Greetings, Atlassian People!
I'm a technical writer (20+ years) with a little bit of experience with these great products, gathered when I was embedded in the DevOps team for IO Data Centers (now Iron Mountain) here in Phoenix. I am experienced with ServiceNow, but I see increased calls for Confluence and Jira in job descriptions, and I want to be on the bus. Would love a few Quick-start tips as my most recent contract is ended, and I am ramping up the "next gig hunt", and using the interim for upskilling.
I started writing about technology at Broadcast Engineering magazine (5- years), then moved into semiconductors, then IT. Cisco Networking Academy was a wonderful gig, and I wrote courseware and then did train-the-trainer work. I was working up some exam questions when I was invited to document a new Cisco product, and I have done product guides, user manuals, SOPs, and policy and procedure documents ever since.
Current passion: I am back in night school soaking up math to become familiar with Data Science, ML, and AI. Also in a training program called Quibit-by-Quibit offered by IBM / Code School.
Current Hobbies: Organic Gardening and playing the tuba.
Thank You!
Cheers,
Rick Lehtinen
Welcome @Rick Lehtinen
This YouTube channel might be of interest to you -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNpoN5CO_xVHjHLMaU4h02w (not mine)
HTH,
KGM
@Kristján Geir Mathiesen I get a 404 error when opening your link. Is it the correct one?
Thanks for pointing that out. No, sorry. Here is a link to one of the videos -> https://youtu.be/hBj8ZrQbWlQ
Thanks, KGM
Welcome aboard!!!
you should add to your network Matt Reiner and also access his blogpost about Rock the Docs (www.k15t.com). Contact me as I think we have an opening in our company as well.
Thanks again @Fabian A. Lopez (Community Leader - Argentina, Florida, California)!
Here's also the direct link to our rock the docs page where we try to give tips and advice for technical documentation inside Confluence.
And I'm sure @Matt Reiner _K15t_ is happy to talk to you.
Hi again @Rick Lehtinen
Funny meeting you on another thread. :)
I do hope Rock the Docs is a good resource for you, and let me know if you'd like a look around. I'm always happy to show how we're creating documentation in Confluence.
Having been a tech writer for nearly 20 years, I can recommend Confluence highly for documentation. I loved using FrameMaker, but while Confluence doesn't have the same amount of functions, it is a much better platform for collaboration.
My suggestion would be to get a free cloud account to start playing with it. You could even use it like a resume site. Even if the free version is limited, you can gain some experience in using the editor (and its limitations). It will allow you to check the box when they ask about Confluence experience.
What can really help is getting certified as an admin. I have acted as the Confluence admin for a few companies now. It both gives you more tools to solve problems, and give you value-adds.
Love the idea of using it as a resume site
Hello and Welcome, Rick!
We are glad you are here!!
Welcome @Rick Lehtinen !
@Rick Lehtinen Welcome to the Community!
Welcome, @Rick Lehtinen! I'm also a Technical Writer and can say that my knowledge of Atlassian products has helped me find new work. I'd recommend both exploring this Community and also considering checking out Atlassian University both training and certification modules. Being able to apply for Confluence admin roles has helped open up some additional doors as well.
@Rick Lehtinenyou mention wanting to get on the bus. Sign up for the free account for Jira and Confluence to try things out. Look for free training as well.
@Rick Lehtinen welcome aboard, you should also attend Team 21 https://events.atlassian.com/team21