About me

Language and writing skills

I possess excellent command of English and always strive to produce grammatically immaculate, readable, and cohesive content. I also write profiently in academic Finnish. I am adept at designing, producing, and editing textual content and skilled at preparing presentations.

Knowledge on and desire to produce usable documentation

What I strive for as a writer is to produce user-centred documentation, i.e., content designed, written, and updated with a specific group of user-readers in mind.

For users, documentation should be efficient to use, meaning that they are able to fulfil their information needs with the content provided in the documentation. Efficiency can be considered a component of usability, which comprises such aspects as comprehensibility, legibility, coherency, findability, and accessibility. Ensuring these aspects are implemented in documentation is typically the technical writer’s responsibility.

Often what this boils down to is consciously putting aside one’s personal expertise and knowledge on a subject. Instead, writer should assume the reader’s point of view.

Technical skills

I have experience in using the following applications:

• DITA XML
• ASD Simplified Technical English
• Ixiasoft CCMS
• Oxygen XML editor
• Autocad Fusion 360
• Microsoft 365
• Adobe Illustrator
• Abode Photoshop
• Abode Indesign
• Visual Studio Code and Git
• HTML and CSS

Research skills

I have experience of the following tools and methods:

• Conducting interviews (focus groups)
• Analysing qualitative research data
• SPSS Statistics
• Antconc

Procedural thinking and organisational skills

In all areas of life, I hold in high regard a systematic and goal-oriented approach to projects. Be it a course paper, a work assignment, or a leisurely writing project, I find the most efficient course of action is to divide it into concrete phases and set a deadline for each individual phase. As per Desmond Tutu, the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

This type of procedural approach requires self-management and time-management and yields the most effective results. As evidence, I have never missed a project deadline and completed my studies perfectly on schedule even despite the hassle of the Covid pandemic.

Teamwork skills

As team member, I value open and respectful communication as well as active listening. I believe the performance of a team is most effective when the personal strengths of each team member are put to appropriate use. This often requires taking into consideration the preferences and skills of the team members and by adapting the team’s composition to make the most of each member’s qualities.

Confidence and desire for continuous learning

When I receive a writing assignment, I take it on with a strong conviction that I can complete it, even in cases where the genre or format is unfamiliar to me. This does not mean that I'm an arrogant writer – someone who produces text and deems it flawless in its unedited form, for instance. Rather, confidence develops through experience and expertise, which in turn result from diligent practice and the ability to accept constructive criticism and embrace change. My perspective is that I can never be the omniscient writer who no longer has anything new to learn. My skillset is never completed, which is actually quite a thrilling thought.

Critical thinking

Critical thinking can refer to evaluating the effectiveness of current solutions, working methods, or designs. It can help to identify the aspects of a design that are inefficient, outdated, or otherwise unnecessary.

At the beginning of my university studies, I quickly found that the learning strategies that had I had adopted previously were no longer effective enough to produce high marks. If I wanted to make the most of my studies, these methods needed a complete revamp. Acquiring a new learning strategy was, at first, uncomfortable but eventually proved prolific.

This example illustrates that, although the process of critical thinking involves just that – the critical assessment of something – identifying the need for change is not enough. The logical next step is to implement changes and to continue evaluating their effectiveness. Change may require a step out of one’s comfort zone, but progress is often possible only through change and innovation.

Curiosity

In the world of technical writing, writers can come across topics, products, designs, or phenomena with which they are unfamiliar. Curiosity is a fruitful skill in situations where one must take on a strange domain.

Being able to ask questions, even in situations where one might feel stupid for doing so, is a beneficial skill. This holds true especially when one’s job description includes writing instructions on topics which may not always fall under one’s personal expertise. If there is something I need or want to know, the most effective way to get answers is by asking questions.

I would proceed to claim that curiosity is a characteristic which can be also cultivated. Even if I have no previous interest in a particular subject, making the effort to delve into it can be a wonderful learning experience and even make my world a little wider.

Flexibility

As much I hate to admit it, projects and assignments don’t always progress as planned. Deadlines may change, motivation may fluctuate, or a certain phase may prove more demanding than expected.

Flexibility in such situations entails identifying the problem and revising plans and schedules to maintain momentum. For example, if my motivation for a certain task is low, I can work on something else today and return to the task tomorrow.