optimizing your portfolio berkeley stc

Optimizing your Portfolio

Berkeley STC6/8/2011

© 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved.


Overview

1. Context2. Goals3. What should be in your portfolio4. How to present your portfolio5. What to do if it’s proprietary6. Q & A


Context

My experience

2 yrs’ journalism and marcom, 8 yrs’ tech pubs (as staff TW, Pubs

Mgr, contract TW), 16+ yrs’ tech comms recruiting

My role

Matchmaker, advisor, candidate champion

My sources

(1) industry hiring managers, (2) personal observation, (3) job

descriptions, (4) candidates’ input


Goals

•Keep you sane

•Let you secure work reliably and efficiently

•Give you ideas and hope

•Anticipate and address issues


Portfolios Overview

1. Role of a Technical Communicator’s portfolio

2. What to include

3. How to present it

4. What to do if it’s proprietary

5. How to build a dev-doc portfolio

6. What if you’re new to tech writing?


Your Portfolio’s Job

•Prove your resume’s claims

•Prove you understand your audience

•Prove you know the tools

•Prove you can organize, write, and deliver


What to include

•Three kinds of software doc contentProceduralConceptualReference

•Three contexts for delivering that infoLinear proseTask-based help Instructional/Tutorial


What to include, pt 2

Prove you can organize, write, & publishdoc plan

TOC

conceptual content

procedural material

reference material

glossary

index


What to include, pt 3

What sells best?Clear, crisp, friendly prose (for end users)

Screenshots, illustrations (for all)

Code examples (for developers)

Detailed, complete instructions (devs, admins)

Scenario-based tutorials (for all)


How to present it

Keys to effective portfolio presentationAccessibility

Relevance

Context


Accessibility

Put it onlineLinkedIn profile (box.net, Creative Portfolio Display app)

Website you control (private directory, private user/pw)

Email (YouSendIt.com for large attachments)

Guided tour (join.me, gotomeeting.com)


Relevance

Based on HM’s requirementsExplain how you approached similar challenges

Explain what you delivered and why

Discuss what you learned

Identify how you succeeded


Context

1. Identify your role in content development

2. Explain circumstances Accessible SMEs, stable product, well-defined features,

understanding of audience, authoring tools, schedule,

protection?

3. Pinpoint its strengths, weaknesses

4. What would you do differently next time?


But it’s proprietary!

Bring solutions to achieve mutual goalsHave prospect sign an NDA too

Neuter proprietary content (ex. Disney character names)

Redact

Ask ex-boss for permission

Ask IP owner’s Legal Dept for permission

Take names, addresses, SSNs


Build a Dev-Doc Portfolio

Create your own rewrites of public domain docSee synergistech.com/dev-doc-portfolio.shtml for eg’s

Demonstratefamiliarity with technical subject material

understanding of audience's needs

working knowledge of authoring tools, and

motivation, initiative

Create short before-and-after samples


But don’t…

say “I can learn anything; just teach me.”

say “I can’t show you my samples.”

make your inexperience (with their product, technology,

tools, culture, dev environment) their problem.

lead with your limitations

Reduce their risk! And don’t make them think


If you’re new to the business

Read the Catch-22 articlewww.synergistech.com/catch22.shtml

Find ways to show

Initiative

Motivation

Capacity to learn fast

Value (“I’m a good investment, not a liability”)


Interested? Intrigued? Let’s talk.

Andrew Davis, recruiter

C: 650-271-0148

[email protected]

www.contentrules.com/jobs

mailto:[email protected]

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