Technical Writer Manager

THOMAS M. BARCLAY

*******.***@******.*** https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombarclay Memphis, TN 38117 562-***-**** (C)

Keywords: Articulate 360, Bachelor's, Broadcasting, Camtasia, Captivate, Communications, Creative Writing, Curriculum Development, Editing, English, Instruction, Journalism, Project Management, Project Planning, Shipley Proposal Writing, SME; Adobe Captivate, Learning Management System, LMS, MS Office, PMO

TECHNICAL WRITER/INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

• Recognized ability to write for targeted audiences

• Course design and production, both remote and on-site

• Capable interviewer of SMEs and executives; input goals/outcomes/objectives/format/content

• Strong understanding of task-based documentation

• Excellent writing and editing skills, demonstrated by writing samples linked on last page

• Known as ‘technical translator’ – able to take very detailed, highly-technical input and translate to coherent, comprehensible end-user documentation

DEMONSTRATED SKILLS

• 10 yrs.+ Technical Writing/Instructional Design

• Microsoft Office experienced user

• Agile development (Atlassian Jira and Confluence) documentation and support

• Superior documentation and instructional design/production skills

• Experience translating business and technical requirements into effective eLearning solutions

• Advanced User: Captivate 9, Camtasia Studio 9, SnagIt 13, some Articulate experience

• Intermediate to Advanced: Excel, Word, PPT, WebEx, Adobe Creative Suite, SharePoint, etc.

• Professional writing skills, including writing effective instructional text, audio scripts and video scripts; voice-over professional (broadcast and industrial), audio editor

• Exceptional professional speaking and communication skills

• Strong Graphic Design Skills

• Strong dialogue writer; noted critical thinking skills, known for effective listening and questioning abilities; able to identify needed content, purpose, free/spend, timeframes, etc.

• Knowledge of marketing and advertising principles as applied to outside-facing communications

ACCOMPLISHMENTS – TECH DOC AND INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

• Developed, wrote, voiced, edited, produced electronic media; wrote print training materials

• Partnered with clients to analyze audience, develop strategies to address technical documentation needs

• Designed and developed complex technical documentation including business requirements, technical and functional specifications as well as other technical project artifacts, manuals, technical presentations, technical training materials, and complex web content

• Analyzed, recommended and documented technical or business procedures and best practices, identified process gaps, offered alternatives

• Participated actively in developing documentation strategy, policy and guidelines

• Managed projects related to technical/business process implementation

• Edited materials authored by others

• Provided guidance to less experienced writers

• Created user groups and shared information; discussed materials, gained consensus, created final draft training documentation with user groups’ input

EXPERIENCE

Capital Group, Irvine, CA, (through Kforce Staffing) March 2018-September 2018

Technical Writer (Middleware Engineering Team, Security Infrastructure Team)

Wrote technical and non-technical articles for a variety of audiences, created mind-maps describing cloud technology, Data Lake and MS Azure development/implementation

Partnered with clients to analyze audience, develop strategies to address technical documentation needs

Developed an ‘external facing’ web site (Confluence/SharePoint); organized content to provide value-added information such as job aids, product roadmaps, backlog list, etc., to end users who worked outside the Middleware Engineering or Security Infrastructure Teams, and to senior management

Developed website content with members of the Middleware Engineering and Security Infrastructure Team; collaborated with other technology engineers and data scientists supporting reporting and business analytics platforms, as well as PowerCenter technology and multiple security systems

Applied UI design experience to ensure web site develops in an organized and considered manner.

Developed and applied knowledge of Confluence, JIRA, SharePoint, Mind Manager and MS Office applications

Created job aids/instructional materials for IT teams, end users, including reports, visuals, and PowerPoint for a variety of audiences

Authors on the Air, Fort Myers, FL, (Consulting Producer) February 2017-present

Consulting Line Producer, Host, Interviewer, Book Reviewer

Consult on and create web content, print content, promotional/display content for second largest author interview and book review podcast network in United States, with over 3,000,000 listeners in US and overseas per month

Provide ‘continuity voice’ for on-air breaks, drop-ins, phone system and presentations

Participate in Skype calls with management and other host/producers to develop slate of interviews, prep and strategize program/network direction

Review/evaluate works by new and break-through authors; review genre awards nominations and wins with an eye toward audience interest

Critique on-air performance and promos by other host/producers; rewrite and coach as required

Audio recording, editing and production as required; intro and outro music edits and mixes

Host programs with special guests or special topic authors; fill in for unavailable hosts

UXstorm, LLC, Damascus, MD (Consultant) May 2016-present

Marketing Consultant and Technical Writer/E-Media Producer

Create web content, print content, promotional/display content for SAAS development company

Provide ‘company voice’ for phone system and presentation narratives

Participate in Skype calls linking company manager in Washington D.C. area with graphic artist in Croatia and writer in Long Beach: file sharing and file management through Dropbox

Review and polish presentations for web and industrial shows; rewrite and coach as required

Reviewed and polished language in patent applications

Jacobs, Inc., Pasadena, CA (Contract for Peak IT Consultants) July 2013-April 2016

Technical Writer/Instructional Designer/E-Media Producer

With minimal supervision, created, researched, wrote, designed, narrated, edited and published (to video) end-user training for a world-wide real-time project management system

Created lessons through collaboration with subject matter experts, developers, and managers; drew from internal documents including requirements documents and reviews

Took initiative to build ad hoc recording studio in Pasadena office

Participated in detailed project reviews; logged changes required, put changes into place, etc.

Applied technical knowledge and research skills to resolve Oracle UPK audio issues which made e-media useless; solved functionality failure which baffled Oracle for a year

Performed usability review which led to switch to Adobe Captivate for lesson creation

Converted Oracle UPK-based training into Adobe Captivate

Proactively ensured customer satisfaction by soliciting customer response

Union Bank, Orange, CA (Contract for [genuent] IT fluency) March-April 2013

Technical Writer/Business Analyst II

Developed, delivered and published user desktop guides and job aids for internal bank procedures

Collaborated with SMEs, researched operational/policy topics, produced updated P&P documents

Updated and enhanced existing web content, technical documentation and user guides

Cetera Financial, El Segundo, CA (Contract for Aquent Staffing) 2012-2013

Technical Writer/ Training Developer

Researched, developed, produced and published web-based audiovisual learning modules

Interviewed subject matter experts on new workstation features and functions training

Coordinated with vice presidents, senior managers and project manager on training materials

Evaluated editorial reviews from senior managers, revised and compiled into final versions

Demonstrated use of new web-based workstation in words, images, procedures, e- media

Wrote and narrated Captivate lessons, engineered and edited audio, synchronized to visuals

Produced final lesson versions, prepared and delivered to Library Management System

Wrote feature articles for internal publication describing upcoming workstation changes

OptumRx/UnitedHealth Group, Minneapolis, MN 2006-2012

(A Fortune 25/Dow Jones pharmacy benefit management company)

Business Analyst II, Irvine, CA

Developed/delivered user documentation with impact on pharmacy benefit operations for internal IT procedures, reports and processes, training, installation, operation, maintenance, and repair

Extended presentation media to include MindManager mind maps along with PowerPoint

Managed SharePoint sites and calendar

Member of Change Management/ITIL/Incident Management team

Interviewed Subject Matter Experts; produced and tested documentation for usability

EDUCATION

B. Music, Minor in Modern Languages

St. Louis Conservatory, St. Louis, MO

Tom Barclay:

Technical Writer/Instructional Designer/

Tom Barclay is a determined agent for improvement to the quality and flow of information. His insights have saved hours and dollars in every position he’s held. He can do the same for your organization.

Tom learned long ago that the power of story is undiminished (if anything, increased) in the digital age. Whether the learning topic is process documentation, a scholarly publication, internal communication, broadcast continuity, a press release or catalog copy, one thing remains constant: the audience member wants to see themselves in the narrative as they set about learning new skills. As a result, Tom has a large toolbox of software skills including Captivate, Camtasia, MS Office, Skype, Adobe Creative Suite and other business/media applications. And he remembers that people deserve respect as they learn.

Still, in the overall, where’s the value in having a creative thinker dealing with process, workflow, and analysis experience in the house? Here’s a practical example: Tom discovered through research and investigation that a recent client company’s entire online training strategy would fail based on an incompatibility between the chosen e-media platform and the company’s worldwide data network (something neither vendor or IT architects had foreseen). Tom wrote a business case analysis of the problem and proposed a solution, which was accepted by top levels of the client IT management.

Another example: while at a Fortune 100 firm, Tom found that no guide for IT incident management communications existed. Further, there was no source of this critical-path incident management information anywhere in IT. Tom initiated an information map project using Corel MindManager to bridge gaps and connect disparate types of documents. He identified the key IT and Business people for each critical application, system and connection that made the company run. He developed, then shared, a comprehensive one-screen interactive map solution that improved rapid incident response, reduced related costs, cut incident communication redundancies, and got customers’ deliveries moving onto the trucks again. Finally, he created targeted e-mail distribution lists to speed incident management communications across the enterprise.

To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, the dogmas of the past are inadequate to the problems of the present. To identify new solutions and new opportunities, turn to the combination of an open mind and business experience.

Tom is known as “our technical translator” by some clients. A vice president at a Hearst media company told him, “You’re the ideas guy.” These are titles he wears proudly. As well, Tom’s experience in the world of the fine and performing arts has given him a solid comprehension of modern workplace diversity.

Tom is a member of the Association for Talent Development; of Biggerplate, the mindmapping resource center and library; and of both the Instructional Writers and Technical Writers Forums on Linked In.

You can view Tom’s profile on Linked In (Tom Barclay), and visit his Facebook site, Tom Barclay, Tech Writer and Analyst.

You’ll find a broad range of his writing samples at Tom Barclay Writing Samples

An example of his instructional design work and a/v production is at Tom Barclay Captivate A/V Sample

Examples of his design, page layout, print production and copy writing are at CD Music Inside Art CD Music Outside Art

REFERENCES

Reed W. Owens

Manager, UXStorm LLC; ****.*****@*******.***; Cell 301-***-****

Reed Owens is one of my current freelance clients.

Kathleen D. Ashelford,

Manager for Mercury Insurance SOX Project (Retired); ********@*********.***; Cell 310-***-****

Kathleen D. Ashelford was my manager for the last part of my engagement at Mercury Insurance.

Marcia Reed

CEO/CFO (Retired), Sally Ride Science; ******@*****.***; 858-***-****

Marcia Reed engaged me to write a feature story on women in science for The Sally Ride Foundation, now known as Sally Ride Science.

Jeff W. Randall

****.*.*******@*****.***

Jeff Randall was my group’s Director for four of the six years I was at OptumRx.

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