RE: Portfolio For a New Tech Writer?

["John Fleming" <johnf -at- ecn -dot- ab -dot- ca>]

> Subject: Portfolio For a New Tech Writer?
> From: "Paul Strickberger" <lindt4 -at- yahoo -dot- com>
> Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2001 12:03:54 -0700
> X-Message-Number: 46

> Hi all,

> I'm an aspiring tech writer and am trying to put together an
impressive
> portfolio. I'm attempting to find an answer to the eternal problem
of
> getting experience without having experience. So far the main
technical
> writing project that I've done is for a user guide for an HTML
editor. I've
> put it on my web site at www.primeimpression.com/htmlkit.html.

> I'm looking for a source (on-line or otherwise) for technical
writing
> (software) projects that will allow me to show a prospective
employer that
> I'm capable of assimilating and presenting complex information.
These could
> be inadequate white papers, manuals, or just software without
documentation.

> Any ideas or tales of personal experiences would be greatly
appreciated!

Well, Paul.

My first portfolio wasn't anything to write home about.  It consisted
of a few pages out of a software manual for an application I also
wrote the code for.  Then, to flesh it out, I threw in a couple of
samples of things I'd done along the way, like a couple of issues of a
Toastmasters newsletter.

Then I went digging around the techwr-l archives looking for a few
more ideas.  And that gave me some more ideas.

Since then, I've put together enough projects as a tech writer that
none of the original stuff is there anymore.  It's bee replaced by
newer, better stuff.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

For layout, you may want to go to the techwr-l home page and follow a
couple of links from there.  Deborah Ray has (had?  I hope it's still
there) a feature on putting together an annotated portfolio that gave
me a few ideas for my own.

A snippet I picked up in the archives is it is OK to write some stuff
of your own and include it in your portfolio.  I came across the idea
in connection with tech writers who need a portfolio, but who work for
either a defence contractor or the military.  These guys need to
assemble a portfolio, but they can't exactly use samples of stuff from
work.  Something to do with the material being classified.

what that means is, you can do some samples by documenting some
interesting piece of software that may not have documentation.
Something like the Windows 3.x freeware version of Tetris comes to
mind.  Rewriting a couple of pieces of MS Word online help is also
fair game--just identify it as such.

If it is any help, my own portfolio resides in a three ring binder I
picked up from Office Depot for $4.  The online help samples are
simply screen shots.  Everything is in those sheet protectors to keep
it looking nice.  It's paid for itself already.

--

John Fleming
Technical Writer
Edmonton, Alberta
email:     johnf -at- ecn -dot- ab -dot- ca



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