Education

BA, Honours English: Rhetoric and Professional Writing; University of Waterloo, 2008.

Training Highlights

· Extensive undergrad-level studies in Computer Science

· Courses completed in Technical Writing, Communications in Math and Computer Science, Business Writing, Conflict Resolution, and more

Experience Highlights

· Established writer with technical background and experience drafting technical specs

· Seven-year OOE and procedural programming veteran

· Years of digital media (web and image) design, creation, and editing

· Comfortable with all operating systems (Windows, OS X, UNIX, Debian, Ubuntu, etc.)

· Ample experience with Office suite, Adobe Creative suite including InDesign, and more

· Experience with SVN Document and Version Control, SharePoint, and more

Work Experience

Technical Writer

GTNA Solutions Corp.

March 2010 – Present

Kick-started technical writing practices for a growing software development company, writing documentation and marketing copy to support management, development, and sales teams.

Responsible for the following tasks:

· Writing marketing-related materials for sales and marketing departments

· Researching, developing and writing user manuals and other related documents

· Developing, creating and maintaining web pages and content for corporate websites

· Creating and maintaining document management system

· Providing proofreading, writing, and editing services to colleagues and managers

· Working closely with developers and domain experts to ensure technical information is accurate

Marketing Writer

Ganz

December 2009 – March 2010

Orchestrated large-scale coordinated marketing efforts and collaborated inter-departmentally for advertising and web marketing on Webkinz.

Responsible for the following tasks:

· Planning and executing marketing campaigns around the brand, including contests, promotions, and announcements

· Managing, writing content for, and creating art work for a brand-based blog designed to generate ad revenue and support existing revenue streams

· Producing weekly in-game communications to players and coordinating the translation of said communications in 14 languages

· Developing new features for the products to aid in marketing and communications

· Developing community-based features to aid in building a community around the brand

· Managing brand's social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, and stratifying content to ensure social media presence was relevant to overall publicity strategy

· Producing ad and catalogue copy for products

Creative Writer (Game Design)

Ganz
February 2009 – December 2009

Developed design documents with technical functionality specifications and detailed mock-up illustrations as well as functional prototypes to communicate systems and features for a large-scale massively multiplayer online game project.

Responsible for the following tasks:

· Writing and illustrating design documents to lead game development and art production covering topics including UI design, gameplay design, user interaction, web application design, advanced level design, and end-user experience scripting and dialogue

· Creating systems that met design intentions of the creative director with a team of other writers

· Collaborating with artists, level designers, and programmers to implement features in an iterative design process with rapid prototyping

· Organizing and managing design documents with SVN document revision control

· Developing and presenting competitive analysis of competing products to upper management

Assistant Editor

Ars Technica
January 2007 – February 2009

Delivered late-breaking news, critical product reviews, one-on-one interviews, and correspondence coverage in an online publishing environment to a large readership body.

Responsible for the following tasks:

· Writing content and creating supporting visual aids for short blog posts, longer news articles, and long-form featured stories under strict deadlines and content standards

· Maintaining relationships with key PR, marketing, and executive personnel

· Producing correspondence coverage of tradeshow events across North America

· Assisting in the editorial process of content selection and timing

· Occasionally acting as interim Editor, managing and delegating work to a small team of writers while coordinating with copyeditors and managing editors

· Minimizing costs for coverage

Application Developer

Toronto District School Board: IT Services
January 2005 – September 2007

Developed web applications in accordance with the requests and expectations of a senior architect and an IT director.

Responsible for the following tasks:

· Designing, developing, and documenting large-scale .NET and ASP web applications

· Creating custom workflows and web parts for SharePoint installation

· Branding and visual design of SharePoint using SharePoint Designer

· Developing Flash-based, interactive courses for use with the TDSB's Virtual School curriculum

· Researching emerging technologies and making suggestions for future implementation possibilities to aid in IT decision-making

Achievements

· Writing featured on AOL, Yahoo, Newsweek, News 1130, and more

· Received the "Outstanding E-Learning Pioneer" award for work at TDSB

· Ontario Scholar status; writing honoured by Ontario Young Writers Association

References and recommendations available upon request