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Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writer resume example

A resume for a Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writer needs to show the work itself: create original written works, such as scripts, essays, prose, poetry or song lyrics, for publication or performance. Day to day that means work like this: write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays; develop factors such as themes, plots, characterizations, psychological analyses, historical environments, action, and dialogue to create material. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

  • Author
  • Freelance Writer
  • Novelist
  • Songwriter
  • Creative Writer
  • Fiction Writer
  • Librettist
  • Lyricist
  • Nonfiction Writer
  • Poet
  • TV Script Writer
  • TV Writer
  • Blog Content Writer
  • Blog Writer
  • Blogger
  • Children's Author
  • Comic Book Writer
  • Comic Writer

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

  • Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.
  • Develop factors such as themes, plots, characterizations, psychological analyses, historical environments, action, and dialogue to create material.
  • Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.
  • Choose subject matter and suitable form to express personal feelings and experiences or ideas, or to narrate stories or events.
  • Prepare works in appropriate format for publication, and send them to publishers or producers.
  • Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.
  • Confer with clients, editors, publishers, or producers to discuss changes or revisions to written material.
  • Plan project arrangements or outlines, and organize material accordingly.
  • Follow appropriate procedures to get copyrights for completed work.
  • Attend book launches and publicity events, or conduct public readings.
  • Write narrative, dramatic, lyric, or other types of poetry for publication.
  • Write words to fit musical compositions, including lyrics for operas, musical plays, and choral works.

16 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

  • Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Develop factors such as themes, plots, characterizations, psychological analyses, historical environments, action, and dialogue to create material, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Choose subject matter and suitable form to express personal feelings and experiences or ideas, or to narrate stories or events, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Apple iWork Pages
  • Ashley Software Writer's Blocks
  • AutoCrit Editing Wizard
  • Bare Bones Software BBEdit
  • Blogger
  • Contour Storyteller
  • Facebook
  • Google Drive
  • Literature & Latte Scrivener

35 software entries are recorded in total.

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

  • Computer laser printers
  • Laser facsimile machines
  • Personal computers
  • Tablet computers

Skills an ATS reads for

Worth naming only if they are genuinely yours. Keyword overlap is one input to a resume's score, not a verdict.

  • Apple iWork Pages
  • Ashley Software Writer's Blocks

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

  1. 01Writing
  2. 02Reading Comprehension
  3. 03Speaking
  4. 04Active Learning
  5. 05Critical Thinking
  6. 06Active Listening
  7. 07Judgment and Decision Making
  8. 08Complex Problem Solving
  9. 09Social Perceptiveness

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

  • English Language
  • Communications and Media
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Administrative
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Fine Arts

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

  • 32%Bachelor's Degree
  • 27%Some College Courses
  • 14%Less than a High School Diploma

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Considerable Preparation Needed”. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Common questions

What does a Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writer do?
Create original written works, such as scripts, essays, prose, poetry or song lyrics, for publication or performance. Day to day that includes work like write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays and Develop factors such as themes, plots, characterizations, psychological analyses, historical environments, action, and dialogue to create material.
What skills should a Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writer put on a resume?
O*NET rates Writing, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Learning, and Critical Thinking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writer list?
Software recorded for this occupation includes Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Photoshop. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writer work?
O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Author, Freelance Writer, Novelist, and Songwriter. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writer need?
In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 32% reported their level of education as "Bachelor's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writer role?
No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

  • No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
  • This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
  • Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.