, make sure to tailor it to the specific position you are applying for, highlight your relevant skills and experience, and include any published work or writing samples that showcase your abilities. You can also consider adding a personal statement or objective that summarizes your career goals and how you can contribute to the organization.
Important Links:
Your career deserves the best start. Begin your career journey with Naukri's Resume Maker - the smarter way to create a professional resume that stands out. Alongwith Resume maker service, dive into expert Career Advice, and discover career tips, guidance, and growth insights on Naukri Career articles.
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While Naukri FastForward services have helped many customers over the years, we do not guarantee any interview calls or assure any job offers with any of our services.
