Introduction
Two engineers interview for the same contract role. Their code is about equally good. One explains a design decision in a clear, short pull request description. The other sends three paragraphs that never quite say what changed.
That difference gets noticed. Technical writing skills are the ability to explain technical information so a specific reader can understand it and act on it.
That covers READMEs, runbooks, API docs, design docs, release notes, and status updates.
This guide covers the 10 skills that matter most, how employers test them, and how to show them on a resume. It's written for engineers, analysts, and consultants who write as part of their job, and for anyone moving into a technical writer role.
TL;DR
- Technical writing skills come down to knowing your reader, structuring information, and writing accurate, plain instructions.
- Employers rarely ask about writing directly. They test it through take-home READMEs, pull request descriptions, design questions, and writing samples.
- The 10 skills that matter most range from audience analysis to docs-as-code tools like Markdown and Git.
- On a resume, show the documents you wrote and what changed because of them, not the phrase "excellent communication skills."
- Google's free technical writing courses, built for engineers, are a practical place to start improving.
Why technical writing skills matter in tech hiring
Every technical job produces writing. Engineers write commit messages, pull requests, and design docs. Data engineers document pipelines.
Cloud engineers write runbooks someone else will follow at 2 a.m. Google puts it bluntly on its developer site: every engineer is also a writer.
The company built its own courses to teach that, and since introducing them in 2015, thousands of its software engineers and product managers have taken them, with the courses released publicly in February 2020.
Why it matters more for contract roles
In contract and staff augmentation work, writing carries extra weight. A contractor joins mid-project, often remotely, and leaves when the work is done.
What they leave behind is mostly written: handoff notes, runbooks, and documentation. Teams that skip this end up paying to bring people back just to explain their own work.
Our guide to planning a team augmentation exit covers why clients now treat documentation as a deliverable.
What the technical writer job market looks like
For dedicated technical writers, the picture is steady rather than booming. BLS lists a 2025 median pay of $90,390 a year and projects employment to grow 1 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,200 openings a year on average.
BLS also notes that AI tools that make these workers more productive may slow employment growth.
In practice, that raises the bar. Writers who can test what they document, work in code repositories, and edit AI drafts for accuracy stand out.
You can read the full outlook on the BLS technical writers page.
The 10 technical writing skills employers look for
These aren't ranked. Some matter more for engineers, others for full-time writers.
1. Audience analysis
Know who will read the document and what they already know. A runbook for on-call engineers and a setup guide for new customers can describe the same system and look nothing alike.
Before writing, answer two questions: who is reading this, and what do they need to do after reading it?
2. Structure and information architecture
Readers scan before they read. Good technical writers put the most important information first, use headings that describe the content, and split long procedures into numbered steps.
3. Plain language
Short sentences, active voice, and common words. Write "Run the script" instead of "The script should then be executed by the user."
Plain language doesn't mean dumbing things down. It means removing anything that slows the reader without adding meaning.
4. Technical accuracy
A clear document that's wrong is worse than no document. Strong writers test every command, confirm version numbers, and check that screenshots match the current interface.
5. Writing procedures and instructions
Step-by-step instructions are their own skill. Each step should contain one action, list prerequisites up front, and say what the reader should see when it worked.
6. Code samples and examples
Developers often skip the explanation and copy the example. That means the example has to run, use realistic values, and show the most common case first.
7. Visual communication
Some ideas are faster to show than describe. Architecture diagrams, sequence diagrams, and annotated screenshots belong in a writer's toolkit, along with the judgment to know when a table beats a paragraph.
8. Editing and self-review
First drafts are long. Good writers cut them down, check terms for consistency, and read the document as the target reader would.
9. Working with subject matter experts
Technical writers spend a lot of time interviewing engineers, product managers, and support teams. Asking specific questions and confirming details in writing saves rework later.
10. Docs-as-code tools
More teams store documentation next to the code. That means Markdown, Git, pull request reviews, and static site generators. Writers who can open a pull request and handle a merge conflict fit into engineering teams much faster.
Skills summary
Which skills matter for which documents
Different documents test different skills. Knowing which one you're writing tells you what to focus on.
From the staffing side, status reports deserve a special mention. Contractors who send short, clear weekly updates with blockers at the top tend to get extended. Clients rarely say this out loud, but they notice.
How employers test technical writing skills
Most job descriptions say "strong communication skills" and leave it there. The actual testing happens in quieter ways.
1. Take-home projects
Many coding take-homes are partly a writing test. The README you submit, explaining how to run your project and why you made certain choices, often gets read before the code.
2. Pull request and code review discussions
In live interviews, you may be asked to review a pull request or explain a change. How clearly you describe a problem matters as much as spotting it.
3. System design interviews
Design rounds test whether you can lay out a problem, compare options, and explain trade-offs in a logical order. That's the same skill as writing a design doc, just spoken.
Our interview format guide covers how these rounds usually run.
4. Writing samples and editing tests
Technical writer roles almost always ask for samples. Some add an editing test: here's a messy draft, fix it in an hour.
How to show technical writing skills on your resume
"Excellent written and verbal communication skills" appears on almost every resume, which is why recruiters skip it. Show the documents instead.
1. Name the document and the result
The strongest bullets say what you wrote, who used it, and what changed.
Only use numbers you can back up in an interview. A specific bullet without a number beats a vague one with an invented figure.
2. Link to real samples
If your work is public, link to it: a GitHub README, a published API guide, or a technical blog post. If it's internal, write a short sample on a public tool or open-source project you've used.
3. Match the job's language
If the posting mentions Confluence, OpenAPI, or docs-as-code, say where you've used them. Recruiters search for those terms.
Our list of technology terms every recruiter should know shows the vocabulary many screeners work from.
How to improve your technical writing
You don't need a degree in English. You need practice and feedback.
1. Take a structured course
Google's free technical writing courses are a good starting point.
They're aimed at software engineers, computer science students, and similar roles, and they focus on technical communication rather than general English writing.
The set covers fundamentals, intermediate topics, accessibility, and writing helpful error messages. Course details are on Google's technical writing overview.
2. Practice on real documents
Pick a README in a project you use and try to follow it from scratch. Note every point where you got stuck, then fix it and open a pull request.
Open-source maintainers usually welcome documentation fixes, and you get a public sample out of it.
3. Get someone else to follow your instructions
The fastest test of a procedure is handing it to someone who has never done the task. Watch where they hesitate. That's where your writing failed, not them.
4. Use AI tools carefully
AI tools can draft a first version quickly, but they also produce confident errors, outdated commands, and filler.
Treat any AI draft the way you'd treat a junior colleague's: check every command, cut the padding, and confirm it matches how your system actually works. That editing judgment is now part of the job.
A simple self-review checklist
Bottom line
Technical writing skills show up in places most candidates don't think of as writing: a README, a pull request, a weekly status update. Employers notice them there long before they ask about them.
Start with the reader, structure the information so it can be scanned, test everything you document, and edit hard. Then show that work on your resume through real documents and real results.
For engineers and consultants, that's often what separates two otherwise equal candidates. For technical writers, it's the job.
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Key takeaways
- Technical writing skills mean explaining technical information so a specific reader can act on it, and every tech role uses them.
- The core skills are audience analysis, structure, plain language, accuracy, procedures, code samples, visuals, editing, SME collaboration, and docs-as-code tools.
- Employers test writing indirectly through take-home READMEs, pull request reviews, design rounds, and writing samples.
- Resume bullets should name the document and the result instead of claiming "strong communication skills."
- Free courses, real documentation fixes, and having others follow your instructions are the fastest ways to improve.
FAQs
What are technical writing skills?
Technical writing skills are the abilities you need to explain technical information clearly to a specific audience. They include audience analysis, structuring content, writing plain instructions, keeping details accurate, and editing. Both technical writers and engineers use them in documents like READMEs, runbooks, and design docs.
What are the most important skills for a technical writer?
Audience analysis, clear structure, and technical accuracy matter most, because a document fails if it's aimed at the wrong reader, hard to scan, or wrong. Editing and the ability to work with subject matter experts come close behind. For developer documentation, Markdown and Git skills are increasingly expected.
Do software engineers need technical writing skills?
Yes. Engineers write pull request descriptions, design docs, code comments, and runbooks as part of everyday work. Clear writing makes reviews faster and handoffs smoother, and it often comes up indirectly in interviews through take-home projects and system design rounds.
How can I improve my technical writing skills?
Take a structured course, such as Google's free technical writing courses for engineers. Then practice on real documents by fixing a README in a project you use. Ask someone unfamiliar with the task to follow your instructions and watch where they get stuck.
How do I show technical writing skills on a resume?
Name the specific documents you wrote, who used them, and what changed as a result. Link to public samples like GitHub READMEs or published guides if you have them. Avoid generic phrases like "excellent communication skills," which recruiters tend to skip.
Is technical writing still a good career with AI tools?
It can be, but the role is changing. BLS projects slow employment growth for technical writers and notes that AI tools may make writers more productive. Writers who test what they document, work in code repositories, and can catch errors in AI drafts are likely to be in the strongest position.
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