How to Show Off Writing Skills on a Resume

Updated June 17, 2022985

Writing skills are important in many different job industries. How can you show off your writing skills in your resume when applying for a specific job?

Writing Skills

As you write your resume, one of the things you’ll likely notice is that there are many different skills you can potentially include to help you along with your job search. One key skill you might need to use is good writing. How can you show off your writing skills in your resume and indicate that you’re a better writer than other job seekers? Here are a few tips.

What Are Writing Skills?

Good writers may be required to create original content or revise or edit someone else’s writing. When you have strong writing skills, you may be good at creating a specific tone, excelling in word choice, or even just talking to co-workers through written communication. All of these are part of having great writing skills, although they’re most effective for different job needs.

Determining the Right Writing Skills for the Job

One of the most important things to remember is that there are many types of writing, and being able to choose the right type of writing and generally the right writing skills is an important part of listing writing skills on your resume in the first place. Here are a few different types of writing that you may need for different jobs:

Creative writing
Poetry writing
Social media post writing
Cover letter writing
Professional writing
Academic writing
Business writing
Copywriting
Ghostwriting

These different types of writing will all require different skills; just because you’re great at creative writing, for example, that doesn’t mean you’ll also be great at writing business emails. If you’re going to include writing skills on your resume, then it’s best to know exactly which type of writing you’re really good at so that you can write out your skills accordingly.

Oftentimes, the specific writing skills that you need to include will be in the job description. If you’re applying to a job where you’ll need to do a lot of your own writing, then the description should tell you what skills you need to have if you’re going to apply. Read the job description thoroughly before you apply so you know you have the right writing skills.

Adding Specific Writing Skills to a Resume

Especially if you’re applying for a job that directly deals with the writing process, you might want to include not just overarching writing skills but specific skills that deal with your ability to write. Here are a few of those skills:

Proofreading and checking for typos
Writing quality first drafts
Understanding sentence structure
Maintaining consistent tenses
Understanding English grammar rules
Helping language learners improve their skills
Sticking to a writing style guide
Avoiding plagiarism
Summarizing existing texts
Understanding takeaways

These are all skills that can help you create a better writing style. These are all important writing tips for anyone who wants to show off their writing skills, whether you actively include them on your resume or you just understand them as you’re working on your writing skills.

Additionally, remember that writing skills are one of the things you can very easily get certifications for. Before you start including writing skills on your resume, you might want to look into certifying your skills in different ways. Whether this means taking writing courses, passing certain writing tests, or generally just engaging in writing practice, these certifications can be incredibly helpful when applying for a writing job. When you write your resume with the resume builder at ResumeNerd, adding those certifications can prove to a hiring manager that you know how to write well.

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About The Author

Cindi Cervone Carlson

Cindi Cervone Carlson is a Senior Vice President for Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Cindi is responsible for developing, delivering, and implementing a dynamic, world-class organization dedicated to delivering outplacement consulting, training, support, and executive coaching. Cindi started her career at Challenger as a client who had lost her job. Over the past nine years, she has risen from an entry-level, part-time professional to Senior Vice President.