1. View the phone screen as proof of how you can make things easier to understand. One thing we consistently focus on as a company is finding candidates with the ability to explain high-level technical concepts to someone who's not a technical recruiter without altering the core concept. If you're unable to articulate your documentation process or how you manage conflicting engineering feedback in a ten-minute phone screen, it will be an indicator of potential struggles in a collaboration-related position. 2. Besides your tool expertise, candidates who show true curiosity for their technical environment and a passion for the end-user experience are always highly regarded. Many of the exceptional technical writers we have worked with go above, and beyond, waiting on transfers; they're very proactive about exploring the product or codebase in order to identify where the user may experience friction. A premier technical writer (the first consumer) identifies gaps between the logic of a response system prior to documenting. 3. The biggest issue with writing samples is a lack of context for the audience. If the recruiter does not know the level of technical knowledge of the reader, the sample is meaningless. When reviewing your writing sample, there is no shortage of polished prose that lacks adequate structural logic (e.g., missing prerequisites and disregarding "troubleshooting" edge cases). The sample is proof of your ability to guide users through an entire task (rather than simply describing a feature). When hiring a technical writer, we are essentially searching to find the perfect bridge between the intent of engineers and successfully implementing software for end-users. Poor documentation can sabotage even the best technical implementation, so it is a high-pressure role. We recognize that writers often find themselves caught between busy engineers and unrealistic timelines, and we seek the resilience required to manage that situation.
My name is Nick Mikhalenkov and I am the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Manager at Nine Peaks Media. I am not a recruiter but I have hired technical and SEO writers for my B2B and SaaS Clients. I can provide some insight into what I see from a hiring perspective. When I conduct phone screens and look at the candidate's ability to articulate a process in addition to an end product, I notice that the candidates are successful. Technical writers can articulate the research process, how they validate their sources, and how to adjust their tone depending on whether they are writing for engineers or executives. This type of structured thinking and ability to articulate under a minimal amount of pressure are the things hiring teams are paying close attention to during phone screens. Top candidates are also distinguished by the depth of their research and their external awareness. When we look at their writing examples, we look for evidence of depth of knowledge of the subject, well-structured formatting, and logical flow of information. Statistics from research surveys show that over 70% of hiring managers rank consistency of clarity and structure higher than creativity for a technical writer. The number one error I see made by applicants to hiring managers is the submission of generic blog articles instead of true technical documents. Submitting a sample of a product walkthrough or an Application Programming Interface (API) guide and a knowledge base article that targets the employer's industry will significantly increase the applicant's chances of securing an interview.