About
I am a Toronto-based technical writer, who is passionate about technical communication and leading end-users to success. Starting my career as a content writer for a cloud-based software provider, I gained experience writing about technical concepts for a wide range of audiences and breaking down product releases for users of all experience levels. I had a lot of questions about our product as a new team member, so I began documenting the answers I found and publishing guides on our company knowledge base. I channel this experience as a full time technical writer, now writing formal product documentation, user manuals, troubleshooting guides, and knowledge base articles to help end-users master complex software features.
I have always gravitated toward technical writing, as someone who loves to write and learn new things. My goal is to make accessible and comprehensive content for all users. Crafting an effective document that explains everything a user needs to know is like solving a great puzzle!
I am a dog mom, sewist, and avid fantasy-reader in my free time.
Experience
I am currently a Technical Writer for a software provider, where I document the product’s features in accessible guides and knowledge base articles to answer recurring customer questions. So far, I have:
- Overhauled the company's user manual, system administrator manual, and product feature set.
- Updated all product documentation in advance of each version release.
- Established a customer knowledge base as a self-service, online library of articles on all product features.
- Created a guide on the product’s expression language conventions and syntax, based on JavaScript Expression Language (JEXL), so non-technical users can learn to write expressions in the application.
- Documented the product’s complex permission hierarchy.
- Revamped documentation on the product’s automated document generation process.
- Wrote a brief on the product's interface translation options.
- Created new Statement of Work and Request for Proposal templates.
- Conducted an audit of the internal documentation on the product's features and built our resources where needed.
As a Lead Product Communications Specialist for a cloud-based software provider, I led multiple communications initiatives and was the main content writer and editor of the company's product communications from 2017 to 2021. In this role, I:
- Improved the content generation and review process for product communications. Output increased ninefold and traffic to the forum increased by 200%.
- Produced over 20 process documents for the company knowledge base.
- Designed content and materials for 3 training programs.
- Coordinated up to 20 projects concurrently to identify risks.
- Planned communication strategies for 9 major company initiatives.
Key Skills
- Technical writing to explain how to use software for end-users.
- Content writing, copywriting, and editing.
- Knowledge base design and development.
- Training and process documentation.
- Strategic communication planning and execution.
- Teamwork, collaboration, and working with Subject Matter Experts.
- Project management.
- SangIt screen capture and recording software.
- GIMP image editing software.
- Helpjuice knowledge base software.
- CRM and project management software, including HubSpot, Salesforce, Trello, and monday.com.
- Microsoft Office Suite, Google Docs, and Google Slides.
- Confluence and Jira.
- HTML and CSS.
- DITA and XML.
- C# and Python.
- Git and GitHub.
Education
University of Toronto, September 2014 to November 2016Master of Arts in Geography. Thesis: The Regionalized Health Care System and Access for Mobile Populations in Southern Ontario.
University of Waterloo, September 2010 to May 2014
Bachelor of Environmental Studies, Honours International Development. Dean's Honours List.
Diploma in Environmental Assessment.