Technical Writer Learning Atlassian

Rick Lehtinen March 5, 2021

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

11 comments

Comment

Log in or Sign up to comment
Deepanshu Natani
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
March 5, 2021

Hi @Rick Lehtinen 

Welcome to the Community! Be sure to check out product collections and Friday Fun.

Since you are experienced with service now, Jira Service Management might be of your interest.

Check out this link for quick start up guide for JSM: https://confluence.atlassian.com/servicemanagementserver/getting-started-with-jira-service-management-939926015.html

Like Jimmy Seddon likes this
Kristján Geir Mathiesen
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
March 5, 2021

Welcome @Rick Lehtinen  

This YouTube channel might be of interest to you -> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNpoN5CO_xVHjHLMaU4h02w  (not mine)

HTH,
KGM

Like Jimmy Seddon likes this
Matthias Gaiser _K15t_
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
March 7, 2021

@Kristján Geir Mathiesen I get a 404 error when opening your link. Is it the correct one?

Kristján Geir Mathiesen
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
March 8, 2021

Thanks for pointing that out.  No, sorry. Here is a link to one of the videos -> https://youtu.be/hBj8ZrQbWlQ 

Thanks, KGM

Fabian A. Lopez (Community Leader - Argentina, Florida, California)
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
March 5, 2021

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.

Like # people like this
Matthias Gaiser _K15t_
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
March 7, 2021

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.

Like Matt Reiner _K15t_ likes this
Matt Reiner _K15t_
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
March 8, 2021

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.

Like Matthias Gaiser _K15t_ likes this
Bill Bailey
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
March 5, 2021

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.

Like # people like this
Malka Jackson [Isos Technology]
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
March 8, 2021

Love the idea of using it as a resume site

John Funk
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
March 6, 2021

Hello and Welcome, Rick!

We are glad you are here!!

Adam Rypel _MoroSystems_
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
March 8, 2021

Welcome @Rick Lehtinen !

Malka Jackson [Isos Technology]
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
March 8, 2021

Hello and welcome @Rick Lehtinen

Erica Moss
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
March 8, 2021

@Rick Lehtinen Welcome to the Community!

Sharon Helms
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
March 8, 2021

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.

Danno
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
March 8, 2021

@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.

https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/free 

Brant Schroeder
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
March 9, 2021

@Rick Lehtinen welcome aboard, you should also attend Team 21 https://events.atlassian.com/team21

TAGS
AUG Leaders

Atlassian Community Events