Writer Resume Example

Editors and content leads hire writers they can rely on: people who hit the word count, meet the deadline and turn in copy that needs little fixing. A writer's resume should prove that in a few plain lines, then point to clips that show your range.

The Sample resume below belongs to a writer with seven years across a staff role at a regional magazine and a freelance practice writing features, reported articles and long-form content for businesses. Freelance work is treated as a real job, with a title, dates and bullets for the most relevant clients and projects. Numbers come from the work itself: stories filed, readership, newsletter growth, repeat assignments.

Write each version for the outlet or company you are pitching. Publications care about reporting, voice and editor relationships; companies hiring content writers care about subject knowledge, search and results. If most of your work is persuasive, compare the copywriter example. The Brief template keeps the page quiet and readable, which suits people who write for a living.

Updated . The person and employers in this Sample resume are fictional.

Writer sample resume

Clara Weatherby

Writer, Features and Long-Form Content

Omaha, NEclara.weatherby@example.com(402) 555-0183

Summary

Writer with seven years of experience reporting features and producing long-form content, first on staff at a regional magazine and now freelance. Filed more than 140 published stories and wrote a reported series on rural hospitals that the magazine entered for a state press award, where it placed first. Clean first drafts, reliable deadlines and a list of editors who assign again.

Experience

Freelance Writer, Self-employed

– Present

Omaha, NE

  • Write features and reported essays for regional magazines and trade publications, averaging three to four published pieces a month.
  • Write long-form guides and case studies for agriculture and healthcare companies; one client's guide became its top source of newsletter sign-ups.
  • Keep a roster of seven repeat clients, with most new work coming from editor referrals.
  • Research and interview sources for every commissioned piece, and fact-check against primary documents before filing.
Staff Writer, Brinecourt Magazine

–

Lincoln, NE

  • Reported and wrote two to three features per issue on regional business, food and public life for a monthly magazine.
  • Wrote a five-part series on rural hospital closures that won first place for feature writing in a state press association contest.
  • Launched the magazine's weekly newsletter and grew it to 18,000 subscribers in two years.
  • Edited freelance contributors' drafts for structure and style before they reached the managing editor.

Education

B.A. in Journalism

Northern Plains University, Lincoln, NE

Skills

  • Feature writing
  • Reporting and interviewing
  • Long-form content
  • Editing
  • Fact-checking
  • AP Style
  • Pitching editors
  • SEO basics
  • Newsletter writing
  • WordPress
  • Google Docs
  • Transcription tools

Start yours from this example

Bring your own resume or start blank, then tailor it to each posting in about two minutes.

Use this example

Templates for the writer resume

All templates

How the resume changes with experience

The same writer resume, written at three levels: a summary and three bullets for each.

Entry level

Zero to two years, or a first role in the title

Journalism graduate with a campus newspaper byline record and two freelance clips in regional outlets. Reports carefully, writes clean copy and files on time.

  • Wrote more than forty stories for the campus newspaper, including a series on student housing costs.
  • Sold two freelance pieces to a regional magazine during the final year of school.
  • Copyedited the weekly print edition, checking names, dates and style.

Mid level

Three to seven years, owns a process or a workload

Writer with five years of experience producing features and long-form articles for publications and companies, with a steady list of repeat clients.

  • Write a monthly column and occasional features for a regional publication.
  • Produce long-form guides for B2B clients in healthcare and finance.
  • Deliver every piece at the agreed length and deadline.

Senior

Eight years or more, leads people, budgets or programs

Senior writer and editor with twelve years of experience leading features, coaching younger writers and shaping editorial plans for publications and brands.

  • Lead the features desk of a regional magazine, assigning and editing stories each issue.
  • Wrote an investigative series that led to a change in state policy.
  • Set the editorial calendar for a company's content program across writers and freelancers.

Skills to put on the writer resume

Hard skills

Reporting and interviewing
Editors trust writers who can find sources and get good quotes, which is what makes a story worth reading.
Structure and long-form writing
A strong opening and a clear shape are what separate publishable drafts from ones that need rewriting.
Editing and self-editing
Clean copy saves an editor time, and that is often why the same writer gets the next assignment.
Fact-checking
One error can cost a publication or company its credibility, so careful checking is valued everywhere.
Style guides (AP, Chicago, house style)
Postings often name a style, and following it shows you can fit into an existing team.
Search and audience basics
Companies hiring content writers want pieces people find and read, so knowing search intent and headlines helps.

Soft skills

Meeting deadlines
Publishing runs on schedule, and missed deadlines are the fastest way to lose an editor.
Pitching and follow-up
Freelance writers live on accepted pitches and repeat assignments, both of which depend on clear, professional messages.
Curiosity
Good stories come from asking one more question, and interviewers listen for it when you talk about your work.

Mistakes that cost writer interviews

  1. Hiding freelance work

    Freelance writing is a job. Give it a clear title and dates, and describe your best outlets or clients and what you wrote for them, just as you would a staff role.

  2. No clips, or clips behind a paywall

    Link to a simple page with six to ten pieces that match the job. If a story is paywalled, keep a PDF copy on your site.

  3. Only listing topics

    Covered food, business and travel does not show much. Say how often you filed, what the pieces did and who kept assigning you more.

  4. A summary that sounds like marketing

    Editors notice hype immediately. Describe what you write, where it has appeared and one concrete result in plain, confident language.

  5. Typos

    A single typo on a writer's resume can end the application. Read it aloud, check every name and date, and ask someone else to proof it.

Questions about the writer resume

How should a freelance writer format a resume?

List your freelance practice as one position with dates, then add bullets for key publications or clients. Add a line with a link to your clips, and keep older staff jobs below it.

Should a writer resume be one page?

One page is usually enough for up to about ten years of work. Your clips carry the detail, so the resume can stay short.

What skills should a writer list?

The ones a posting asks for, such as reporting, editing, AP Style, search basics or a content system. Keep the list short and show the skills in your bullets.

How do I show results as a writer?

Use readership, newsletter growth, awards, sign-ups from a guide, or repeat assignments. For publications, a series or a notable story often speaks for itself.

Is a writer resume different from a content marketing resume?

Yes. A content marketing resume leans on strategy, channels and metrics, while a writer's resume leads with writing and reporting. See the marketing manager example for the strategy side.

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