When you send your resume (or résumé — but we’ll stick to resume) for the next content writing job, pay special attention to the specific skills you mention. Be it a soft skill or a couple of hard skills, this particular section (along with your work experience) will probably make or break what the employer thinks of you.
In this article, let's focus on the "Skills" section of your resume. We'll discuss some definitions, some specifics on showcasing the right skills on your resume, and what counts as adequate (or excellent) proof of said resume skills.
Additionally, since you don't get hired on a resume alone, I'll also show you how to create a portfolio that establishes your hard and soft skills with a portfolio. If you are looking for information on how to show your writing so that most recruiters pay attention, stay till the end.
• If you're applying for a writing job, you already know the necessity of a resume. Your writing resume will communicate your skill level with words, as well as any relevant or associated abilities that contribute to your being a better writer.
• I've talked about the entire writing resume before, so let's discuss a specific part of the resume this time. I'm talking about how to represent your writing skills on your resume.
• To start with, we examine why you need to pay special attention to your resume skills. Not only do employers scan through the "Skill" section to understand your abilities and judge your fitness for a job, but the terms used to describe your skills can actually help your resume get through an Application Tracking System (ATS).
• Next, which skills should you include on your resume? Believe it or not, you should tailor your resume to each job description before hitting "Send.” Additionally, I've listed a few common hard and soft skills that usually stand out on a writer's resume.
• Additionally, a quick note on how to showcase skills on your resume — in your "Skills" section, your "Work Experience" section, and on your portfolio (which can be linked to your resume).
• Finally, since resumes must usually be sent along with a corresponding portfolio, I'll introduce you to a portfolio-building tool that does 90% of the work for you. Check out the video on "How Authory Works." You enter the URLs of the sites where your work is published, and Authory will import all your bylined work to its database. You can now look through all your pieces in a single location.
• Authory is a dedicated portfolio builder that imports your content from the internet, saves it forever, proves that you do not use AI to write, provides analytics data for your content, and so much more.
What's the point of putting writing skills on a resume?
When you apply for a job, you have to be very clear about what you're bringing to the table. Employers often have to sift through hundreds of candidates, so you have to quickly and comprehensively summarize your skills for a resume.
What kind of writing do you excel in? Short form or long form? Perhaps your skills go beyond writing, but would still be helpful at the job. After all, when people talk about communication skills, they don't just mean written communication. Interpersonal skills and management skills are just as important.
Your writing skills can even encompass technical skills such as research abilities and an understanding of the SEO landscape and techniques.
Whatever you decide to place in your "Skills" section will communicate the depth and expanse of your strong writing capacities. It communicates what you are capable of.
How the skills on your resume help it get through the Application Tracking System (ATS)
When you write a resume, bear in mind that you're writing for a human as well as a machine.
It's 2024, and most companies use an Application Tracking System or ATS to cut through the first phase of filtering documents. Your resume and cover letter should be refined to appeal to the ATS's internal parameters, otherwise, your content writing skills won't even get to be viewed by human eyes.
You can add writing skills to your resume in such a way that it helps you get through the ATS barrier with ease.
To start with, look up ATS keywords for the relevant job. You can Google for such keywords using terms like "creative writing ATS keywords" or "technical writing ATS keywords." Include as many of these keywords as possible when describing soft and hard skills in your resume.
However, make sure that you don't include too many skills that aren't established through your work experience. That makes your resume misleading and will actively turn off hiring managers.
Finally, don't forget to create a well-structured resume with pristine grammar and appropriate language. Nothing beats quality when getting through the ATS.
Skills to include on a resume — how to tailor your resume skills to the job description
If you want to resume to really stand out from hundreds of competitors, don't send in a generic document. Every time you prepare to send a resume, tailor it to the specific job description.
For example, if the job description specifically requires a graphic designer with expertise in Adobe Creative Suite, your resume should say something like "expertise in Adobe Creative Suite." List the software's name, mention your skill level, and highlight your Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) certification (it is highly recommended that you get one of these if you use Adobe Creative Suite).
You get the idea. Echo the language of the job description, but only if you actually have the desired skills to offer. DO NOT MISLEAD RECRUITERS. There is no easier way to get blacklisted as a candidate than pulling this moe.
Do a little more research. Look at other job descriptions for the same role. If they echo the keywords of your first job posting, definitely include them.
Common content writing skills for a resume
The most popular writing skills to put on a resume are:
- Expertise with writing software such as GDocs, WordPress, Notion, etc.
- Technical writing abilities
- Specialized writing skills, such as academic writing, essay writing, creative writing, storytelling/storyboarding, and grant writing.
- Proofreading and editing
- Research and reading comprehension
Hard and soft skills to put on your resume
Outside of literal writing, editing, and research, there is a set of top skills that make you a massive asset to any company.
Hard skills that will help improve writing skills
- Clinical/academic research and reporting
- Web development
- Interacting with SMEs to draw insights for your writing
- SEO research and stratification
- Management skills
- Sales experience
- Some form of software engineering or computer science
Soft skills to consider when you add writing skills
- Time management
- Audience management
- Interpersonal communication with teammates, stakeholders, SMEs, etc.
- Brand hygiene
- Collaborative instincts
- Data management and analysis
- Storytelling
- Adaptability
- Understanding of the dynamics of social media activity
How to showcase content writing skills on your resume
On your resume, there are three spots where you can show off your writing skills.
First, the "Skills" section. You list six to eight skills, ideally a combination of hard and soft skills.
Second, in the "Work Experience" section, discuss your writing skills. Use this to substantiate the real-world impact of your skills in the context of an actual job.
Use numbers: "wrote 50 articles that led to a 40% increase in website traffic within 6 months," for example. Show that your writing experience involved real results and not just throwing words into the digital void.
Third, place a link to your online portfolio right under the email address. This is the perfect way to establish that your skills are proven and that will give you a decided competitive edge.
Also, speaking of a portfolio...
Back up your top writing skills with a professionally designed portfolio created via Authory (in minutes)
A great resume must be accompanied by an excellent portfolio to showcase your writing samples. You already know how to create your great resume. This section will introduce you to a tool that helps you set up a portfolio to demonstrate your writing. While there are many portfolio builders out there, Authory stands out by building your portfolio for you.
When you sign up for an Authory account (for free), you get the following:
A self-updating portfolio (no need to keep adding new work manually)
Authory will AUTOMATICALLY import a copy of every bylined piece from every site into its own database. You don't have to track down links to your published work (especially older pieces). As long as you remember the URL of the site where your work exists, Authory will collate all your content for you in one dashboard.
Automated backups (never lose your content, ever)
All the content that Authory imports from different sources is saved permanently. Even if the original website where it's published goes defunct for any reason, you'll always have a copy safely stored on Authory's server. All backups are in the original format — text and/or media. No screenshots.
Continued importing of past and future content (less effort for a 100% updated portfolio)
Once you enter a source, Authory won't just import your existing publications. Anything you publish on the same site (after you've fed its URL into Authory) in the future will also be imported automatically. In other words, Authory will import your past and future content.
Authory also sends email notifications for every new piece it imports, so you'll always know if something you submitted has been published.
Authory has been chosen by quite a few well-known writers and professionals in other careers... people who could have picked any tool in the world. There's six-time Emmy award winner David Pogue, Steven Levy, Editor at Large at WIRED, and Brian Fung, a Technology Reporter at CNN, to name a few.
Get started with Authory for free and see for yourself what works for you!
