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Technical publications writer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted experts
Randall Auxier,
Kate Kurtin Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical technical publications writer skills. We ranked the top skills for technical publications writers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 17.3% of technical publications writer resumes contained technical publications as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a technical publications writer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 technical publications writer skills for your resume and career

1. Technical Publications

Here's how technical publications writers use technical publications:
  • Composed written text for technical publications used by this major manufacturer of commercial and defense aircraft.
  • Helped organize and conduct Windchill training of the Technical Publications process for the Product Development and Product Support departments.

2. Technical Manuals

Technical Manuals are informative pieces of writing, often including diagrams and images, which educate the person who is using it and assist them in learning how to control, build, fix, or otherwise handle the product or products which it speaks of. A technical manual is also known more commonly as a user manual and it typically comes with most products, especially items such as furniture, electronics, appliances, software, machinery, and even medication and medical devices.

Here's how technical publications writers use technical manuals:
  • Provided Logistical assistance during Technical Manual Review conferences which included; in-process evaluations, design reviews, and quarterly progress meetings.
  • Evaluated Engineering Change Proposal impact on technical manuals.

3. Technical Support

Technical support or tech support are the services provided by any hardware or software company to users. They help in solving the technical difficulties the customers face with their products or services. Moreover, the tech support employees maintain, manage, and repair the IT faults. They are also responsible for resolving the network problems, installing and configuring hardware and software.

Here's how technical publications writers use technical support:
  • Assisted with the design and layout of fact sheets for the EPA Technical Support Project.
  • Provide technical support to both the sales team and customers.

4. Subject Matter Experts

Here's how technical publications writers use subject matter experts:
  • Work with Subject Matter Experts on content and approvals when necessary.
  • Gathered information from existing documentation and subject matter experts, rewrote for clarity where necessary and removed technical ambiguity from documents.

5. FAA

FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is an aviation regulatory body in the USA.

Here's how technical publications writers use faa:
  • Reviewed and edited all data prior to being provided to the customer or the FAA.
  • Interacted with FAA to ascertain P121 compliance of manuals for a fleet of eight B737s.

6. Engineering Drawings

Engineering drawings are technical drawings that tell about the requirements for engineering components or equipment. Such drawings have standardized languages and symbols. There are multiple types of engineering drawings such as isometric drawing, orthographic or multiview drawing, schematic drawings, one view, and two view drawings, etc.

Here's how technical publications writers use engineering drawings:
  • Developed Work Authorization Documents from engineering drawings for Payload/Mechanical System Engineering Department.
  • Include creating Illustrations/graphics using engineering drawings, scanning documents and digital photos.

7. SharePoint

Here's how technical publications writers use sharepoint:
  • Created three intranet websites in SharePoint Designer for Mission Operations, Ground Systems and System Engineering to facilitate improved company communication.
  • Led terminology reviews and facilitated communication between author and product team for the Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies Resource Kit.

8. Technical Writers

Here's how technical publications writers use technical writers:
  • Coordinate with Government technical writers and equipment specialists.
  • Assisted associate IT technical writers in conforming, editing, and formatting of documentation to department standards.

9. SME

The term ‘small and medium-sized enterprises' is meant to describe businesses of varied sizes who fall below certain limits and targets set by various organizations, such as the World Bank and the UN. SMEs, as they are commonly known, are an important part of any economy and generally, in healthy economies, should vastly outnumber other forms of business, such as multi-level corporations, because they collectively employ more people, pay better, and produce more money.

Here's how technical publications writers use sme:
  • Assigned as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the FAB-T and MILSTAR SATCOM terminals.

10. Technical Documentation

Technical documentation means any documentation that gives a functional, architectural, and handling description of a technical product or a product in use or development.

Here's how technical publications writers use technical documentation:
  • Provided on-site Training and interpretation of technical documentation after completion of on-site checkout.
  • Used InDesign, Illustrator, Acrobat Professional, and Structured FrameMaker to update the technical documentation.

11. RFP

RFP stands for request for proposal and is a document that contains details about a project or bids from contractors who are responsible for completing the project.
Here's how technical publications writers use rfp:
  • Analyzed Government Requests For Proposal (RFP) and edited Company proposals to ensure compliance with RFP requirements.
  • Provide support for proposal documentation development including RFP review and preparation of technical and cost proposals for submission.

12. Technical Data

Technical data refers to both scientific and technical nature and information recorded and presented in any form other than financial and management information but includes manuals and instructional materials, as well as technical data formatted as a computer database.

Here's how technical publications writers use technical data:
  • Directed and monitored technical data development from the program level.
  • Prepared technical data, procedures, reports, drawings, manuals, and other required publications.

13. Technical Reports

Technical reports are a type of document that is used to indicate either the progress, result, or process of scientific research or the state of problems occurring within such research. A technical report may also showcase the report's overall conclusion and may also include recommendations. This kind of report does not require a peer review and isn't published officially but distributed within the organizations where it was formed.

Here's how technical publications writers use technical reports:
  • Edited and proofread technical reports for grammar, readability, and technical accuracy and managed document production and client delivery process.
  • Developed feasibility studies, environmental impact statements, new business development proposals, and company newsletter, and various technical reports.

14. User Guides

A user guide or manual is proposed to assist people in using a certain mechanical system. Usually scripted by a technical writer, it can also be written by project managers, programmers, product managers, or other technical staff, especially in a small company. User guides are mostly written for computer hardware, computer software, electronic goods but they can be written for almost any product. Most user guides are written in more than one language and contain associated images to enable users to understand better.

Here's how technical publications writers use user guides:
  • Created customer service user guides and training manuals, new company regulatory policies and documentation, and related software documentation.
  • Developed, edited and revised User Guides, Training and Reference documents for proprietary Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems.

15. FrameMaker

Here's how technical publications writers use framemaker:
  • Generated over, 38,000 Task Cards & Work Instructions and Process Documents in, MS-OFFICE and FRAMEMAKER.
  • Designed FrameMaker templates, in accordance with MIL-SPEC, to be utilized by the entire team.
top-skills

What skills help Technical Publications Writers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What technical publications writer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Randall Auxier

Professor of Philosophy and Communication Studies, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Writers have to be patient about this. The fields that were once supporting writers (e.g., journalism) have dried up. No one gets paid much for this kind of work any more. The best strategy is to seek a position that has upward mobility and become a writer in the fashion described above. You have to be good at it, of course, to increase your value to a company. Being sure that you are credited for everything you do, in the text, is very important, in creating a portfolio that makes you mobile. People will let you go uncredited unless you insist on being credited. Here you really must be bold. You are not moving your career forward unless you are credited for everything you do. No one can reasonably deny your request to be credited, so insist on it.

What technical skills for a technical publications writer stand out to employers?

Kate Kurtin Ph.D.Kate Kurtin Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, California State University, Los Angeles

Every article on the subject says that communication skills are the most important skills to have when on the job market - and this is not my bias speaking, even Warren Buffet said it! Public speaking, critical thinking, interpersonal skills, etc., these are things that stand out to employers.

List of technical publications writer skills to add to your resume

Technical publications writer skills

The most important skills for a technical publications writer resume and required skills for a technical publications writer to have include:

  • Technical Publications
  • Technical Manuals
  • Technical Support
  • Subject Matter Experts
  • FAA
  • Engineering Drawings
  • SharePoint
  • Technical Writers
  • SME
  • Technical Documentation
  • RFP
  • Technical Data
  • Technical Reports
  • User Guides
  • FrameMaker
  • Press Releases
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • XML
  • API
  • PowerPoint
  • CBT
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Training Materials
  • HTML
  • Windows
  • PDF
  • Style Guides
  • User Documentation
  • Auto CAD
  • User Manuals
  • QA
  • ISO
  • Government Standards
  • Technical Accuracy

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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