Writer & Screencast Producer, DataSplice, LLC
I joined DataSplice, LLC on a six week contract, and I ended up staying for almost a year. The company produces software that allows workers to use enterprise software (like IBM’s Maximo) on a mobile device. Clients include the Getty Museum and the Hoover Dam. I was first tasked with helping write, narrate and produce tutorial screencasts showing off DataSplice’s software.
Building these screencasts gave me a rock-solid understanding of how an end-user might approach the software, and soon enough, I was soon asked to write and edit use case documents for clients. During my last month at DataSplice, I assembled a set of documents detailing the software’s default user interface. The documents are presented according to natural workflow, and maare designed to make it easier for DataSplice employees and clients to determine project scope, craft a solution, and then implement and document it.
Technical Writing Intern, Sun Microsystems
I learned a very different, but just as vital set of lessons during an internship with Sun Microsystems. Part of a team of technical writers, I helped craft installation guides for dual-booting OpenSolaris (a UNIX-based operating system) with Ubuntu Linux and Windows Vista. These materials were included in the OpenSolaris 10.5 launch guide, which later made it to the front page of Digg. As well, I authored Mark Settle’s Mighty Pen, a weblog discussing “OpenSolaris, the best and worst of Web 2.0, and what it’s like to work in an office surrounded by people who are smarter than me.”
Director of Marketing, Associated Students of CSU
Concurrent to my time at Sun, I served as Director of Marketing for the Associated Students of Colorado State University (ASCSU). This position’s many responsibilities included managing three people, coordinating with media outlets, managing a $75,000 budget, and overseeing the development of a new website. The role was very task-oriented, requiring me to work closely with colleagues on many projects, and independently on others. This was a great job.
Assistant Director of Marketing & Account Representative, COMPUtek Dental Systems
I first joined COMPUtek Dental Systems in a communications capacity, working with Director of Marketing Kyle Prawel to drive sales. The role gave me the chance to approach dental professionals from a broad range of technical aptitude. This entailed creating some marketing copy, but primarily material of a more educational nature. I was eventually charged with prioritizing event attendance and organizing trade show presence on a very tight budget. I also took it upon myself to rationalize the quoting process by developing an internal costing sheet for our sales team.
I later re-joined COMPUtek in a sales capacity. Charged with helping dentists and oral surgeons integrate technology into their practices, I was responsible for building client relationships and seeing new projects through, end-to-end. My time here lent me special insight into the daily rhythms of small business and what it takes to succeed in sales.
Messaging Intern, Lightsource Creative Communications
At Lightsource Creative, I worked with top companies on cool projects, reveled in the mutability of words, and learned from my whip-smart colleagues (the other members of the messaging team? Two Harvard grad degrees between ‘em). Along the way, I developed B2B copy for clients including Hewlett-Packard, Agilent, Exigen, LeftHand Networks and Verigy. Over time, I earned more significant projects and greater flexibility to determine project scope and deliverables. I eventually led projects for clients such as Brass Smith, Clean Air Lawn Care and Harmony Club, earning client praise.