To see some examples of documents I’ve produced as a technical writer, see my portfolio page.
Summary of Qualifications
I’ve been a Technical Writer/Content Developer for nearly 20 years, writing primarily what they call “break-fix” content for hardware and software customer support (which means “How do I fix my broken thing?”), but also help and how-to articles, SOPs, white papers, release notes, and wizards. I’ve also written scripts for videos.
KEY STATS
- 17 years of technical writing, editing, and publishing/production experience
- 10 years writing for customer support
- 9 years writing strings for hardware and software systems
- 7 years working with developers, system engineers, and rangers
- 20 years ebook developer, 100+ ebooks
SKILLS AND EXPERTISE
- AI tools/Google Gemini/Grok/CoPilot/ChatGPT/ Virtual agents/Skylight
- Content auditing/Quality assurance/Style guides/Knowledge base/Error code pages
- Video production/Video scriptwriting/Playbooks/API REST documentation
- Website management/Content management/Data analysis and reporting
- Microsoft Office/Excel/PowerPoint/Outlook/Teams/SharePoint/Figma
- Azure DevOps/PowerBI/Git/GitHub
- Adobe InDesign/Adobe Photoshop/GIMP
- WordPress/HTML/CSS/XML/DITA/JIRA/CMS systems
Experience
Senior Technical Writer/Content Developer, Xbox
Microsoft/Hanson Consulting
March 2021-June 2025
Wrote, developed, edited, and maintained a help center document database containing more than 1500 documents for internal and external audiences in 40+ languages.
- Increased help article engagement 20-25% by using AI and introducing clearer formatting, visual aids (screenshots and illustrations), terminology management, and by identifying content and communication gaps.
- Used AI to audit and improve keyword searches to optimize articles, enhancing findability by 12%.
- Improved accessibility language across web, mobile, and in-console platforms for audiences with special needs.
- Collaborated cross-functionally with multiple teams, including engineering, UX experience, product, legal, and customer support.
- Wrote video scripts for internal and external product presentations.
Technical Writer, Office Commercial
Microsoft /Motiv
January 2019-January 2021
Wrote, edited, and maintained online troubleshooting documentation for the Commercial division of Microsoft Office for corporate clients. Covered apps including Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and Teams.
- Wrote, edited, and maintained online troubleshooting and support documentation for Microsoft Office products used by corporate clients.
- Covered enterprise-level applications including Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and Teams.
- Focused on clarifying complex issues for IT professionals and end-users, ensuring documentation met internal standards and usability goals.
- Contributed to content for internal support portals and possibly customer-facing knowledge bases, supporting commercial Office deployments.
Technical Writer, Data Center Operations Standards and Infrastructure
Microsoft/Aquent
September 2017-May 2018
Wrote and edited documentation for the division of Microsoft that builds data centers around the world. Documents included white papers, runbooks, and tools and equipment specifications.
- Managed and maintained Requirements Document, viewed by hundreds of vendors.
- Assimilated content from multiple sources for overall continuity and common voice.
- Organized and maintained information architecture to ensure document management and version control.
- Developed graphic content from written material for illustrations.
- Updated and maintained SharePoint team collaborative site.
- Maintained site design and associated program metrics.
Technical Writer 2, Bing Digital Ads
Microsoft/Aquent
April-August 2017
Researched, designed, developed, and wrote business processes and troubleshooting documentation for Tier2 Bing Digital Ad support, including Bing Ads, Bing Places, and Bing Webmaster. Worked with subject matter experts to identify areas of greatest documentation need, updated existing documentation, identified and linked to partner-authored materials, and wrote new documentation as required.
Technical Writer 2, Office 365
Microsoft/Aquent
Nov 2016-Mar 2017
Wrote and edited help, how-to, and support documentation for Connections, one of several new small business apps released as part of O365. Documentation optimized for viewing both on a mobile device and through the Office dashboard on a PC.
Technical Writer, Xbox
Microsoft/Entirenet
Jan 2013-Apr 2016
Wrote and edited support documentation for Xbox One, Xbox 360, Windows Phone, and Zune, including Knowledge Base articles, help and how-to articles on support.microsoft.com, wizard and walk-through solutions, and agent-facing documentation.
- Increased article effectiveness from 58% to 85%
- Organized and wrote style guides to maintain high quality documentation standards
Technical Writer, Windows Phone and Zune
Microsoft/Bridge Consulting
Sep 2010-Dec 2012
Wrote and edited support documentation for Windows Phone and Zune, including Knowledge Base articles, help and how-to articles on support.microsoft.com, wizard and walk-through solutions, and agent-facing documentation.
- Created Online Support Wizards, step-by-step instructions on solving common issues with a Windows Phone or a Zune device
- Organized and wrote style guides to maintain high quality documentation standards
Education
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
MA English, BA Journalism, BA English