Technical Writer II

Posted on: 2006-08-29

Heidi R. Waterhouse PO Box 174 Mineral, WA 98355 (360) 492-5292 (651) 338-5231 [email protected] Objective To make user experiences better through clear and transparent documentation. Skills Technical Writing and Journalism Software documentation (online and paper) Middleware documentation Retail Documentation Installation documentation Helpdesk documentation Computer-based training Project plans Associate editor for college literary magazine Feature writing and sports journalism Software Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP Adobe FrameMaker 7.1, FrameMaker Plug-Ins, Adobe Acrobat, WebWorks Publisher, DocStudio RoboHelp 2000, 9 Lotus SmartSuite, Microsoft Office 98, 2000 12 FrontPage PhotoShop, PaintShop Pro, Corel Draw HTML, Netscape Communicator/Composer, HotDog Pro, WebEdit Pro, HTML Help Microsoft Project, Visio PowerTrak, DevTrak, BugTrack, Bugzilla WebSphere MQ, WebSphere Business Integration Broker Employment Volt Technology for Microsoft Security 2005 to present Contract Technical Writer II Researched and revised security documentation for internal and external customers. Implemented document process in accordance with company standards. Was responsible for co-ordinating and standardizing documents across the department. Audiences included external partners and IT professionals. Tools: Microsoft Word, Microsoft DocStudio Deliverables:  Step-by-step guides  Reference documents  White papers  Release notes Blacksmith Applications Web Application 2004 to 2005 Contract to Permanent Technical Writer Drafted, researched, and wrote training and reference documents for a new web application. Used the product and consulted with developers and leading users to maximize document utility and clarity. Worked independently and remotely with minimal supervision. Audiences included end-users, administrators, and internal users. Tools: Adobe FrameMaker 6.0 and 7.1, Adobe Acrobat, Paint Shop Pro, WebEx Recorder Deliverables:  Training documents  Reference documents  User-guidance video clips  Custom training documents for different clients from a single core document using FrameMaker. MQSoftware, Inc. Messaging Middleware 2001 to 2005 Permanent Technical Writer Wrote, researched, and edited 1500 pages of documentation with team members. Collected information from bug tracking, customer reports, product specifications, and developers, and presented print and online documentation. Recently assisted in the creation of a new product book. Helped set and enforce departmental standards. Audiences included end-users, administrators, product experts, sales engineers, and internal test and support. Tools: Adobe FrameMaker 6.0, Adobe Acrobat, Corel Draw, Bugzilla, FrameMaker plug-ins Deliverables:  User documentation for various audiences  Extensive index  Bug reports and replies  Release Notes DeLani Technologies Web Applications 2000 to 2001 Permanent Technical Writer/User Advocate Created all product documentation from the beginning, including online help and user guides for all audiences and printed quickstart guides. Worked with programmers to ensure maximum usability, including adherence to ADA web standards. Served as story-keeper for Extreme Programming experiment. Tools: RoboHTML, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, Microsoft FrontPage, PaintShopPro Deliverables:  Online help (WebHelp) documents for four groups: Users, Report Writers (sample available), Administrators, and DBA’s  Quickstart guides for all groups  Computer-based training program SPS Commerce EDI Software 1999 to 2000 Permanent Technical Writer Worked as a team member to produce documentation for EDI products. Each product required research and extensive documentation updates or creation. I worked with developers and helpdesk personnel to make sure the documents were as accurate as possible. Promoted to lead technical writer. Tools: FrameMaker, ForeHelp, Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Project Deliverables:  FrameMaker templates  PDF version of all existing documentation Video Update Video Rental 1998 to 1999 Permanent Technical Writer Education Macalester College and Hamline University Major in English/Technical Writing B.A. in May 1999 Minor in Religious Studies Certification Microsoft Certified Professional FrontPage, October 2000 Awards Society For Technical Communication, Twin Cities Chapter, Printed Publications, Award of Excellence