Changing How the World Works.
 
 
  • Feedback:   (5.00 of 5)
  • Percentile: 99%
    Based on 4 feedbacks
Hourly Rate: $30.00
Total oDesk hours:
290
Location:
Colorado Springs, United States (GMT-07:00)
English Skills: (self-assessed)
5.0
Member Since:
November 26, 2007
Last Worked:
November 13, 2008
Current Assignments:
7
Total Assignments:
16
oDesk Ready:  
Yes
 
 
 
 

Virginia O. - Creative and Experienced Technical and Marketing Writer - Freelance Technical Writer, United States

  I am a highly-motivated, creative, and educated technical and marketing writer comfortable with over 20 years experience. I design and write website content for SEO, and I'm comfortable re-working your current content or creating new content from scratch. I transform disorganized masses of information into consistent and usable content for online or hard copy output, including user guides, training guides, and more. I write marketing content including press releases, newsletters,...
See All Work History & Feedback (16 items, 4 with Feedback)
Recent Work History & Feedback
Buyer ID From/To Job Title Paid Feedback
60275 10/2008 - Present Product description web page $35 (1 hrs @ $30.00)
18392 05/2008 - Present Writer $565 (19 hrs @ $30.00)
35742 03/2008 - Present Web Site Copy $79 (3 hrs @ $27.78)
57613 09/2008 - Present Web page content writer $915 (31 hrs @ $30.00)
12712 09/2008 - Present write sales brochure, proposal template and report $60 (2 hrs @ $30.00)
See All Tests Taken (0 items)
oDesk Tests Taken
Name of Test Score Percentile Date Taken Duration
No oDesk tests taken
Recent Candidacies
Job Opening Title Initiated By Date
Web & collateral copywriting for marketing IT services Buyer November 21, 2008
Marketing Writer for Enterprise Software Company Buyer November 20, 2008
Product Sheets, Corporate Brochure Buyer November 19, 2008
Content writer required with exellent english writing skills Provider November 12, 2008
SEO Writing - Article and Content for a website - Ghostwriting Native English Speakers only Provider November 12, 2008
Writer Provider November 11, 2008
Senior Training Manual Writer Provider November 10, 2008
Web site content writer Provider November 5, 2008
Web Copywriter Specialist Provider November 3, 2008
Press Release Expert Needed Provider October 31, 2008
Job Category Interests

Web Development

Writing
Skills
Skill Experience Level Last Used Description
Camtasia Videos 1 yrs 4.0 2008 Adding videos to your website or help content can provide a visual aid that is often quicker and more useful for your users. Videos can include voice over content that can be scripted and then recorded while demonstrating the product, website, or other objects and then watched by your users over their Internet connection or downloaded (much like a Podcast) for convenient and portable viewing. 

Videos can be used to instruct users or demonstrate products, features or best practices to your audience.
Press Releases 2 yrs 4.0 2008 I am efficient at producing clearly written press releases to announce your products and services. I use a standard press release format so that your products get the attention they deserve from the industry.

See an example:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/Identity_Theft/FACT_Act/prweb1466754.htm
Software 4 yrs 4.0 2007 Eclipse 3.2.2, Adobe FrameMaker 5-7.2, Adobe Captivate 2, AuthorIT 4, HomeSite 5, PaintShop Pro 6, DbVisualizer, XML Spy, Rally, instant messaging, and internet browsers
Technical Writing 10 yrs 4.0 2007 XML, HTML, integrated help systems, content management, modular writing, technical writing in Agile software development practices and scrum teams
Web Content 4 yrs 4.0 2008 http://www.truevisiontech.com
I've written and delivered web content for a variety of products and companies. Combining clear writing with creativity, the content I provide is readable and intriguing.
White Papers 3 yrs 3.0 2008 Businesses need readable and highly understandable white papers to clarify their products and services. As a marketing tool, a white paper can ensure that your users know quickly what you can do for them. Knowing how to ask the right questions and do the research is crucial. In my graduate school work, I studied how to write and format white papers that are readable and useful for your business.
Certifications
Date Earned Name Score Percentile Organization Description
No Certifications
Employment History
From To Company Title/Role Description
07/2002 Present XAware, Inc. Technical Writer and Technical Publications Manager / Team Lead Used Adobe FrameMaker and AuthorIT to create a multi-document library supporting an XML-based component set delivered as an Eclipse plugin and used to build data integration web services. The audience was primarily a Development-level audience. Using FrameMaker, manual content management techniques, and conditional text created a single-source repository of content for maximum reusability to support multiple products. Created user-centered instruction sets to describe the use of the product interface and the XML meta-data documents. Worked to create a true single-source solution and produce online help, training materials, and a guided getting started product tour. Later, migrated the content to a SQL Server content management database and used AuthorIT as the front-end tool to write content modules and build help systems of multiple formats (JavaHelp, HTML Help, HTML pages), combining the help systems with XML table of contents files to hook into the XAware Eclipse plugin. Worked in the Eclipse help plugin to design and deliver executable product examples with dynamically loading supporting help to generate a user-centered, functional and easy-to-use example set with full explanations. Designed, maintained, and tested the context-sensitive help links in the help plugin XML files. In addition, as the product grew into an open-source tool, I generated focused tutorials of 1-3 minutes to demonstrate specific features of the product and generate customer interest, and answered questions on the public user forum, as necessary.
04/1997 05/2002 Maxim Group/Aerotek Technical Writer/Web Designer / Independent Contributor As a consultant for The Maxim Group/Aerotek, I had the unique and challenging opportunity to design and build an internet help system as part of the latest internet-based telecommunications products for MCI WorldCom. This position involved a heavy amount of design, html, javascript, testing and technical writing. In addition, I often had the opportunity to provide input for on-screen text and instructions as part of the development cycle for this product. The product requirements changed often, which made for a very fast-paced work schedule, requiring a great deal of flexibility and personal motivation. The emerging internet technologies required constant learning to ensure the help system was the best possible.
05/2000 01/2002 ChannelPoint Senior Technical Writer / Independent Contributor I used Adobe FrameMaker to create api documentation primarily for a developer audience in support of the Java-based ChannelPoint Software Development Kit (SDK). The SDK was built to let customers quickly and easily create an electronic business solution for the global insurance industry. I gathered information using the documented Java packages. I assisted in writing text to be included in the javadocs for each release. Generated and converted Acrobat files for online and CD distribution. I maintained existing FrameMaker and jhtml-based documentation. Used Visio and PaintShop Pro to create diagrams and screen captures for the documentation. I routinely requested feedback from engineering team members to ensure on-schedule delivery of a quality product.
Other Experience
Publications

Designing and Planning Modular Content Projects, Intercom, September/October, 2006 (http://www.stc.org/intercom/PDFs/2006/20069-10_20-22.pdf)

 

Agile Development: Challenges and Opportunities, Intercom, February, 2007 (http://www.stc.org/intercom/PDFs/2007/200702_16-18.pdf)
Education
From To School Degree Area of Study Description
09/2004 12/2006 Utah State University Masters Technical Communication Graduating with full honors with a Master’s of Science in Technical Communication in December, 2006. Received two scholarships for educational excellence in 2005 and 2006.
09/1990 05/1992 University of Texas at Arlington Other English Completed 24 hours of graduate courses in English.
09/1984 06/1989 Texas Woman's University Bachelors English Graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in English and a minor in Sociology. Received a scholarship for academic excellence in 1989.
No items in portfolio
Hourly Assignment History
Buyer ID From/To Job Title Paid Feedback
60275 10/2008 - Present Product description web page $35 (1 hrs @ $30.00)
18392 05/2008 - Present Writer $565 (19 hrs @ $30.00)
35742 03/2008 - Present Web Site Copy $79 (3 hrs @ $27.78)
57613 09/2008 - Present Web page content writer $915 (31 hrs @ $30.00)
12712 09/2008 - Present write sales brochure, proposal template and report $60 (2 hrs @ $30.00)
31380 02/2008 - Present Web content writing-simple reviews and guides $1,648 (99 hrs @ $16.67)
62206 11/2008 - 11/2008 Website copyrighting/editing $64 (4 hrs @ $16.67)
28461 09/2008 - 10/2008 Technical Writer ( Web Content ) $575 (19 hrs @ $30.00)
28114 08/2008 - 09/2008 Copywriter for Web Based Service $420 (14 hrs @ $30.00)
44466 07/2008 - 08/2008 Technical writer (with excellent communication and sales skills) for services page $425 (14 hrs @ $30.00)
29801 05/2008 - 05/2008 Technical Writer $22 (1 hrs @ $18.89)
30416 05/2008 - 05/2008 Technical writer for software company $1,213 (44 hrs @ $27.78)
31053 01/2008 - 02/2008 Technical Writer $278 (10 hrs @ $27.78)
18392 12/2007 - 01/2008 Courseware/Instructional Training materials $729 (30 hrs @ $24.44)
Fixed-Price Assignment History
Buyer ID From/To Job Title Paid Feedback
61745 11/2008 - Present Copywriter - website content $56
36142 11/2008 - 11/2008 Copy Writer - Web Site Content $133
oDesk Tests Taken
Name of Test Score Percentile Date Taken Duration
No oDesk tests taken