30 Technical Writer Interview Questions & Answers
Below is a list of our Technical Writer interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view 5 answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.
Table of Contents
General
1. Can you describe the job of a technical writer?
How to Answer
An interviewer will ask this question to begin the conversation, learn more about you, and collect information they can use throughout the interview. You should always be prepared for this question during an interview for a technical writer's position. A good way to respond to this question is to review the job posting and use elements of it in your answer. You can also lean on your experience in this role to describe some of the tasks you complete each day.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"The job of a technical writer is much more than just creating documents about technical topics. It involves a great deal of research, planning, collaborating with other organization members to understand their needs, and speaking with subject matter experts on the topic you will be writing about. While the majority of time is spent composing the document, it also requires editing, revisions, and reviewing the document with the project stakeholders to get their approval."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
General
2. Can you walk me through a typical day in the job of a technical writer?
How to Answer
This is one way an interviewer can discover your perception of this job and your duties as a technical writer. The fact that you're sitting in the interview indicates that they believe you're qualified for this role. When asking this question, they want to see if your work is similar to the jobs their current technical writing team performs. This helps them answer the question of whether you'll be a good fit for the organization. You can respond to the question by listing some of the typical tasks you perform each day, focusing on the more strategic ones.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"While no two days as a technical writer are the same, there are some commonalities that run throughout the work I perform. I normally start the day by reviewing my current projects to understand the tasks I need to complete. I then create content for documents, research topics, meet with project stakeholders to understand their needs or review a project and collaborate with other technical writers and my management team on a specific project. I try to carve out some time during the day to learn more about developments in the field of technical writing and any best practices I can incorporate into my work."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
General
3. Do you have any practical experience creating technical documents and whitepapers for cloud technologies?
How to Answer
Even though you provided the interviewer with a copy of your resume detailing your experience, they still may ask you specific questions about the work you've done. They do this to confirm the information in your resume and make sure you're qualified for the type of projects they want you to work on. By asking this question, they hope you will provide examples of projects you've already completed similar to the ones they will assign you. Your research about the job and the organization should help you create stories about your previous work before the interview.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"As you may know from my resume, I've done quite a bit of work writing about the topic of cloud technologies. Some of the projects in my portfolio include a guide describing methodologies for migrating data centers to the cloud, a white paper about cloud best practices, and an article comparing some of the leading cloud providers and the services they offer. While I don't have a technical background, I've done a lot of research in this area and feel very comfortable writing about it."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
General
4. In your opinion, what are the most important roles and responsibilities a technical writer fulfills?
How to Answer
Asking about a technical writer's key roles and responsibilities helps the interviewer understand your approach to this job and some of the activities you emphasize. This will enable them to determine if you are a good fit for the job and their organization. If you spent time researching the company and reviewing the job posting before the interview, you should have no problem answering this question. Your answer should contain elements of the job posting, address any challenges the organization may be facing, and be based on your experience in this role and the skills you bring to the position.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"There are several important roles and responsibilities of being a technical writer. First and foremost is producing quality technical documents which meet the organization's requirements and help them achieve their business objectives. Another is guiding the project stakeholders on how to best communicate their messages to the targeted audiences in the documents you create. Another key responsibility is providing suggestions for other documents that would benefit both the organization and its customers. Finally, I consider it important to ensure that my work helps the company meet its compliance obligations and any regulatory requirements they may be subject to."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
General
5. What are some of the reasons you chose technical writing as a career?
How to Answer
In virtually every interview, you'll be asked why you chose to work in this field regardless of your profession. Interviewers want to know your motivations and whether you have a passion for the job or just doing it for the money. You can use this question to demonstrate your passion for technical writing and some of the influences in your life that led you down this career path.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"I have always been interested in technology. I got my first computer when I was just six years old and taught myself keyboarding and writing. I spent a great deal of time exploring technical topics on the internet. When I was just 12, I created a blog about my favorite technologies for my classmates. One of my teachers became interested in this and worked with me to improve my writing skills. I fell in love with writing and decided to pursue a career in literature. However, it became apparent that I could make money as a technical writer, which would combine my passion for writing with my interest in technology. I fell in love with this career in my first job and have never looked back."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
General
6. What are some technical writing certifications you hold?
How to Answer
Even though your technical writing certifications may be listed in your resume, the interviewer will still ask you about this. In addition to confirming that you possess these, they may be interested in why you pursued the certifications and how they have benefited you. Rather than just list the certifications you have, include your reason for obtaining them and the benefits they provide in your answer. You should include all of your certifications, not only those related to your job as a technical writer but also those related to the topics you write about.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"I hold several different certifications related to my technical writing. These include a Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC) certification from the Society for Technical Communication, Coursera's Technical Writer Certification, and Udemy's Technical Writer Certification. I have also taken several courses from the Tech-Writer Certification program offered by Penn State. These certifications have provided me with the training I needed to improve my technical writing skills and have also connected me with resources I can use for continuing education and keep my skills up to date."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
General
7. Can you talk about a recent challenge that you overcame?
How to Answer
Interviewers will be interested in some of the recent challenges you overcame to confirm that you will be able to address some of the issues their organization is encountering. This behavioral question presents you with the situation and asks you to describe how you addressed it. Behavioral questions are best responded to using the STAR framework for your answer. You begin by describing the Situation, then talk about the Tasks you needed to complete, followed by a summary of the Actions you took, and ending with a discussion of the Results you attained. You should have several stories like these prepared for the interview.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"In my most recent job, I was constantly being asked to create documents with unclear objectives and little background information. This required me to spend a lot of time with the project stakeholders, so I understood their goals and had the information I needed to begin the work. This delayed the project and frustrated both the project stakeholders and me. To reduce the amount of time spent doing this, I created a questionnaire that the project stakeholders completed for each project. This provided me with all the details I needed to begin working on a project. If I needed to speak with the project stakeholders, my questions were specific about the missing information. Within six months of implementing this process, the time to begin a project was reduced by 50%, and the project stakeholders were happy."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
General
8. What are some of the key skills a technical writer should possess?
How to Answer
Asking you about the key skills a technical writer should possess provides the interviewer with both a summary of the position from your perspective as well as a list of skills you possess. When preparing for the interview, you should all carefully review the job posting, which lists the requirements for this job and the tasks you will be engaged in. This will provide you with the basis for many of your answers throughout the interview. Reviewing your resume, so you are familiar with the skills and experience the interviewer has used to qualify you for this role will also be helpful.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"There are many skills that a competent technical writer should possess. Some of these are obvious: excellent writing and communication skills, an organized methodology for conducting research, editing skills, and planning and execution. Some other skills include strong knowledge of SEO and other online promotional techniques, the ability to collaborate with other individuals from the organization who are stakeholders in the projects you work on, and being able to work with other writers while cooperating on a project."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
General
9. How would you describe your writing style?
How to Answer
You can anticipate being asked this question in any interview you attend for a technical writer's job. The interviewer will ask a general question early in the interview to better understand your qualifications for this position. They also want to ensure that your style matches their requirements. Being honest about your writing style and describing it in a manner that makes it clear to the interviewer will either help you to be selected for the role or disqualify you for a job that you probably would not have been successful at due to conflicts between your style and the employer's requirements.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"I would describe my writing style as being highly professional, easy-to-understand, and comprehensive. I strive to communicate using straightforward, simple language with as little technical jargon, acronyms, or industry-specific terminology that the reader may not be familiar with. When possible, I include examples, illustrations, and other formatting techniques to ensure the reader clearly understands the subject matter and to guide them to the conclusion I am promoting in the document."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
General
10. If asked, what advice would you give to a new technical writer who is just starting in this profession?
How to Answer
This is an interesting question that asks you to be introspective and communicate the lessons you have learned in this profession. The interviewer uses this question as another way to learn what you feel is important in this job. They hope to understand the general guidelines you use when approaching a project and any shortcuts or tips which allow you to complete the work more efficiently and effectively. Your answer should be positive and focus on ways a new writer can accelerate their learning curve and advance within this profession.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"If I were advising a new technical writer, the first thing I would tell them is to focus on the details. Spending time learning as much as they can about the subject matter, composing comprehensive text that will provide the reader with all the details they need, and thoroughly reviewing and correcting their work will help them advance in this profession. I would also let them know that technical writing is a team effort requiring collaboration with all the project stakeholders. In my opinion, these are the two most important elements of being an effective technical writer."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
General
11. What are some of the contributions you would make to our company during your first 90 days in this role?
How to Answer
Employers prefer to hire candidates who can make an immediate impact on their organization. When preparing for an interview, you should strive to understand the company's business objectives and think about how you can help them achieve these. Having these stories prepared before the interview will help you answer this question and integrate these ideas into your answers to some of the interviewer's other questions. This strategy will make you stand out from the other candidates and could lead to a job offer.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"When preparing for this interview, my research indicated that you're struggling to improve your customer satisfaction rating. Some of the feedback you received is that your customers would like resources to help them better use the products you create. I'm confident I can create these online and in print resources during my first few months on the job. I'm familiar with your technology and have reviewed the current customer support resources. I believe that simplifying the language in these, reformatting them to make them easier to read, and including more graphics and illustrations will increase the customers' use and satisfaction and improve your ratings in this area."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
General
12. What are some of the typical challenges you encounter while working on a technical writing project?
How to Answer
Interviewers will ask you about the challenges you encounter for several reasons. The first is to determine if the challenges you encounter are similar to the ones their technical writing team runs into. They are also interested in hearing how you overcome these challenges. The final reason is to ensure that the challenges you discuss are major rather than minor annoyances, which are typical but manageable in any technical writing project.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"Some of the typical challenges I encounter when working on a technical writing project include unclear requirements and expectations, the lack of information about the subject matter, and unrealistic deadlines for completion of the documents. Most of these can be easily overcome by taking time at the beginning of the project to meet with the project stakeholders and collect as much information as possible. I also use these early collaborations to clarify any misinformation and set reasonable expectations for the time it will take to complete the project. If done properly, these planning meetings resolve most of the typical challenges."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Operational
13. Walk me through how do you organize, plan, and prioritize your work as a technical writer?
How to Answer
Interviewers prefer to know as much about how you go about doing this job as possible before making a hiring decision. They want to ensure that you have proven methodologies to accomplish your daily tasks and that these align with the way their current staff organizes their work. Since you probably already do this, the key to responding to this question appropriately is to keep your answer simple and to the point, using easy-to-understand language. You should also be prepared for follow-up questions the interviewer will use to explore this topic in more detail.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"While I have tried several different online scheduling and organization tools, the one I prefer best is a sample checklist of short-term and long-term goals and the individual tasks related to these. I review this list at the beginning of each day and determine what I can do to advance toward achieving these goals in the most efficient manner. The two criteria I use include the importance and urgency of each task. I concentrate on the most important and most urgent tasks, followed by important but not urgent and then urgent but not important tasks. The last set of tasks which are not urgent or important usually get dropped off the list."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Operational
14. How do you engage with subject matter experts when you need information for a project you are working on?
How to Answer
Technical writers consistently use subject matter experts to obtain information about a topic related to the document they are creating. The subject matter experts, or SMEs, may be product developers, software developers, product managers, or other experts knowledgeable about the document's topic. These same people are typically project stakeholders and should be willing to cooperate with you. The interviewer wants to ensure that your engagement strategy respects the SMEs' time and is not confrontational or aggressive.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"When engaging with subject matter experts, I first confirm whether the individuals I will be contacting have the knowledge I need and are stakeholders in the project. If this is the case, my approach is pretty straightforward, asking for their time and describing why I need to meet with them. If the SMEs do not have a stake in the project, I need to be more diplomatic when requesting their time. I'm a little more flexible about when we can meet or have a call, and I emphasize the benefits of working together for both them and the organization. I try not to depend on any single SME too often by building a portfolio of experts both within and outside of the organization."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Operational
15. What steps do you take to ensure your company is compliant with all the regulations and requirements related to the work you do?
How to Answer
While maintaining compliance and keeping the company out of legal trouble is usually the responsibility of the corporate compliance officer, each employee needs to take ownership of this related to the work they do. Interviewers want to make sure that you agree with this philosophy and learn about the specific steps you take to achieve this. If this is not part of your current portfolio skills, you should research the topic and incorporate these practices into your work as a technical writer.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"I am very passionate about keeping my organization compliant with the applicable rules and regulations in my work as a technical writer. I take time to understand the regulations under which the company operates and how these may be violated. If there's any question about some content I've created and whether it violates compliance guidelines, I engage with the company compliance officer and get their input. To my knowledge, nothing I've ever created has violated my organization's compliance requirements."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Operational
16. How has your attention to detail helped you in some of the previous projects you've worked on?
How to Answer
The interviewer will ask you this question because attention to detail is a key requirement of this job. You should come to the interview with several stories about how meeting the requirements for this job has helped you be successful as a technical writer. Specific examples which align with the company's operations will help the interviewer visualize how you can do this same thing for their organization.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"Attention to detail has helped me in virtually every project I have worked on as a technical writer. A specific example is when I created a white paper about a complex topic related to software development. I use the term 'tech' throughout the document. However, Microsoft's spellchecker automatically corrected this to 'text' without my knowledge. Since I always review my documents several times before releasing them, I noticed this error and was able to correct it before the document was published and distributed."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Operational
17. What are some of the methodologies you have used to exchange information within an organization?
How to Answer
Modern organizations use a wide variety of methodologies and tools to exchange information. The interviewer will ask you about this to see if you are familiar with any of the information exchange applications they currently employ within the organization. Since most of these are easy to learn, this is not too critical. However, if you have experience with these, it will give you an edge over other candidates who have not used them.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"Since I have worked for several different companies, I've used a few different tools to exchange information within the organization. These include common applications such as Microsoft Office Suite, Google Apps, e-mail, and even hard copy exchanges via internal company mail. Some of the collaboration applications I have used include Slack, Basecamp and Trello. Video collaboration apps I am comfortable using include Zoom, GoToMeeting and Skype."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Operational
18. What are some of the publication tools you have worked with in your previous positions?
How to Answer
Interviewers will ask you about the publication tools you used in your previous positions to confirm your qualifications and determine if you are competent with their organization's tools, such as MS Word, WordPress, and others. You should be prepared to answer this question using information from your resume and your research about the organization. A good way of finding out what tools they employ is to meet with some of the company's former and current technical writers. You can also use these conversations to learn more about the job and even about some of the questions the interviewer may ask you.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"While every organization I have worked with employs different publication tools, there are some leading tools that are common across the organizations. These include XML author, MadCap Flare, Prezi, WordPress, and Atavist. Other tools I've used are oXygen, MediaWiki, MagLoft, Whatfix, and Calameo."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Operational
19. What are some of the typical obstacles a technical writer encounters during the research stage of a document development life cycle?
How to Answer
This question may be asked as a follow-up to an earlier question. The interviewer will use follow-up questions to collect more information about the topic or explore it in more detail. They can also use follow-up questions to correlate your answers to ensure you are truthful and consistent. The best way to ensure consistency throughout the interview is to keep your answers brief and to the point and never fabricate an answer. If you don't know about the interviewer's topic, admit this and describe how you would locate the information. Your answer should focus on significant obstacles you can easily overcome, not trivial issues common to this profession.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"There are many different obstacles that technical writers can encounter when performing research for a project. These include the inability to locate information about the topic, the lack of access to the resources required for the research, subject matter experts not being available or unwilling to meet with me, and the lack of time required to complete the research. I can normally overcome these obstacles by seeking alternative sources for the information, requesting additional time to do the research, or leveraging my management team to get access to the SMEs."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Operational
20. What are some of the content creation tools you work with as a technical writer?
How to Answer
This question may be similar to the one you've already been asked earlier in the interview. Interviewers will often ask several questions about the same topic to collect additional information about the topic. This also helps them to correlate your answers and confirm that you are being consistent throughout the interview. When asked about the tools you use, processes and procedures you follow, and other operational aspects of the job, the interviewer is also trying to see if your methodologies match theirs. After you answer this question, you may want to ask the interviewer to confirm this.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"There are several content creation tools I use. These include Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Adobe Acrobat, WordPress, and others. Many of these tools have templates I can start the project with. They also allow me to create and store templates for future use. Some tools enable easy collaboration with the other project stakeholders by placing the documents online and allowing other individuals to review or edit them. I'm curious, are the tools I use similar to the ones other technical writers in your organization use?"
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Operational
21. What are some of the steps you take to create exceptional technical documents?
How to Answer
The interviewer will ask you this question to learn more about how you perform the job of a technical writer. They're not looking for the day-to-day routine tasks you perform in this role, but rather the things you do that are unique to your writing style, resulting in technical documents that meet the highest standards in the industry. You can answer this question by quickly walking them through your normal writing process, highlighting the steps which make you unique in this profession.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"Like most technical writers, when working on a project, I move through the project life cycle of requirements, research, writing, reviewing and editing, and acceptance by the client. One of the things I do differently and what I feel makes me unique is the emphasis I put on collaborating with the project stakeholders to clearly understand their desired outcomes and the requirements for the project. I also spend more time researching than usual, so I clearly understand the subject matter and become comfortable writing about it. The last thing I do is meticulously check my spelling, grammar, and punctuation to ensure that the document is error-free. Together, these steps result in technical documents that meet the industry's highest standards, contain no errors, and are completed with minimal rewrites and edits."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Operational
22. What are some of the tools do you use while constructing technical documents up?
How to Answer
The interviewer will ask about the tools you use to understand how you do this job and some of the resources you may need if hired. They also want to determine if the resources and tools you use are similar to those other technical writers in their organization employ. Your responses to the question will demonstrate both your experience and qualifications for this job. They may also give the employer some new ideas about the tools and resources they need to provide to their current @technical writing team.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"I use a wide variety of tools and resources in my job as a technical writer. Some of these are very common, including Microsoft Word, Adobe, Google Docs and Notepad for the writing. When conducting research, I depend on Google, Wikipedia, Lexus/Nexus, and other popular research resources on the web. Grammarly is the main tool I use when reviewing documents to ensure that the punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure are appropriate."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Technical
23. How do you use Unified Modeling Language, also known as UML?
How to Answer
Like many other professions, technical writers use specific terminology, processes, and procedures in their work. Interviewers will ask you about these to confirm your qualifications for this job and your experience and the profession. Asking about UML allows you to demonstrate how you effectively communicate with other project stakeholders. Reviewing topics like this before the interview will help you be ready for these questions. The best way to respond is directly and to the point. The interviewer will ask you follow-up questions if they need additional information.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"Unified modeling language or UML helps technical writers visualize the design and specifications of a system. UML enables project stakeholders to communicate their requirements along with the technical information needed for the project. Technical writers then use this information to create specific documents which the target audience can easily understand and relate to. UML can be considered a common dialect used by people within the profession or industry to communicate technical ideas."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Technical
24. Can you discuss the difference between XML and HTML and how they are used to create effective websites?
How to Answer
It is highly likely that during an interview for a technical writer's position, you will be asked about the specific technologies the company uses and which you are likely to be writing about. While it is typical for technical writers to sometimes move between industries, they need to know the specific items, topics, or technologies the company they are interviewing uses. Being able to discuss the differences in tools used to create web pages is critical to securing a technical writer's role. This is why you should thoroughly research the company before the interview to understand its products and services, industry, clients, competition, and other aspects of its operations. The more you know about the employer, the more you will convince them that you're the right fit for their organization.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"XML and HTML both are technologies used to create web pages. HTML, also known as hypertext markup language, is the code used by web developers to create pages and display the data. XML is a technology used to move and store data. It provides the data structure and is independent of the software or hardware the developers and users employ."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Technical
25. Can you describe what a white paper is and what its purpose is?
How to Answer
While it is very likely that the interviewer knows what a white paper is, they are asking you this question to understand how you define it and see if your definition is the same as theirs. This allows you to demonstrate your expertise with white papers and describe what the company can expect if they hire you. You may even want to offer to provide them with samples of your work. Of course, this assumes that you've written white papers in your previous positions. If not, describe what a white paper is and confirm your ability to create one.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"White papers have many purposes, but generally they are meant to be a technical document about a very specific topic which provides information that the reader can use to develop or implement a technology to accomplish a specific objective. White papers need to be written clearly and concisely, using the appropriate technical language the target audience will understand. Companies use white papers to generate interest in their products and services or as a resource for their customers."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Technical
26. In what circumstances would you add a call-out to a document you created?
How to Answer
By asking the question in this manner, the interviewer assumes that you are familiar with a call-out and how they are used. Your answer to the question will verify that you use call-outs and provide them information as to when you do this. Since this is a technical question, you should keep your answer brief and to the point and anticipate follow-up questions.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"I frequently use call-outs in my documents to annotate an illustration or drawing included in the document or provide additional information to text information. My call-outs usually consist of a line between the element of the document I am commenting about and the comment or information. I sometimes format the call-outs in bold text or use color so that the reader won't miss them."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Technical
27. Can you discuss a typical document development lifecycle?
How to Answer
Most projects or processes have life cycles that describe how they move from concept to completion. When an interviewer asks you about the document development lifecycle, they are attempting to confirm that you've done this work and understand the individual steps required to create quality documentation. While not everyone uses the same definition of the document development lifecycle, your answer should be somewhat similar to how the organization defines this.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"The document development lifecycle consists of each step required to create quality technical documents. While each organization defines this differently, there are some similarities and consistencies in the process. It usually begins with the conceptualization of the project or desired outcome. The next steps include analysis, design, research, writing and content development, and editing and corrections. The project then moves on to review and approval, publication and distribution, and ongoing maintenance and updates."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Technical
28. What is meant by the term 'topic-based authoring'?
How to Answer
During an interview for a technical writing job, you may be asked about some of the terminology, processes, and procedures used in this profession. The interviewer uses your answers to confirm your qualifications and determine if you're the best candidate for this position. Even though you are a seasoned professional, you may still want to review some of the terminology, process, and procedures you may not have used recently. Hence, you are familiar with them and can answer these questions. Fortunately, the term topic-based is self-explanatory, and you should be able to easily answer this question.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"Topic-based authoring refers to the practice of creating documents and content on very specific topics. Examples of this may include white papers, product manuals, or other technical documents with a narrow focus. These differ from other more general documents such as company overviews, shareholder documents, and leadership communications. The narrow focus of topic-based authoring enables writers to dive deep into a topic and provide very detailed information."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Technical
29. Can you discuss some of the differences between a product manual and a white paper?
How to Answer
This question may seem odd because most professionals understand the difference between a product manual and a white paper. The interviewer is really trying to determine how you define each of these documents and your experience creating them. The best way to respond to this question is to briefly describe each document and discuss their differences. Rather than focusing on the content, you can describe the purpose of each document and how you construct them to achieve the desired outcome.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"There are significant differences between a product manual and a white paper. A product manual is a detailed description of the product, with instructions on its use and how to resolve common issues. A white paper talks about a more general topic about the industry, technology, or solution related to the product. The purpose of a white paper is to provide useful information while promoting the organization's technology or products. It is meant to generate interest and lead to engagements between customers and the organization. A white paper is a sales tool while the product manual is a support tool."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Technical
30. Can you describe the differences between Google Docs and Microsoft Word?
How to Answer
This question can be asked either as a standalone or a follow-up question to one the interviewer has already asked you. Interviewers will ask follow-up questions to collect more information or explore a topic in more detail. They also use follow-up questions throughout the interview to confirm that you respond to their questions accurately and consistently. Comparing two tools used by technical writers is a good way for the interviewer to explore your knowledge of these. You can discuss the features and benefits of each tool, including editing options, ability to collaborate, and general acceptance or usage.
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021
Answer Example
"Both Microsoft Word and Google Docs are excellent tools for creating technical documents. Microsoft Word is a standalone application that has many features and functions for creating and editing complex documents. Google Docs is also a robust document creation tool, but it has fewer features than Microsoft Word. One of the advantages of Google Docs is that it resides online and enables the writer to share documents with other project stakeholders so they can view and even edit them. I use both of these tools, selecting the appropriate one based on the parameters of the project and the requirements of the document stakeholders."
Written by William Swansen on December 1st, 2021