1. Optimizing your Portfolio North Bay STC 3/17/2011 © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Overview 1. Context 2. Goals 3. What should be in your portfolio 4. How to display your portfolio 5. What to do if it’s proprietary 6. Q & A

3. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. 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, champion My sources  (1) industry hiring managers, (2) research into trends, (3) job descriptions, (4) candidates

4. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. Goals Keep you sane Let you secure work reliably and efficiently Give you ideas and hope Anticipate and address issues

5. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. 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?

6. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. 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

7. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. What to include Three kinds of software doc content  Procedural  Conceptual  Reference Three contexts for delivering that info  Linear prose  Task-based help  Instructional

8. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. What to include, pt 2 Prove you can organize, write, & publish:  a table of contents  conceptual material  procedural material  reference material  a glossary  an index

9. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. 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)  Use cases (for all)

10. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. How to present it Keys to effective portfolio presentation:  Accessibility  Relevance  Context

11. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. Accessibility Put it online  LinkedIn profile (box.net, Creative Portfolio Display app)  Website you control (private directory, private user/pw)  Email (YouSendIt.com for large attachments)

12. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. Relevance Based on HM’s requirements:  Explain how you approached similar challenges  Explain what you delivered and why  Discuss what you learned  Identify how you succeeded

13. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. 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?

14. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. But it’s proprietary! Bring solutions to achieve mutual goals  Have prospect sign an NDA too  Neuter proprietary content  Redact  Ask ex-boss for permission  Ask IP owner’s Legal Dept for permission  Take names, addresses, SSNs

15. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. Build a Dev-Doc Portfolio Create your own rewrites of public domain doc  See synergistech.com/dev-doc-portfolio.shtml for eg’s Demonstrate  familiarity with technical subject material  understanding of audience's needs  working knowledge of authoring tools, and  motivation, initiative Create before-and-after samples

16. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. But don’t…  Don’t say “I can learn anything; just teach me.”  Don’t say “I can’t show you my samples.”  Don’t make your inexperience (with their product, technology, tools, culture, dev environment) their problem.  Do minimize their risk!

17. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. If you’re new to the business  Read the Catch-22 article  www.synergistech.com/catch22.shtml  Find ways to show  Initiative  Motivation  You can overcome the gap in subject-matter knowledge  You’re a good investment, not a liability

18. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved. Interested? Intrigued? Let’s talk. Andrew Davis, recruiter 408-395-8178 ext. 105 C: 650-271-0148 andrewd@contentrules.com www.contentrules.com/jobs

19. © 2011. Content Rules, Inc. All rights reserved.