Title: Manager, Technical Writing
How long have you been at LogicMonitor?
I joined two years ago when LogicMonitor acquired Unomaly.
What has your career growth been like at LogicMonitor?
It’s been pretty great. I joined as a Sr. Technical Writer, was promoted to Team Lead after a year and a half, and now I’m the Manager of a growing team of technical writers.
I never thought I wanted to be a manager until I got the opportunity to hire and build a team.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I’ve had the opportunity to do more than just be a writer, but to also apply the experiences and knowledge I’ve picked up over the course of my career and contribute to or lead in areas such as building a technical writing team, defining our identity as a team and how we collaborate with other teams, as well as redesigning our technical product documentation.
It’s been exciting to see the writers start to integrate into the engineering teams, be more vocal in product discussions, and collaborate with designers to improve the product copy. As the team grows, I expect we will make a bigger and more positive impact on our customers and their success.
What do you find most challenging about your job?
As a new manager, the most challenging part of my job has been making sure that the writers on my team can work effectively with their mission teams (engineers and product managers) when they aren’t always in compatible time zones. This has meant shifting writers onto different teams when possible, but because we are still a small team it is not always an option and also means that I am working to hire more writers. I’m lucky to have the support of great managers and teammates.
If you could learn one new professional skill, what would it be?
Project management would come in handy right now. I’m juggling a few different hats while I’m transitioning into my role as a manager!
What advice would you give to other people in your field of work?
Well-defined processes and writing guidelines contribute more to excellent documentation than tooling.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Step away from the computer! I like to work out (strength training or cardio) or just get outdoors and walk.
If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?
I’ve kept in touch with many of my former managers and am fortunate enough to have a “board of mentors” who are always willing to offer their professional support and guidance.
What is your favorite way to relax?
Knitting (usually a sweater) with a glass of wine.
What book would you recommend that you have read recently?
Though it wasn’t a recent read, I will always recommend “Thank You for Arguing”, by Jay Heinrichs. It’s a fun book and teaches how to communicate effectively with different personality types.