| Michael Davidson, MISTC DOB: 07/06/58 Security clearance: Secret. Full Driving Licence I have been a professional writer for about 12 years: eight as a technical author and a four as a journalist. My main skills are writing and editing clear, concise user-focussed materials including user guides, technical documents, procedural guides, Help, newsletters, news stories, features and marketing materials. Audiences include users, VB and SQL developers, trainers and project managers. I have also been heavily involved in document DTP, design, layout, illustration and production in both hard and soft copy. Materials written to date: � User and procedure guides for a range of technical and non-technical audiences � News, features, reviews and marketing materials. News reporting for SKY News. � Web pages (content and design using Dreamweaver) � Interactive CBT materials aimed at teaching people to use software applications � Distance (open) learning materials for trainers and trainees � Help files using HTML/WinHelp � O+M document sets Areas covered: Newspapers, Magazines, In-house publications, Software, Banking, Hardware, Retail, Government, Railways, Construction. Contracts from August 2001 to the present day include: Lynx Financial Systems � writing help HTML files for the UK�s leading banking software house. Kier Build � Creating O+M document sets for major science/business park. Collating information, working with drawings, liaising with 30+ internal/external clients. London Underground Railways - Creating O+M document set for underground stations. Collating information, creating Contents and indices, working with graphics and drawings. Abbey National � Programme Management Guide/REFORM and Decommissioning Procedures. Interviewing SMEs about their procedures. Collating and writing materials for web publication. Foreign and Commonwealth Office � Several contracts for documentation projects in hard copy and for their intranet. 3Q � Several contracts writing user guides for 3D Medical Imaging technology. These were written in American English and covered both hardware and software. Permanent work from 1997 to 2001: Laverock von Schoultz. (Oct 1999 - June 2001) Gibraltar. Self-managed, taking full responsibility for writing 50+ documents explaining the GUI to programmers for software used by a major online sporting business. The documentation covers all technical aspects from development to usage. This was all published in hard and soft copy. Other tasks included creating, designing and publishing web pages and their contents using Dreamweaver, writing and editing website copy, business plans and marketing materials. Lynx Financial Systems. (Oct 98 - Sept 99.) Writing Help files using WinHelp. This was for highly complex, multi-module private banking software. Supervised one other, recommended and implemented changes to the entire Help system�s contents, design and usability. The Help files were part of the company�s sales and marketing strategy and therefore had to provide high quality, useable assistance. Independent Software Vendors. (June 97 � Sept 98.) Wrote several CBT training scripts, installation procedure guides and user manuals. Worked closely with both clients and development team. I was also involved in software testing, customer liaison and writing marketing materials. I was responsible for all stages of document production. Ashford Open Learning. (Jan 97 � June 97.) I wrote a set of Distance Learning documents for the EPOS system used by BHS. These documents are heavily user focussed and I was involved in their design and layout. Worked very closely with the client, visited their sites, took part in training exercises, learnt the company�s methodologies and how to use their equipment. Platform/Application Skills Platforms Experience Windows 95/98 8/6 years Windows NT 5 years Apple Macs (OS 9) 12 years (on and off) Software Experience MS Word/MS Office 13 years MS Word/MS Office XP 2 year MS FrontPage 6 months Adobe FrameMaker 6 + SGML Some experience Adobe PageMaker Some experience Macromedia Dreamweaver Basic knowledge Macromedia Flash 5 Working knowledge Maxon Cinema 4d 8 Working knowledge Adobe PhotoShop 2 years QuarkXpress 3 years (on and off) SourceSafe 2 � years VB/SQL 2 years (not programming) WinHelp 1 year HTML Help Basic RoboHelp Basic PDF/Distiller 6 Months Journalism Experience: Before getting into technical writing I was a freelance journalist for about four years. This involved writing and editing a variety of low circulation national magazines and local newspapers and occasional reporting for SKY News. I also helped write and produce marketing and PR materials. Professional Membership: I have been a member of the ISTC (Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators, www.istc.org.uk) for over three years. Voluntary Work: News Editor for the ISTC�s magazine, Communicator and Articles Editor for the IASIG website, www.qualityauthors.co.uk. Previous Work: After leaving school I did everything from driving vans to machine operating and warehouse work eventually ending up as a self-employed carpenter for six or seven years before going back into full time education. Higher Education: Bedford College, 2002-3. HNC Multimedia. Prize winner for �Outstanding Achievement.� Bedford College, 2002. City+Guilds Level 1 Office Applications. Highbury College, Portsmouth, 1990-2. Access to Journalism and Media Studies (�A� level), one year NCT Magazine Journalism course, Maths & English GCSEs. |