Jaret Basden

Technical Writer / Editor

Seattle, WA

Summary

Brings 9+ years of experience writing and editing high-quality content for software including UI text, online help, context-sensitive help, API documentation, guides, and video scripts
Has strong experience working with advanced technical concepts including REST / SOAP APIs, accounting, relational databases, and Enterprise Resourcing Planning (ERP) software.
Excels at gathering information through research and interviews and then synthesizing the information into concise and clear content.
Collaborates with others using tact and diplomacy

Technical Skills

HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON, XML, GitHub, Madcap Flare, Adobe RoboHelp, Photoshop, Google Analytics, SalesForce, TechSmith SnagIt, Microsoft Word, Visio, Excel, TFS, JIRA, Postman

Work History

Technical Writer (Contractor) @ Microsoft	July 2022 -- December 2023, Seattle, WA
Designit

Worked remotely on Azure Monitor documentation in a docs-as-code environment. Azure Monitor collects and acts on telemetry data from the cloud and hybrid cloud.

Collaborated with Product Managers, Software Developers, and Content Developers to add, improve, and restructure API, SDK, and end-user documentation by using Git, GitHub, and Markdown.
Incorporated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into documentation.
Built the Azure Monitor Documentation Archive.

Technical Writer (Contractor) @ ADP	January 2022 -- June 2022, Seattle, WA
Matlen Silver

Worked remotely on a six-month contract for ADP. ADP is a global provider of cloud-based human capital management (HCM) solutions.

Supported the conversion of ~5k unstructured business documents into DITA/XML-based content to transform the associate experience and improve first-call resolution.
Executed the application of a new enterprise taxonomy for critical business knowledge.

Technical Editor (Contractor) @ Bluetooth SIG	August 2019 -- December 2021, Kirkland, WA
Protingent

Working onsite at Bluetooth SIG on the Tech Pubs group in the Specification Management team in a fast-paced content development cycle of two-week sprints.

Edit new and enhanced technical specifications drafted by contributors in Working Groups.
Integrate change requests and incorporate issues and errata into specifications using Microsoft Word.
Deal with ambiguity to resolve issues and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
Use strong interpersonal skills to interact with subject matter experts.
Provide suggestions for improving internal documentation.
Attend sprint planning, stand-up, and retrospective meetings.
Use Microsoft Teams and Trello with Markdown to communicate the status of projects.
Use OneDrive to share documents and collaborate with teammates.
Received three contract extensions.

Technical Writer	June 2016 -- April 2019, Bellevue, WA
Donnelley Financial Solutions

Responsible for authoring documentation for ActiveDisclosure software and data products. ActiveDisclosure is a SaaS application used by teams to prepare financial documents and then submit filings to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Data products included APIs and search tools.

Authored online help for ActiveDisclosure using Flare / Robohelp and GitHub / TFS for version control. Contributed to adding reading time to help topics and tracked file downloads and mouse clicks in help using JavaScript, HTML, and Google Analytics Events.
Wrote UI text for ActiveDisclosure including warning messages and help text.
Drafted scripts and served as subject matter expert for ActiveDisclosure help videos composed by the Technical Content Strategist.
Authored documentation for SOAP / REST APIs that retrieve financial data and served as a subject matter expert to contribute to resolving Support cases. Assisted in migrating API documentation to a new hosting site and authored 115-page guide for internal tool used to configure custom data entitlements.
Mentored new technical writer including by peer editing troubleshooting articles for internal knowledge base to organize into a Symptoms, Cause, and Resolution format and optimize findability.
Progressively took on more responsibility and was promoted in April 2018.

Technical Writer / Information Architect	June 2013 -- January 2016, Renton, WA
Tyler Technologies

Tyler Technologies creates empowering software solutions for the public sector. Collaborated with a small team to create help and advertising documentation and participated in software design.

Converted large help system from Adobe RoboHelp 9 to MadCap Flare 10. Used creative problem-solving abilities to quickly fix importing issues and developed conversion workflow.
Authored clear content for complex software:

Wrote training documents, help documentation including context-sensitive help, and What's New summaries, and updated the existing documentation to reflect new features.
Addressed users of 15 modules of Eden ERP software and all modules of SaaS-capable CAFR Statement Builder reporting software.

Interviewed subject matter experts. Conducted effective interviews by asking thoroughly researched questions after researching project documents.
Contributed to quality assurance. Rigorously tested unreleased new features and reported issues and bugs to product development for resolving prior to release date.
Produced high-quality help documentation using MadCap Flare. Used advanced production and information architecture techniques and produced HTML5, WebHelp, HTML Help (CHM), and paper outputs.
Reviewed communication materials. Peer edited blogs authored by Support team and Business Analysts to address issues, translate messages, and steward the Tyler brand.
Advocated for the user's perspective in software design. Provided feedback on software functionality for a satisfying user experience. Wrote task-based error and warning messages.

Education

University of Washington, College of Engineering (Seattle)
Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering
Major: B.S., Technical Communication, Major GPA: 3.6, Cumulative GPA: 3.4

Coursework:

Software User Assistance
Communication Design and Rationale
Style in Scientific and Technical Writing
Scientific and Technical Communication
Visuals in Technical Communication
Web Design and Publishing
Technical Editing
Writing a Scientific News Article for a General Audience
Writing Creative Non-Fiction
Writing a News Feature Story
Basic Educational Statistics

Seattle Community College (North, Central, South)
Associate of Science Transfer Degree

Coursework:

Intro to Programming (HTML, JavaScript)
Computer Programming I (Java)
Calculus I, II, III
Engineering Physics I, II, III
General Chemistry I, II
Statics
Mechanics of Materials
Dynamics