Look for this symbol marking our NEWEST updates! Check out our LINKS section! Articles focused on Girls, Women, Linking Kids to Computers, Internships & Fellowships, Scholarships, Contests and MUCH MORE! Tell Us What You Think! Complete our Visitor Survey Today!   Chief Technology Officer IT Systems Manager Vice President/District Manager Engineering Services Manager Business Analyst Vice President and Client Partner Technical Communications Manager Computer Animator   My Job Description… I manage a Technical Communications department. My company's software products make it easier for companies and employees to follow business processes, such as entering expense reports or keeping timesheets. The cool thing about our products is that the employee can be anywhere in the world and can use the Internet to run the product and enter their expense report. My department writes the online help that teaches the employees how to use our product. And How I Got It… I worked my way up to it. I started as your basic Technical Writer. I got my first technical writing job at a small company where I had worked as a secretary/receptionist. The boss saw that I could write, so when the company marketed a software product and needed a User's Guide, I offered to write the book for them and they agreed. I worked for that company for three years, then went to another company as a Senior Technical Writer. Several years later, at yet another company, one of the managers in the writing department left and I was promoted. That was my first job managing technical writers. And Why I Was Well Suited For It (And It For Me)… I was suited for it because I had a talent for writing and a logical way of thinking. It suited me because I enjoy writing, and I am challenged by the changing technology. However, for me, the best thing about technical writing has turned out to be that I can do it and still have time for my family. I have always worked hard and gained a good, reliable reputation wherever I worked, so I have been able to negotiate unusual arrangements with my employers. I have been able to work both part-time and full-time; I have done a job share; I have been able to telecommute from a home office; I have worked free-lance. This flexibility has allowed me to be with my children much more than many working mothers are able. When I’m Not Working, I’m… Loving my children and my husband. I spend all my free time with them. We go to the mountains, the beach, skiing, or whatever, but the main point of these activities, in my view, is to have fun with them. For myself, when my kids are older, I look forward to taking singing lessons and spending more time in the beautiful Trinity Mountains.