Interview prep

Technical Writer interview questions

13 questions technical writers get asked, grouped by type. Under each one are the skills it is really testing, so you can pick a story from your own work that shows them.

Technical

  1. An engineer and the actual behavior of the product disagree about how a feature works. How do you resolve that before writing about it?
    Tests: accuracy, collaboration
  2. How do you write documentation that works for both a newcomer setting things up for the first time and an experienced user looking for one specific detail?
    Tests: audience awareness, clarity
  3. How do you make sure a document is technically accurate when you're not the person who built the feature?
    Tests: accuracy, collaboration
  4. How do you keep terminology and tone consistent across documentation written by multiple contributors, not just your own writing?
    Tests: clarity, collaboration

Situational

  1. You find that a widely used piece of documentation has been wrong for months and nobody noticed. What do you do?
    Tests: accuracy, ownership
  2. A release is shipping in two days and the documentation for it isn't ready. What do you do?
    Tests: judgment, collaboration
  3. A feature you documented in depth is being removed. How do you handle the existing documentation?
    Tests: judgment, audience awareness
  4. Two reviewers give you contradictory feedback on the same document. How do you resolve it?
    Tests: collaboration, judgment

Behavioral

  1. Tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker and how you handled it.
    Tests: conflict resolution, communication
  2. Describe a project or task that did not go well and what you did about it.
    Tests: ownership, reflection
  3. Give an example of persuading someone to adopt an idea they initially resisted.
    Tests: influence, communication
  4. Walk me through how you decided what to work on when you had more requests than time.
    Tests: prioritisation, judgment
  5. Tell me about a time you had to learn something new quickly to get a job done.
    Tests: learning agility, ownership
Start building free

Getting the resume right first? See resume guidance for Technical Writers, or browse interview questions for every role.

Technical Writer interview questions — Gurus Consulting