Technology·Mid level·3 min read

Technical Writer cover letter

Write a Technical Writer cover letter that highlights Documentation, API documentation, Technical communication. Get role-specific tips and examples.

A strong Technical Writer cover letter goes beyond listing skills. Hiring managers want to see how you've applied Documentation and API documentation to deliver results. This guide covers what to include, common mistakes to avoid, and how to stand out.

What to highlight

  • 1Documentation you wrote and its impact
  • 2Developer adoption metrics
  • 3Complex topics you made accessible
  • 4Tools and workflows you improved
  • 5Code samples or API docs you created

Key skills to mention

DocumentationAPI documentationTechnical communicationContent strategyEditingInformation architecture

Tools & software

MarkdownGitConfluenceReadMeSwaggerNotion

Mistakes to avoid

  • Not including writing samples
  • Focusing only on writing, not research
  • Ignoring developer experience
  • Not mentioning technical understanding

Relevant certifications

  • STC Certified Professional
  • Google Technical Writing
  • API Documentation courses

Frequently asked questions

Do technical writers need to code?

Basic coding helps, especially for API docs. You don't need to be a developer, but understanding code is valuable.

How do I show writing quality in a cover letter?

The cover letter itself is a writing sample. Also link to public docs, blog posts, or portfolio.

What industries hire technical writers?

Tech companies, especially those with APIs or developer tools. Also healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.

Example technical writer cover letter

I'm writing to apply for the Technical Writer position at [Company]. With 4 years of experience creating developer documentation and API guides, I transform complex technical concepts into clear, user-friendly content.

At DevTools Inc., I overhauled our API documentation, reducing support tickets by 45% and improving developer onboarding time by 30%. I've written getting started guides, tutorials, and reference documentation used by 50K+ developers. I work closely with engineering teams to understand technical details while always keeping the end user in mind. My writing samples and documentation portfolio are available at [link].

I'm excited about [Company]'s developer-focused products and would love to help your users succeed through excellent documentation. Thank you for your consideration.

Replace [Company] with the actual company name. Customize the details to match your experience.

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