Technical writing requires the perfect mix of education, training, and skill sets. Beyond any preliminary evaluation, a candidate's chance of getting hired might be made or broken during the job interview. By using tricky technical writer interview questions, recruiters often weed out unqualified applicants.

My previous article outlined the common questions asked in technical writing interviews for the Senior level. Here are the possible answers to those questions.

Senior-Level Interview Questions and Possible Answers

These are some questions interviewers might ask a senior-level technical writer and possible answers:

Q1: Tell Me About Yourself, or May I Know You?

You should briefly describe yourself, outlining your strengths, the organisations you have worked with and what makes you fit for the role. The interviewer isn't interested in the details of your life. Rather, it makes them understand what makes you tick.

Answer:

“My name is ABC; I am a graduate of XYZ University with a degree in ABC. I have 3 years of experience in Technical Writing and expertise in API documentation.

After completing my undergraduate studies, I got my first job as a Technical writer intern at XYZ Company, where I learned technical writing, documentation and how to use Unified Modelling Language (UML) in visual representations of concepts from experienced professionals and I assisted in writing some documents for the company.

I worked from home and freelanced after the internship before getting a full-time position at ABC Company as a Technical writer. I worked with 3 teams in this company to curate technical documents using Google Docs and NotePad ++.

In addition to being goal-oriented and reliable, I pride myself on my ability to overcome any challenges. I applied to join your company because I love the working culture, and this position seems like a great opportunity to advance my skills.”

Q2: Why do you need a new job?

When asked this question by the interviewer, you should discuss your reasons for wanting to work for the company and why you think you are ready to move forward.

Answer:

"While I enjoy my current career, I am searching for a more challenging position. I've worked for my present company for three years, and I'm more than prepared to advance in my profession. I have always been able to produce high-quality content quickly while working as a technical writer. This position better matches my level of experience and skill set."

Additionally, I'm seeking a job where the corporate culture more closely matches my preferences. Your corporate culture is quite open and pleasant. I also saw that you had a lot of options for staff growth, which I would explore if I were to get this job.”

Q3: How do you prioritise and organise your work?

In your response, describe your normal day-to-day schedule or the processes you follow to complete a project or task.

Answer:

“When I am assigned a task, I commit to completing it on time by creating an itinerary where each sub-task is given a timeline. To ensure my writing covers all topics, I create an outline or table of contents before I begin a project and track the project’s progress.”

“To accomplish my task, I break it down into several steps. Then I plan a timeframe for completing them. I organise and prepare my work by the deadline.”
“These steps could include;

• Understanding the product.
• Interviewing Subject Matter Experts to know how it works.
• Researching my expected audience.
• Writing and Researching
• Scheduling additional sessions with SMEs.
• Editing.
• Reviewing.
• Rewriting and Researching.
• Publishing.
• Updating (This will be done when new features are added to the product)”.

Q4: What is Topic-Based Authoring?

Explain topic-based authoring and why technical writers need it.

Answer:

“Topic-based authoring is a method of writing content in small chunks of information or independent units for flexibility.” In topic-based authoring, information is divided into small units, sections, or pieces knowns as topics. It makes articles easy and clear to navigate through. Also, it is useful in making content more manageable and reusable.”

Q5: Explain the concept of DDLC and mention the phases in DDLC

Briefly define DDLC and explain each phase of the DDLC in your response.

Answer:

“Document Development Life Cycle (DDLC) is a systematic process of document creation that has a cyclic order.” - Clickhelp

“DDLC defines the steps taken during the document creation process. The phases in DDLC are;

• Requirement Analysis: Information regarding the product is gathered in this phase.
• Design: In the design stage, the document is designed by using proper layout, format, and style, taking into cognisance the branding of the product.
• Content Development: After planning and designing, this is the stage to put the plans into action.
• Editing/Proofreading: This is where the writing and submitting of the first draft happens, requiring multiple reviews.
• Publishing: Here, the document is published for public use.
• Maintenance: As the product evolves and changes, the document must be kept up-to-date and relevant.”

Q6: Do you have experience working with Subject Matter Experts? If yes, tell us about it and what tool(s) you use when interviewing SMEs.

Describe what happens when you interact with SMEs and explain how you obtain information from them. Include the tools you use to keep notes or record your interactions.

Answer:

“I am currently employed by a company that organises sessions for technical writers and Subject Matter Experts for interaction which helps us in the documentation process. I prepare my questions before the scheduled sessions and further engage the SMEs via email if I miss any additional information.

Apart from the organised sessions, I also have 1-on-1 sessions with the SMEs when needed, group channels and private chats for quick follow-ups or questions with many SMEs.

I use Zoom with its free inbuilt recording feature to record interviews with SMEs to capture audio and their corresponding slides if it is a virtual meeting. But I use the recorder on my device for physical meetings.”

Q7: Explain the challenges or obstacles a technical writer faces during information gathering.

Talk about challenges faced by technical writers including yourself during information gathering and describe the ways you tackle these challenges.

Answer:

“Some challenges faced by technical writers during information gathering are;

• Information gathering from credible sources
• Unclear target audience
• Lack of communication with the SMEs
• Improper review of the write-up by SMEs

To tackle this, “I create a working relationship with the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), by interviewing and interacting with them, I search for resources about the topic I am writing on.”

To verify the resources, I make sure the;

• Information is up-to-date and current.
• Source is relevant to your research.
• Author and publication are a trusted authority on the research subject.
• Author's sources are easy to find, clear, and unbiased.

Q8: What is a white paper?

Define the term white paper and its use in technical writing when answering this question.

Answer:

“A white paper describes a solution, product, or service that a company or organisation offers or plans to offer. The purpose of a white paper is to inform and educate an audience about the issue or method under discussion.”

Technical Writers write white papers to provide an in-depth report or guide about a specific product or topic, which is meant to educate its readers.

Q9: What publications and documentation tools have you worked with?

When answering this question, mention the publication and documentation tools that you have used in curating technical documents.

Answer:

• “Writing and Editing Tools: Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Notepad ++ but I mostly use Google Docs when writing to keep track of the changes and updates from reviewers.
• Publication tool: Document 360 for documentation and publishing because It has special features (like SEO, built-in analytics, version control, etc.). I can view analytics and gain insights on how to make my content more engaging.
• Screen Capturing tool: Snipping Tool to capture product features on my PC.
• Image Editing Tool: Canva to create images and graphics for documents.
• Grammar Check tool: Grammarly to check grammar, spelling and plagiarism.
• Static site generators like Hugo and Slate for technical documentation."

Q10: Have you experienced any challenges during technical writing? If yes, how did you overcome it?

Tell them about a time when you faced a challenge in your technical writing career and how you handled it. When answering this question, mention the problem, how it became a challenge, the solution you proffered, and how it helped shape your career.

Answer:

“My career as a technical writer has had its challenges. One of my major challenges was that there was a time I lost a client due to missed submission deadline. This was because there was a delay in the review process, even after sending several reminders.”

“However, I tried to avoid this in my next project by building a working relationship with the clients and sending in a draft long before the deadline so that delays in the review would not affect my relationship with them.”

Conclusion

I hope you have gained insight into how to structure your answers when interviewing for a technical writing job. Feel free to drop your questions in the comment section or share them directly with me on Twitter.