Technical Writer
Resume:
Scott Kalar
512-***-**** *********@*******.*** linkedin.com/in/scott-kalar/
SENIOR TECHNICAL WRITER
Structured Documentation Agile Development Quality Content I’m an experienced technical writer who feels passionately about creating useful documentation that helps customers to understand their products as thoroughly as necessary to start using them as early – and as easily! – as possible. When generating and managing effective documentation sets, I’m comfortable collaborating with developers, QA testers, project managers, marketers, and customers.
● Seasoned writer and editor with over two decades of experience creating and managing internal and external content
● Expertise in content development and use of DITA/XML to create structured documentation
● Progressively promoted leader experienced with translation, release documentation, editorial standards, and agile work environments
● Skilled with various technology tools, including XMetaL, RoboHELP/HTML, FrameMaker, Madcap Flare, DITA, HTML, XML, SGML, Confluence, SharePoint, Acrobat, Photoshop, Outlook, Word, SVN, CVS, and many more RECENT EXPERIENCE
VARIOUS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS 2023-2024
Substitute & Student Teacher
● Substitute taught in public middle and high schools in Duluth and nearby districts
● Student taught high school biology
● Coached middle school boys basketball team
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE EXPERIENCE
LIQUIBASE 2022
Information Architect & Technical Writer
● Performed content analysis on documentation set
● Redesigned Getting Started content and introduced writing styles and standards PING IDENTITY 2019-2021
Information Architect & Senior Technical Writer
● As a member of the Knowledge Management Leadership team, formulated content strategies and designed the structure of company documentation and learning environments
● Established best practices from usability and architectural perspectives
● Updated and published six deliverables every two to six months
● Coordinated with peers and developers to improve API documentation
● Converted documents from Flare to DITA
WRITING EXPERIENCE
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR 2015-2019
Senior Technical Writer & DITA Specialist
● Implemented DITA/XML-based frameworks to address translation needs and facilitate content reuse
● Created XSLT customizations for PDF deliverables
● Finalized a French Canadian translation that saved 30% in costs while requiring half as much time to complete
● Provided directions for installing, configuring, and managing games and gaming platforms Scott Kalar
Page 2-512-***-**** **********@*******.*** linkedin.com/in/scott-kalar/ BROADWAY TECHNOLOGY 2014-2015
Documentation Manager
● Identified and prioritized documentation gaps, created a plan to address them, and developed the company’s documentation strategy
● Responsible for 90 percent of release documentation, including release notes, for internal and external audiences
● Created company Style Guide and maintained internal integration and implementation documents on Confluence wiki LIFESIZE (A DIVISION OF LOGITECH) 2011-2013
Senior Technical Writer & Usability Specialist
● Delivered online help, user guides, administrator guides, Quick Reference Cards, and release notes
● Reviewed and maintained translation files for as many as 13 languages
● As a member of the User Experience and Communications team, provided design input for user interface
● Pioneered DITA-based processing of XML topics to facilitate single-sourcing
● Maintained internal integration documents on Confluence wiki and JIRA BAZAARVOICE 2010-2011
Senior Technical Writer
● Identified and prioritized documentation gaps, created a plan to address them, and developed the company’s documentation strategy
● Implemented DITA-based processing of XML topics to facilitate single-sourcing of content
● Responsible for 100 percent of release documentation, including feature guides, worksheets, and release notes
● Created content pertaining to eCommerce platforms, integrations and implementations, XML APIs and data feeds, web analytics, and search-engine optimization
● Maintained internal integration and implementation documents on Confluence wiki and SharePoint intranet
● Managed a contractor who reported directly to me BORLAND SOFTWARE 2007-2010
Senior Technical Writer & Editor
● As a member of the cross-documentation architecture team (X-DAT), I devised and established group-wide standards and recommendations
● Edited content produced by 10 different writers
● Used XMetaL 5.5 to create DITA-based Style Guide and Structured Documentation Guide
● Delivered Installation and Configuration Guide and Help for data warehouse product in a true agile environment with three- week sprints
ADDITIONAL WRITING EXPERIENCE
SURGIENT, INC. Senior Technical Writer 2004-2007
TORCHQUEST Senior Technical Writer 2002-2003
SALION Senior Technical Writer & Content Strategist 2001-2002 BALEO Technical Writer 2000
IBM Technical Writer & Information Developer 1996-2000 More career highlights and details for positions before 2007 are available on my LinkedIn profile. Scott Kalar
Page 3-512-***-**** **********@*******.*** linkedin.com/in/scott-kalar/ EDUCATION & CONTINUED LEARNING
Master of Science, Communications (Broadcast Journalism) North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
Graduate thesis, A Statistical Evaluation of the Media Selection of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, published by University Press Bachelor of Science, Zoology
North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
Teaching Certification (High School Science)
Unfinished, but I completed graduate-level classes in Education and Psychology while student teaching Bemidji State University, Bemidji, MN
Reservist, U.S. Navy, Bloomington, MN
Human-Computer Interface design certificate, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute / Coveo Academy Training for Analytics and SEO LavaCon 2019 / Certificate for Project Management Excellence, IBM / Ixiasoft CMS training Multiple IBM writing awards for TCP/IP, digital certificates, and editorial work on DHCP and DNS Redbook
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