The Technical Editor plays a vital role in an organization. Therefore, you must invest quality time in hiring one. Have a look at our Technical Editor interview questions to gauge the skills of the candidates.
Considerations for Hiring a Technical Editor
For this role, your candidates will come from a technical writing background. They will have a portfolio of relevant work samples like engineering reports and user guides. Make sure you use their portfolio as a conversation starter.
As you have to evaluate their technical expertise, so asking relevant questions will be a better approach. Ask questions like what instructions they had in making a complex project, with whom they worked, and what results they got.
You must ask questions about how they will hire and train technical writers if they will be in charge of building a team.
Pick a candidate who holds leadership and project management skills as these are essential for this role. Listen to the questions they ask because it will let you identify the right one for this position.
Qualifications to look for
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Journalism, English, Communications, or a related field.
Skills to look for
- Strong computer and word processing skills
- Proofreading, and page composition skills
- Ability to interact with SMEs.
Operational and Situational Questions
- Can you tell me what interests you about being a Technica Editor?
- Was there any situation when your client or project stakeholders gave negative feedback? Can you tell me how did you handle this situation?
- Explain a recent technical editing project that you have worked on.
- Mention the measures that you take to enhance your technical editing expertise.
- Name the software tools that you usually use.
- Explain your role in developing project timelines.
- Can you tell me how quickly you learn to use a new tool?
- How many years of experience do you hold with interviewing subject matter experts?
- What is your approach to offering constructive criticism?
- Can you tell me by what means you find technical writers for your team?
- How would you encourage your team to meet tight deadlines?
Portfolio Questions
- How do you start off a new project?
- What is the difference between content and copy?
- Which operating systems and tools do you work on?
- How do you proofread your content?
- Which blogs do you follow on a regular basis?
- What type of technical writing projects have you previously delivered?
