writing skills in a resume

27+ Writing Skills for a Professional Resume (W/ Examples)

By Jeffrey Stromes in Resume Writing

Strong writing skills are often sought-after by recruiters and employers, regardless of the industry that you’re in.

Even if you’re not applying for a particular position as a writer, it can be important to highlight these skills on your resume in addition to your work experience, education, and other skills. They are a key indicator of the ability to communicate effectively, which is vital for most jobs.

In this article, we’ll examine the importance of writing skills, their types, and the best ways to add them to your resume for optimal chances of success. We’ll also give you advice on how to improve your writing skills—all to help you make an outstanding resume and leave a positive impression on potential employers!

Key Takeaways

Writing skills are essential in the workplace, as they allow you to communicate with others, share ideas, and exchange information .

These skills are in the top 5 of the most sought-after abilities by recruiters and employers, which makes them important for any resume.

There are four styles of writing —persuasive, narrative, expository, and descriptive—and many different types of writing —technical writing, blog writing, copywriting, etc.—whose uses vary from one career or job position to another.

The five core writing skills you could list on your resume are research, planning, grammar, proofreading and editing, and reading comprehension.

One of the best ways to demonstrate your writing skills on your resume is to use specific examples from previous jobs .

There are many ways to improve your writing skills , including reading and writing regularly, seeking feedback and mentorship, studying the works of prominent writers, and more.

What Are Writing Skills?

By definition, writing skills allow you to communicate your thoughts, ideas, and information through written language . Needless to say, this makes them essential in today’s society and modern workplace.

The foundation of good writing skills is a strong command of grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. However, a good writer also knows how to neatly organize information and present it in a clear and concise manner. 

Writing skills also encompass the ability to choose the right words to convey the exact meaning that you want. You construct sentences using grammar, punctuation, and other literary devices to create enticing and impactful written work.

Furthermore, proficient writers can adapt their style for different audiences and various purposes. For example, writing a business report will be vastly different from working on a scientific paper, an essay, or a personal letter.

Why Are Writing Skills Important For Your Resume?

Simply put, writing skills are important for your resume because employers value them highly and often look for them , as they are a valuable asset in many professional roles.

We have already touched on the importance of communication in the workplace, and writing is one of the main methods of doing that. Written communication can be anything from writing emails and creating presentations to working on specific documents and even casually chatting with coworkers or supervisors.

Moreover, solid writing skills also often indicate that you possess attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking abilities, too .

The importance of having such abilities on your resume is backed by hard evidence as well. According to NACE's 2023 survey report , one of the top 5 attributes employerslook for on a resume is written communication skills.

Jobs with Writing Skills

All of that makes writing skills welcome on any resume, especially in fields like marketing, journalism, or public relations and in specific roles, such as:

Technical writer

Content writer

Content marketing manager

Communications manager

Research analyst

Types of Writing

Broadly speaking, there are four different styles of writing , and they are:

Descriptive

Depending on the purpose of your writing and your audience, you’ll opt for one of these styles.

That being said, there are many different types of writing , which are more specific than styles. The ones you need will depend on your career, position, or even the particular project that you might be working on.

Here are some of the most common types of writing you should be familiar with:

Types of Writing Examples

Argumentative writing presents a point of view backed with evidence.

Technical writing has the goal of giving specific information on a precise topic.

Journalistic writing serves to inform the public and give them the latest news.

Business writing refers to communication in a professional environment.

Academic writing involves writing essays and research papers, as well as creating other written work for educational purposes.

Creative writing includes various imaginative forms such as poetry writing, screenwriting, playwriting, songwriting, etc.

Blog writing involves writing for online platforms such as professional and personal blogs.

Report writing serves to present information obtained from research or investigation.

Grant writing refers to writing proposals in order to secure funding.

Speech writing relates to writing speeches for public events.

Resume writing involves creating a professional document that highlights your work experience, education, and skills.

5 Core Writing Skills to Put in Your Resume

Let’s take a look at some of the essential writing skills that you can include on your resume.

#1. Research

Research is one of the most important aspects of writing skills. This ability helps you gather information and facts that you’ll use in your writing.

Research Skills Examples

There are multiple benefits that stem from having strong research skills, such as:

Having the ability to find adequate sources and evaluate them to determine their credibility, relevance, and usefulness.

Being able to synthesize information and create one cohesive project from multiple different sources.

Staying organized and keeping track of all the sources you found, ideas needed for your writing, and notes.

Being able to summarize information, present it clearly and concisely, and cite sources correctly .

#2. Planning

In terms of writing skills, "planning" refers to your ability to create a precise structure by organizing your ideas . 

For starters, planning involves generating ideas through brainstorming and creating a practical outline to ensure a logical structure.

Additionally, it can help you set precise goals and effectively prioritize tasks until those goals are met, which positively affects your time management. By planning properly, you leave enough room for revising and editing.

Lastly, a good planner takes their audience into consideration every step of the way and tailors their writing toward them.

#3. Grammar

Impeccable grammar is the backbone of good writing. There are many elements to consider when it comes to grammar skills, with some of the most important being:

Grammar Skills Examples

Knowing when and how to use punctuation marks such as commas, semicolons, and periods

Knowing how to use verbs and tenses correctly

Understanding the sentence structure and knowing how to construct well-formed sentences

Knowing how to use adjectives and adverbs to modify nouns and verbs.

Knowing when to use active or passive voice

Ensuring your spelling is impeccable

#4. Proofreading & Editing

Proofreading and editing are vital steps in the writing process, as they allow you to refine your work and optimize it for maximum quality . Being able to proofread and edit effectively means that you’re attentive to detail and able to identify everything from grammar and spelling errors to syntax inconsistencies.

Furthermore, by proofreading and editing your work, you’ll be able to keep it consistent , which is especially important for long-term projects. It can also help you take a step back from your writing and polish it to be more objective .

Not only that, but by re-reading and thoroughly examining your work, you’ll be able to eliminate unnecessary content to keep it concise and check facts to verify the accuracy of information.

#5. Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is another important aspect of writing, and it’s tightly connected to research and editing.

On the one hand, reading comprehension helps you understand the information quicker and retain crucial details . That allows you to generate ideas and transform them with your writing style.

On the other hand, reading comprehension skills contribute to your ability to write a cohesive text that will allow readers to understand ideas, draw conclusions from them, and retain information for themselves.

For those reasons, by demonstrating reading comprehension skills on your resume, you indirectly highlight good analytical and critical thinking skills .

23 Other Writing Skills to Put in Your Resume

We’ve established that writing skills encompass a wide variety of abilities . For example, it’s one thing when a copywriter adds a list of professional writing skills to their resume, and it’s something entirely different when an executive assistant highlights their notetaking competence.

Hard Skills

That’s why we created a comprehensive list with even more examples of writing skills that you could include on your resume:

Foreign language writing

Email writing

Magazine writing

Media writing

Collaborative writing skills

Proposal writing

Social media writing

Business storytelling

Presentation writing

Code writing

Concise writing

Proficiency in relevant software

These were all hard, technical, and writer-specific skills .

However, a good writer often possesses plenty of other qualities in the form of soft skills . Here are some examples of soft writing skills:

Soft Skills

Organization

Attention to detail

Consistency

Conciseness

Fact-checking and accuracy

Perceptiveness

How to Add Writing Skills to Your Resume

Adding writing skills to your resume is crucial to demonstrating them properly to recruiters. However, instead of just creating a list, try to highlight your skills through experience . You can provide specific examples in your resume objective, summary, work experience , and some of the optional sections.

Also, keep in mind that writing skills can be rather broad, so only list a couple of them that are highly related to the position you’re applying for. Naturally, if you’re going for the position of a writer, you’d likely want to list more skills from this group.

Another thing that you can add to your resume is a link to your portfolio, personal website, or social media pages that show off your writing skills . 

Writing Skills on a Resume

Here’s how a technical writer could demonstrate their skills on a resume:

Wrote and managed a range of technical documentation , including user manuals and product specifications for hardware and software products

This example shows how to add content writing skills to your resume:

Researched, wrote, and edited blog posts, white papers, and case studies for ABC Corp to increase their website traffic by 35%

Here’s another example of creative writing skills on a resume:

Boosted XYZ Company sales by 27% with compelling copy crafted for print and digital advertisements

The final example will show how a candidate applying for a non-writing position (a customer service representative) could mention their writing skills:

Wrote clear and concise emails to customers to resolve their issues

The mere act of having a well-written resume is another testament to your good writing skills. That’s why you want to ensure a clean and concise document, which should ideally be one page long and error-free.

How to Improve Your Writing Skills

There are many methods you can use to improve your writing skills. While most of them require time, patience, and dedication, you could start working on some right off the bat .

General Guidelines

Here are some tips to help you improve your writing skills:

You should read regularly and expose yourself to different writing styles. The variety will help you hone your skills, learn how to structure your writing, and improve your style.

Whenever possible, you should write to put what you’ve learned into practice and improve through trial and error.

Don’t be afraid to seek feedback from others. Share your writing and look for constructive criticism. You can also find a mentor and improve your skills with their assistance.

You can follow the work of other writers , study it, and try to incorporate some of their techniques.

Stay on top of things by studying grammar and usage to ensure they are top-notch since they are essential for writing.

You can always take courses to quickly progress in the specific field of writing that you’re most interested in. There are courses in creative writing, email writing and etiquette, editing, novel writing, content marketing, storytelling, and so on.

Lastly, you should take advantage of modern tools, software, and writing aids that can help you spot mistakes, iron out the details, adapt your work, change its style, etc. Some of the more prominent tools include Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Quillbot, Scrivener, Hemingway App, and others.

Closing Thoughts

Writing skills can be a valuable asset on a resume in today’s job market, and not just for writing-oriented careers.

Everyone from copywriters and technical writers to managers, assistants, marketers, or customer service representatives could benefit from demonstrating writing skills on their resumes.

If you follow the guidelines provided in this article and remember to highlight your skills through specific examples, you’ll be one step ahead of the competition from the get-go.

Finally, remember to use relevant keywords, add links where recruiters could check out your written work, and tailor your resume to the position that you’re applying for. That way, you’ll turn your resume into a written work of art!

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How to Effectively Show Writing Skills on Your Resume (with Examples)

Want to add writing skills to your resume but aren’t sure how? We have recruiter-backed suggestions & recommendations for how to talk about it on your resume!

10 months ago   •   7 min read

It's normal to feel unsure about how to talk about writing on your resume. Are you overstating your skills? Are they even relevant to the job you want? And how do you make sure the hiring manager sees your writing as a good thing on your resume?

The key to successfully showcasing your writing skills is keep it clear, concise, and relevant. You’ll want to mention specific writing skills that fit the job requirements, and prove that you have these skills.

Why is it important to include your writing on your resume in 2024? Whether it's crafting emails, reports, or online content, writing significantly influences how effective you’ll be in your job. Even though AI has the ability to write huge pieces of content for you, it still takes someone who knows what they’re doing to make sure the writing is easy to understand and free of errors.

Also, with remote work on the rise, written communication plays a key role in your ability to communicate with team members and get the job done. Not to mention, it often helps leave a positive first impression with potential employers.

Let’s dive into how to effectively showcase your writing skills on your resume, tailor these skills for different job applications, and avoid common pitfalls in the process.

How to put writing skills on your resume: a step by step guide

• Figure out what kind of writing is required in this job. You may moonlight as a poet, but if you’re applying for a marketing position, they’re going to be more interested in your expertise with SEO writing. Research the company and role, and use the job description as your guide for what types of writing to highlight on your resume.
• Tweak your resume. In most cases, you’ll want to highlight your writing in the “Work Experience” section . If writing is a big part of the job or if you don’t think your work experience demonstrates it plainly enough, you may want to also list it in the “Skills” section .
• Keep it short. Since you’re a writer, this shouldn’t be a problem... But make sure you edit your resume to keep it concise. Think bullet points, not paragraphs.
• Be specific. As much as you can, highlight specific projects you’ve worked on and talk about their results in concrete terms, using numbers . For example, you could say something like, “Wrote emails that increased sales by 15% among new list subscribers”
• Don’t use jargon. It may be tempting to flex your expertise by using industry-standard terms (cold traffic, anyone?), but remember the person reading your resume may get confused and push your resume aside. Unless the job description specifically uses the jargon in question, keep things easy to read.
• Include examples with your resume , whenever possible . In your application, try to link to a portfolio or personal blog that has samples of your best writing pieces. That way, you don’t have to rely solely on describing your skills— you can show the manager what an amazing writer you are!

To determine if you've effectively showcased your writing skills on your resume, upload it to the tool below . It will provide feedback on whether your document effectively highlights your specific type of writing skills.

Where to put writing skills on your resume

Writing exists in a weird middle ground between soft and hard skills— depending on the job, your writing skills may be a nice plus, or they may be essential.

Generally speaking, you want to demonstrate your writing skills with accomplishments in the bullet points of the “Work Experience” section of your resume.

Here’s an example of what that could look like:

If it’s essential to the job, consider also putting it in the skills section, like this:

It’s much more powerful to show the results of your writing than to simply say you can write. If you’re wondering how to describe your writing skills on a resume, default to giving an example with measurable results.

Now, let’s talk about the specific kinds of writing you might want to put on your resume:

Specific writing skills to put on your resume

Different jobs require different types of writing skills. Here are some you might include on your resume:

Technical writing

Technical writing is about making complex information accessible to everyone. If you’ve ever used an instruction manual, that’s an example of technical writing. So are other manuals, reports, and internal reference documents.

When listing this skill on your resume, make sure to include any specific projects you’ve worked on in the past. For example, if you created the repair manual for a specific type of engine, you could say something like, “Wrote the repair manual for the V7000 engine downloaded by 600+ readers.”

Technical writing is best included on resumes for jobs in: IT, engineering, and science.

Creative writing

If you’re a creative writer, your ability to craft compelling stories and capture the hearts of audiences is invaluable. Creative writing in business isn't just about weaving a tale; it's about connecting with your audience in a way that resonates and persuades.

So should you include your novelist aspirations on your resume? Maybe not, but if you have proof that you can write content that gets people’s attention, you should highlight that. For instance, you might say, "Conceived and wrote a viral advertising campaign that increased brand engagement by 40%."

Creative writing is best included on resumes for jobs in: marketing, advertising, and content creation.

Business writing

This may not be the first thing you think of when you’re applying for a job, but writing is a huge asset in business. Emails, reports, proposals, memos... Corporate employees do a lot of writing every single day. And companies run better when their employees understand how to write clearly and concisely.

Business writing is direct and persuasive, with a professional tone. If you have this skill, a good example to list on your resume could be, "Authored comprehensive project proposals leading to a 30% increase in client acquisition."

Business writing is best included on resumes for jobs in: administration and management, especially in corporate environments.

SEO writing

SEO writing involves creating content that ranks well on search engines and gives readers helpful information. You could illustrate this skill with a statement like, "Wrote SEO-optimized blog posts that doubled the organic traffic to the company website within six months."

SEO writing is best included on resumes for jobs in: digital marketing

Copywriting

Copywriting is the art of persuasive writing that prompts action, whether it's a purchase, a sign-up, or engagement.

If you have this skill, don’t just talk about it— show specific ways that your copy has encouraged people to take action. For example, "Crafted product descriptions that increased online sales by 25%."

Copywriting is best included on resumes for jobs in: advertising and marketing

Editing and proofreading

Editing and proofreading aren’t just about grammar and spelling. They’re about creating clarity and consistency for readers. In many jobs that require a significant amount of writing, it’s crucial that you’re able to self-edit or help your coworkers

A line such as "Edited and proofread a monthly magazine with a circulation of 50,000, maintaining a high standard of accuracy and readability" can demonstrate you know what you’re talking about when it comes to editing.

Editing and proofreading are best included on resumes for: any jobs that require a significant amount of writing.

Grant writing

Grant writing is laser-focused on creating proposals to secure funding.

If that job involves grant writing, highlighting your success rate in the past will make your resume awesome. For example you could include a bullet point that says something like: "Successfully wrote and submitted grant proposals that secured over $1 million in funding for various community projects."

Grant writing is best included on resumes for jobs in: non-profits and research.

Common mistakes to avoid

Finally, let's walk through how to avoid some common pitfalls when it comes to putting writing skills on your resume:

Avoid irrelevant skills

Tailor your writing skills to the job you're applying for. Instead of listing every writing project you've ever done, focus on ones that relate to the position.

Example: if you're eyeing a role in digital marketing, emphasize skills like SEO writing and content creation over technical writing.

Be honest about your skill level

If your experience in a particular style of writing is basic, don't oversell it as advanced. Misrepresenting your skills might mean you end up in a job that’s over your head.

However, if you are working on that skill through workshops or online courses, include this on your resume. It shows you’re willing to do what it takes to do the job right.

What to do if you have limited writing experience

If your professional writing experience isn’t what you’d like it to be, you can always draw attention to relevant skills from other areas. Research, editing, or strong organizational abilities can help you make a case for why you’d be a good fit for a job that requires writing.

Also, don't underestimate the value of personal projects. Blog posts, volunteer writing you’ve done, or freelance gigs can show potential employers you have the writing chops required for the job. And the good news is— it’s not too late to write a blog post or write something for your favorite charity so that you can mention it in your application!

If you’d like personalized feedback on your resume before you apply, check out score my resume . It’s our free AI-powered resume checker that will give you specific feedback on how to improve your resume so that recruiters and hiring managers can see what an awesome fit you are for the job!

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Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.