Michael McGovern
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Objective
I seek a job using my skills with people and project management, software, and creating printed and online technical documentation.
Professional Experience
Campus Management Corporation Boca Raton, FL 7/08 – present
Senior Technical Writer Permanent position creating and revising documents for campus administration software based on VB6, .NET, and SQL. Used RoboHelp, Microsoft Word, PhotoShop, Paint Shop Pro, and the VSS content management system. Created RoboHelp, Word, and CSS styles and templates.
Visa, Incorporated Miami, FL 3/08 – 7/08
Technical Writer Contract position creating and revising documents of help desk procedures for network administration, equipment deployment (computers, servers, and printers), and system security auditing. Used Microsoft Word, PhotoShop, Paint Shop Pro, and the Livelink content management system. Created Word styles and templates.
MetiLinx, Incorporated Miami, FL 10/06 – 3/08
Principal Technical Writer Permanent position creating and revising online help for a web-based database management product. Used Microsoft Word, RoboHelp for Word and HTML, PhotoShop, Paint Shop Pro, and SQL 2000/2005. Revised 450 existing (and 50 new) topics, including 650 graphics. Installed, configured, and used the product for technical review of procedures, concepts, and graphics. Created Word styles and templates. Delivered online help in WinHelp, WebHelp, and Microsoft HTML Help formats.
GeoFocus, LLC Boca Raton, FL 12/05 – 04/06
Principal Technical Writer Contract position writing a parts catalog (including creating the document template and style formats) for a manufacturer of control and communication hardware and software products for Light Rail Vehicles. Revised parts lists, managed ECN procedure for all documents. Edited AutoCAD drawings to add part number callouts. Developed part catalog template. Worked in Word, FrameMaker, AutoCAD, and CorelDraw.
Lydian Data Services Boca Raton, FL 9/05 – 12/05
Principal Technical Writer Contract position. Sole writer on policy, procedure, and report documents required for Lydian to pass a SAS 70 audit. Wrote in MS Word.
Citrix Systems, Incorporated Fort Lauderdale, FL 6/04 – 7/05
Principal Technical Writer Principal writer on Administrator Guide for thin-client secure access systems. Designed, researched, and wrote new documents on advanced authentication, email access, and protection of intellectual property. Revised existing product installation and configuration books. Wrote in FrameMaker. Designed, researched, and wrote a manual explaining to new hires the tools, procedures, and knowledge required to “ramp up” quickly at Citrix. Laid off when the software product I wrote for was replaced by hardware.
Stratus Technologies Maynard, MA 2/04 – 5/04
Principal Technical Writer Contract position. Principal writer on port of Intel/Windows-based fault-tolerant server hardware to Stratus-proprietary Linux environment. Wrote in FrameMaker.
The Systems Group Glastonbury, CT 6/03 – 8/03
Principal Technical Writer Contract position. Project manager and principal writer documenting an RFID-based inventory management software product. Wrote in Microsoft Word.
AppIQ Burlington, MA 3/02 - 7/02
Principal Technical Writer Sole writer for startup company. Created new API and end-user documentation for WAN-based data-storage products. Wrote in FrameMaker, RoboHelp, and Word. Developed technical documentation and marketing materials. Laid off during downsizing of Research and Development staff.
Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) Needham, MA 6/98 - 11/01
Principal Technical Writer/Group Leader Developed hardcopy and web-based API manuals for MCAD software. The APIs were written in C, C++, and Java. Created and revised existing system administrator and end-user documents. Worked in Unix (Solaris) environment. Wrote in FrameMaker, WebPublisher Professional, and Word. Developed FrameMaker styles and templates. Created WebPublisher project templates and CSS files. Edited, compiled, and submitted HTML files, C header files, and documentation files stripped from CIDL files. Revised code of C-based documentation tools. Worked with QA and Code Integration departments to ensure correct build of API manuals. Created graphics with Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, and Fireworks. Supervised group of three writers. Responsible for staffing, project scheduling, peer technical review, and software tool selection. Worked simultaneously with multiple engineering groups on different projects. Laid off during downsizing.
Imaging Technology Incorporated Bedford, MA 4/95 - 6/98
Principal Technical Writer Developed, wrote, reviewed, and edited end-user and system administrator manuals for C-based image processing APIs. Created new documentation and edited existing books in Unix (Solaris) environment. Produced hardcopy documents in Interleaf. Produced WinHelp on-line documents with Word and RoboHelp. Prepared data for delivery on CD-ROM. Scheduled documentation projects. Developed single-source documents for use as hardcopy, context-sensitive help, and web-displayed support. Developed methods for converting documents among hardware and software platforms. Worked in Windows 95/NT and UNIX environments. ISO 9000 Auditor.
Software House Waltham, MA 7/93 - 2/95
Manager, Technical Documentation Managed technical writing department. Created and revised end-user and system administrator documentation for facility security products. Used MS Word in Mac OS environment. Designed, wrote, edited, and did pre-press production on technical and training documents. Designed on-line help for Macintosh- and PC-based software products. Worked with and maintained Windows 95, Macintosh, and VAX/VMS systems. Scheduled documentation projects. Forecasted requirements for hardware, software, and personnel. Developed style and procedure guides. Developed print-on-demand system and procedure for electronic submission of all documents to print vendor.
Waters-Millipore Milford, MA 5/93 - 7/93
Senior Technical Writer Contract position. Created user manual for a new High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) product in MacOS environment. Combined two old manuals and added new technical data. Wrote in MS Word.
Process Software Framingham, MA 10/92 - 4/93
Senior Technical Writer Revised system administrator and end-user manuals for VAX/VMS-based networking products. Wrote in Interleaf on Unix (Solaris) environment. One project was a TCP-IP networking tool, the other a network data compression product. Put both manuals onto CD-ROM in PostScript format.
Digital Equipment Corporation Marlborough, MA 4/87 - 8/92
Senior Technical Writer Wrote end-user, system administrator, technical, training manuals and procedures for applying new manufacturing processes and technology to product development. Performed system management on networked VAX/VMS computers. ISO 9000 Auditor. Wrote in the VAX Document text markup tool.
Wang Laboratories, Incorporated Lowell, MA 3/86 - 4/87
Software Technical Writer Researched, tested, wrote, and edited technical information on hardware and software products for a monthly customer magazine. Deadlines were tight and the reviewer list was large. The magazine was approximately 60 pages per month and had an international distribution. Translation into many languages required clear, concise, non-idiomatic English and specific technical terminology. Wrote in the Wang WPS word processing product.
Allmerica Financial Worcester, MA 12/84 - 3/86
Software Engineer Developed, coded, tested, implemented, and maintained financial application software. Documented all new code. Wrote PL/I and JCL code for IBM 4381 and 3090 platforms in an S/370-XA MVS/Panvalet/TSO environment.
Education
Tufts University BA in English/Biology
Cambridge Institute of Computer Programming Certificate in Software Engineering
References
Tara Asch, Manager, Campus Management Corporation, [login to view URL]
Eden Evans, Manager, Campus Management Corporation, [login to view URL]
Julio Perez, Development Manager, MetiLinx, Inc. [login to view URL]
Mark Thomas, Documentation Manager, Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC), [login to view URL]
Leslie Musa, Project Leader for new employee handbook, Citrix Systems, Incorporated, [login to view URL]
Russ Beaulieu, Documentation Manager, Imaging Technology (now Coreco, Incorporated), [login to view URL]
