How to Create a Writer's Resume

A writer's resume is different from that of a chef or an accountant or a doctor or a postal worker, mostly because writers have scattered resumes which focus more on jobs than they do on places of employment. Many writers are in fact self-employed, which further complicates the writing of his or her resume.

The way in which you create your writer's resume will depend on the job you are trying to get. If you are writing your resume just to attract new clients for your freelance business, you might want to focus on your most impressive previous projects. If, however, you are trying to get a writing or editing job with a large corporation, your writer's resume should focus on your experience, skills and education.

Header

The header of your resume should, above all else, reflect professionalism. It should include your name, the name of your writing business (if applicable), your contact information, your e-mail address and your website, if you have one. You might also want to include a personal logo.

Objective

All writer's resumes should have an objective section just below the header. The objective tells the recipient of your writer's resume exactly what you hope to achieve in your next writing venture, be it a corporate client or a corporate job. The objective should be no longer than two sentences and should describe succinctly what you hope to accomplish.

Professional Skills

The Professional Skills section of a writer's resume is arguably the most important because it tells the recipient what you are capable of. From experience in various software programs to editing to proofreading to sales copy to prose, give a full list of professional skills you've acquired over the years.

Employment History

Depending on the type of writer's resume you are writing, Employment History and Past Clients can be used interchangeably. For example, if you are sending your writer's resume to future clients for your freelance writing business, you might want to list Past Clients rather than Employment History.

For the former, list clients in order of importance for the best possible response. For the latter, list your employment history starting with the most recent employer and working your way back in time.

Education

Below your Employment History or Past Clients list, you should include a basic sketch of your educational background on your writer's resume. The only instance in which I wouldn't recommend including your education is if you've never attended continued education programs, such as college or technical school.

The education section of your writer's resume doesn't have to be limited to colleges and universities. If you have trained with professional writers or if you've complete writers' classes or workshops, include those here, as well (particularly if they are relevant to the position or client you are seeking).

Professional Accomplishments

The final section of your writer's resume should be a list of professional accomplishments. Awards, honors, memberships and the like can be included here, as well as any milestones you've achieved (such as publishing a book). The more you list here, the better, so dig into your background and look for accomplishments that relate to writing.

References (optional)

Most people prefer to write "References Available Upon Request" on their writer's resume, but this is up to you. If you have references that don't mind being contacted, you can put their information on your writer's resume; if not, have them available if someone requests them.

While a writer's resume is similar to that for any other profession, make sure that the information listed is relevant to your writing career. If you don't have any experience, try to focus on educational background or on your professional skills to achieve the maximum results.