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Objective   To develop, follow, and refine best practices in the technical communications field.
Education Bachelor of Science in Technical Communication, with specialty in biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Experience  

Sr. Technical Writer

Onyx Software (Consona CRM) , Kirkland, WA , 2/06 to 9/08.

  • Researched and led implementation of documentation plans and other best practices.
  • Managed all stages of documentation projects from planning to publication.
  • Wrote content for CRM end users, administrators, and developers.
  • Edited content written by non-native English speakers.
  • Applied topic-typing principles to completely redesign the outline of a 150-topic Help project for maximum usability.
  • Developed publication procedures for MadCap Flare and other tools.
  • Led efforts to standardize terminology and syntax across product documents, revamping the departmental style guide in the process.
Sr. Technical Writer

Siemens Medical Solutions, Ultrasound Division, Issaquah, WA, 11/01 to 2/06 (including eight-month contract assignment through Linda Werner & Associates, Seattle, WA).

  • Created and maintained online help files in five languages across several software versions, despite shifting software requirements.
  • Outlined and wrote a 90-page user guide for imaging software.
  • Researched, outlined, wrote, and edited backwards-compatible user documentation for several ultrasound products (often simultaneously ).
  • Created content modules for re-use across products, reducing translation costs.
  • Interviewed clinical specialists to establish accepted terminology and expected workflow for new concepts, such as 3D imaging.
  • Edited user interface text for accepted terminology and consistency; revised syntax where needed to facilitate translation.
  • Coordinated documentation reviews for several simultaneous projects and resolved queries from translators.
  • Learned to use new ultrasound products from hands-on experience; designed “workflow tests” to confirm my assumptions about the software’s design.
  • Created layout for trifold quick reference cards.
  • Achieved consensus on departmental style guide.
  • Completed a training course for XML and content development.
Technical Writer

Vixel Corporation (now Emulex), Bothell, WA, 9/98 to 10/01.

  • Sole writer of user documentation for company products (switches, hubs, and software).
  • Planned user documentation sets for new products and product releases.
  • Single-sourced online help, PDFs, and printed guides for each product line.
  • Wrote detailed print specifications for print vendors and fedexed with hard copies of documents; sent electronic files to print vendor’s .ftp site.
  • Reviewed textual elements of user interfaces (for both the software suite and the command line interfaces for the hubs and switches) and championed consistent terminology to simplify customer’s experiences.
Technical Writer Boeing, Writing and Editing Services, Renton, WA, 9/97 to 9/98. (Contract assignment through Superior Design Company, Bellevue, WA.) Wrote procedures and documented call center processes; facilitated meetings.
Technical
Editor/Intern

Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 4/96 to 6/97. Under direction of James B. Bassingthwaighte, edited articles submitted to the Annals of Bioengineering.

Technical Skills  
Software
  • Dreamweaver
  • Flare (MadCap)
  • FrameMaker
  • FreeHand
  • HomeSite
  • Illustrator
  • Microsoft Office
  • PageMaker
  • PaintShop Pro
  • PhotoShop
  • Publisher
  • QuarkExpress
  • RoboHelp
  • SharePoint
  • SnagIt
  • StarTeam
  • Virtual Server
  • Visual SourceSafe
  • Visual Studio Team Foundation Server
  • Visio
  • WebWorks Publisher
  • Word
 
Operating Systems
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux
Style Guides
  • Sun’s Read Me First
  • Microsoft’s Manual of Style
  • Chicago
Professional Memberships
Activities of Interest
  • Semimonthly writing critique group reviewing both nonfiction and fiction pieces—I regularly bring writing and provide detailed critiques. Joined August 2007.
  • Monthly open mics—I regularly bring pieces to read to local open mics.
References Available on Request

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