How To Interview A Technical Writer

Technical Review And Report Writer

Technical reports are important to corporate firms and are often presented to stakeholders during meetings and business pitches. Because the job combines academic reporting and technical research-based writing, these professionals need to have extensive knowledge of the key concepts in the report.

• Career Karma matches you with top tech bootcamps
• Get exclusive scholarships and prep courses

Describe An Incident When You Overcame A Challenge

Possible answer 1

My SME had agreed for a follow-up with further questions yet went on cancelling the sessions. My deadline was approaching, so I had to reselect another SME at rescheduling the follow-up with. It led to confusion as the two SMEs differed greatly with their explanations. Ultimately, I managed to sort it out and the client was happy with my work.

Possible answer 2

I had submitted my work for review but even after giving constant reminders I did not hear back from my reviewer. I had missed the deadline. My client was very understanding as I explained my situation. My client even appreciated my commitment to submit good quality work.

What Job Interview Questions To Expect

You can face three types of tests during the interview.

Professional questions. Prepare to talk about how would you document a feature or service, write the executive summary based on a prompt. It can be a big task for a week or short article to write on the spot. For example, you can be asked to describe how does the camera works or how to use an ATM machine. Also, the interviewer can ask you to fill the technical report or edit a writing sample.

Portfolio & experience questions. Be prepared to talk about your last projects and writing samples you brought. Example of questions: What role did you play in developing this sample? Who else worked with you on this project? How long does it take for you to write a 1000 words document? What tools did you use for developing technical documentation?

Behavioral questions. The employer needs to make sure that you are able to work under stress. Behavioral questions help the interviewer understand your thought process and decide if it suits the company.

Read Also: What Will I Be Asked In An Interview

About Technical Writer Aptitude Test

A technical writer is a person who communicates professional information and facilitates the transfer of information between two or more parties, through any medium. Technical writers are also called as technical communicators who prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily. Technical writers also have skills to develop, gather, and disseminate technical information through an organizations communications channel. Technical writers work with product teams to understand requirements for new products and engineer solutions to provide, create online help pages for portals of various products, and also lead the standardization process for creating technical documentation across products. Most of the technical writers work with product engineering team to create a customer-facing, user-facing technical documentation for various products. Our technical writer test is created & validated by experienced subject matter experts to evaluate written communication & aptitude skills of candidates as per industry standards. This technical writer interview test helps recruiters and hiring managers to assess & hire technical writer better and faster.The Technical Writing test helps to screen the candidates who possess below traits:

Top 50 Question Asked In Technical Writing Interview

Founder & COO | Creating jobs and opportunities for the gig economy.

Have you been tired of giving an interview as a Technical Writer, but could not end up on a positive note. I can assist you to prepare, for your interview.

We will look into top 50 question asked in an interview for an experienced technical writer.

I am sure that, if you read this blog before preparing for an interview, there are high chances of yours to end on a positive note.

I have categorized the question into three parts:

General Question

Technical Question

Recommended Reading: What Makes You A Good Leader Interview Question

What Is The Difference Between Blog And Article

Articles are a more traditional & formal form of writing. They are meant to inform the reader about a subject using facts, events, analysis, and research. A blog may or may not include elements of an article but is written in an informal and personal fashion. It generally includes the opinion of the writer.

Technical Writer Interview Questions And Answers

Technical writing demands an appropriate balance of practical experience, qualifications, and the right skillsets. Recruiters often find seeking a candidate that ticks all boxes difficult. To filter away unfit candidates, they leverage tricky technical writer interview questions.

Apart from any preliminary assessment, the job interview can make or break a candidates shot at being hired.

If youre a job seeker with an interview lined up , keep reading. In this article, well list down the 12 most commonly asked technical writer interview questions, along with appropriate answers. If you want to get an understanding of the Q& A via video then watch below. Otherwise, skip ahead.

Lets jump right in.

• Final Advice

You May Like: How To Score An Interview

Are Xml And Html Similar If Not How Are They Different

No, they are entirely different things. HTML or HyperText Markup Language is a means to display data. It concentrates a lot on how data appears. XML, however, is a software and hardware independent tool. It is used to move as well as store data. It strongly emphasizes on what data is. It also provides a structure.

How To Interview Technical Writers

How much time should be allotted to complete the assessment test?

Id suggest one hour. Some people will race through it, while others will deliberate over the grammar questions forever. Nonetheless, one hour should be sufficient time for them to complete the test. By allocating this amount of time to the test, you are also emphasizing its relative importance. If it were a simple 10-minute quiz, it wouldnt carry the same weight.

Heres a suggested approach for administering the test:

When advertising the vacancy, mention that an evaluation test is part of the assessment process. By saying this upfront, you will weed out under-qualified writers who know that they would not pass the test.

When scheduling interviews, remind the applicants that there will be a 1 hour test. Explain to them what this entails, for example, that there is X number of questions on grammar, procurement, technology etc. Among other things, this illustrates your companys professionalism as you are helping the applicants to prepare for the interview.

In turn, it would be unprofessional to spring the test on applicants when they turn up and catch them by surprise. Completing the test take about 90 minutes and some of your applicants may have other arrangements to consider, such as day-care, commuting etc.

Once youve completed this, sit down and go over the scores. As everyone likes to know how they performed in a test, Id walk through the results and discuss them with the applicant.

You May Like: How To Get Free Lyft To Job Interview

Can A Coding Bootcamp Help Me Become A Technical Writer

Yes, a coding bootcamp can help you become a technical writer. Most technical writers work in scientific, manufacturing, and technical industries. Enrolling in a top coding bootcamp can equip you with the skills necessary to launch a successful career in such fields. However, it would be best if you worked on your writing and communication skills as well.

Do You Have A Favourite Style Of Citation What Are Some Of The Citations That You Use Regularly

The interviewer wants to know whether you can correctly reference your work after extensive research.

Tip #1: Make sure that you know the citation style that most companies like

Tip #2: Mention your experience with APA and MLA citations

Tip #3 Mention a preference

Sample Answer

I have vast experience in both MLA and APA citations. However, I mostly prefer the Chicago style since it offers me the level of uniqueness I want in my projects. Nonetheless, I can use all of them effectively.

Don’t Miss: What To Say During A Phone Interview

Common Interview Questions For A Technical Writer

Planning for common interview questions is one of the top ways to prepare for your technical writer interview. Based on your responses, employers can decide if you have the skills to do well in this kind of role. The key is to demonstrate that you have the ability to turn complex information into easy-to-read documents. In this article, we share common interview questions for a technical writer and how to answer some of them.

What Content Management Systems Are You Familiar With

Ad agencies and content management firms often look for people who are technically sound and are capable of posting content directly onto a site. Even though as a content writer your writing skills and creativity are paramount, your knowledge about CMS systems like WordPress and Magento is also very important.

Possible answer:

I am very well acquainted with CMS systems like WordPress and Joomla. I have worked on these systems in the past and find these very useful for various content management activities.

Read Also: How To Pass Facebook Interview

Question #: Describe Topic

When applying to a job as a technical writer, interview questions about topic-based authoring are to be expected. Show employers that you know how to write content on narrow topics.

Include the following in your answer:

• A brief definition of topic-based authoring.
• Examples of topic-based authoring.
• Projects that youve worked on in the past.

What Is A Technical Writer

A technical writer is a professional who communicates complex information in a simple and easy-to-read way for a standard audience. These professionals find employment in a variety of industries that require technical documentation, working on instruction manuals, user guides, reference guides, journal articles, and white papers.

Most technical writers have backgrounds in academic disciplines such as computer science, engineering, information technology, and development. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics,about 35 percent of technical writers work in professional, scientific, and technical industries, while 15 percent work in the manufacturing sector.

You May Like: Should I Email After An Interview

Keep An Eye Out For Candidates Who Can:

• Handle feedback well
• Disseminate complex information in an easy-to-read way
• Solve problems effectively

Itâs a good idea to test your candidatesâ skills to better evaluate how they would handle their role in your company.

Top tip: Hire candidates willing to grow by making sure their personal career goals align with your company’s mission.

Content Writing Interview Tips

Follow these tips for your content writing interview.

Best of luck!

Don’t Miss: How To Interview A Manager

Technical Writer Qualifications To Look For

Technical writers are skilled wordsmiths who develop manuals, guides, website content, journal articles and other content that communicates technical information about your companyâs products or services.

Your top technical writers will have a solid foundation in their subject matter . They are wizards at breaking down complexities so their readershipâdevelopers, project workgroups, engineers, consumersâand can understand sophisticated subject matters.

To find your next top hire, be very specific with your job description, noting the exact industry and background you want your writer to have. Itâs also important to list the types of materials you need to be written.

Elaborate On Answers You Don’t Know

If you are asked a question during a technical interview that you don’t know the answer to, it is ok to tell the interviewer you don’t know the answer. However, you should elaborate on your answer and explain how you would go about finding the information for the answer if this were a problem you faced on the job. This will show the interviewer you have the ability to search for information to solve problems when you don’t know how to do something.

You May Like: How To Do Podcast Interviews Remotely

Can I Become A Technical Writer From Home

Yes, you can become a technical writer from home and work remotely. Companies, especially those in the manufacturing, scientific, and medical industries, are constantly looking for remote technical writers. To work as a freelance writer for any of these companies, all you need is experience in writing, a background in a technical field, and a computer with an Internet connection.

“Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!”

Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot

Sample Technical Interview Questions And Answers

After asking behavioral and situational interview questions and finding out more about your educational background, the interviewer will move on to asking you questions about your technical knowledge, skills and experience. When answering these questions, it is important to show your ability to communicate technical concepts in an easy-to-understand manner and describe your work processes. The specific technical questions you can expect to be asked will vary based on the technical needs of the role, but here are a few common technical interview questions and example answers:

• What coding language are you most comfortable with?
• What is a SAN, and how is it used?
• When is it appropriate to denormalize database design?
• What is the role of continuous integration systems in the automated-build process?

Don’t Miss: How To Do A Zoom Interview

What Coding Language Are You Most Comfortable With

The interviewer will probably ask you a question about the coding languages you know to determine whether you have a comprehensive understanding of how to use the language they expect you to use and whether you are comfortable using more than one language. When answering this question, it is important to mention the specific coding languages you have worked with and are comfortable with. Then, choose one specific coding language you are most comfortable with and explain why.

Example:“While I am comfortable with several types of coding languages, including SQL, Python, C++ and Visual Basic, the coding language I have the most hands-on experience working with is JavaScript. Because JavaScript was the first coding language I learned and I have used it on several projects over the past 10 years, this is the language I am most comfortable with.”

Technical Writer Job Interview Practice Questions

• Which tools do you use on a regular basis? Are you familiar with WordPress, Notepad++, Adobe FrameMaker, or Microsoft Word?
• Explain the differences between a blog, white paper, and journal.
• What is the difference between casual and professional tones in writing?
• Walk us through your technical writing process from research stages to publishing or submission.

Recommended Reading: What Questions Do I Ask The Interviewer

Question #: What Attributes Do You Think Make For Good Technical Writing

In theory, technical writer interview questions that ask about your subjective opnions dont have a right or wrong answer. But in asking this question, interviewers want to find out how efficient, reliable, and accurate your process is.

Here are a few things to consider when providing an answer:

• Content clarity.
• Visual elements.

How Do You Always Ensure That You Produce Quality Work

The interviewer expects you to outline your working process.

Tip #1: Explain your working process one by one

Tip #2: Explain why these processes are necessary

Sample answer

I first run keyword analysis researches on the topic to ensure that I stay relevant. I research the content topic afterwards and consult with the Subject Matter Experts to ascertain that there are no mistakes. I also run further researches and gather all the necessary information before writing the document. It doesnt stop here. I always ensure that my grammar is flawless and my content optimized for easier visibility on search engines.

Also Check: How To Prepare For Amazon Coding Interview

Should I Become A Technical Writer In 2021

Yes, you should become a technical writer, especially if you enjoy writing. The manufacturing, tech, engineering, and medical industries, among many others, are expanding and in the process employ these professionals to write the documentation for their products. This means that as a technical writer, youll enjoy a good job outlook. In addition, these professionals earn reasonably high salaries.