If you are currently applying for writing jobs online, you will need a resume. Content companies are now requiring writers to submit resumes to separate the skilled writer from the amateur. Before you send off your old resume for an online writing job, use these tips to present your writing history professionally.

Create a summary of qualifications. Banish the career objective to the waste basket. Write crisp and concise statements describing your skills. Write a maximum of 5 sentences that quickly describe your years of experience, areas of expertise and technical skills. Use action words and phrases to paint a clear picture of your stellar requirements in this opening paragraph.

Eliminate any unprofessional distractions. Don’t use colored paper or crazy fonts. Do not list hobbies, height and weight, or relationship status on your writing resume. Your potential boss is only interested in your writing experience and computer skills. Any other information you provide is irrelevant and amateurish.

Make your online writing resume brief. Unless you are Stephen King or Oscar Wilde, keep your resume to one page. Editors have notoriously short attention spans and too many resumes to look through to read them all thoroughly. To ensure that your resume will be considered for the appropriate online writing position, keep your prose short and to the point.

Remove irrelevant jobs. Companies hiring writers for online writing jobs are looking for wordsmiths with SEO writing experience and article writing capabilities. Any other skills and abilities added to your resume will be overlooked. If these talents are not related to creating quality content, no matter how admirable or impressive, you should leave them off the resume.

Provide a list of your online writing samples and published clips. After you list your education and work experience, list all of your relevant writing clips. Published writing samples should also be listed in your resume. If your website contains links to all of your writing samples, indicate this on your writing resume.

Include valid contact information. Place a valid email address at the top of the page, under your name and mailing address. Add two telephone numbers where you can be reached for an impromptu phone interview.

Tips:

Don’t forget to proofread your resume.

If emailing your resume, include the document in the body of the email for editors that are attachment averse.

Search the Internet for online writing resume samples.

Add awards and special mentions at the end of your writer’s resume.

Submit a list of your best writing clips for consideration.