Weizhong (‘Michael’) Shan--
PERSONAL STATEMENT
I am an experienced IT individual with great passion for information analysis and design. Over the past
16 years, I have successfully supported the technical documentation for various software products, both
as an individual technical writer and as a project/people manager.
I am looking for challenging opportunities to add value to an organisation with my wide expertise and
extensive experience.
KEY SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES
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Excellent information design skills, backed up by knowledge of communications and instructional
design theories
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Comprehensive knowledge of software development processes
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Strong project management skills
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Strong analytical and problem solving skills
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Very detail-oriented, with the “big picture” in mind
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Excellent presentation skills, rooted from years of teaching experience
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Mature and confident in handling different situations
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Good at collaborating with people and building relationship with stakeholders
EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY
Technical Writer
VizExplorer | Nov 2016 – Present
In this role, I provided technical documentation support for the big data analysis applications of the
company. The key authoring tools are Oxygen XML Author and Microsoft Word.
Key achievements:
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Set up the documentation architecture for various products
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Defined the documentation tooling and processes
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Set up a documentation version control system with Git
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Set up a documentation portal for the company
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Wrote many documents from scratch
Technical Writer (Contractor)
New Zealand Fire Service | June 2016 – Nov 2016
In this role, I provided technical documentation support for the Foundations for Mobility project.
Key achievements:
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Set up the information architecture by performing user and task analysis
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Planned the documentation work based on project schedule
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Wrote several documents from scratch
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Information Engineering Manager
Hewlett-Packard (Shanghai) Corporation | May 2014 – Jan 2016
In this role, I was responsible for leading and managing a team of seven Technical Writers to provide
documentation support for three HP ITOM products. The key authoring tool used was MadCap Flare.
Key achievements:
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Organised a product training program, which greatly improved the product knowledge of the
writers
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Led the HP Service Manager project and successfully delivered high-quality documentation for
several releases
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Worked with project stakeholders and effectively improved the documentation related
processes, such as the agile process and the video production process
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Owned features myself and delivered corresponding documentation with high quality
Information Development Manager & Information Developer
IBM (China) Investment Ltd | Aug 2008 – May 2014
At IBM, I grew from a Staff Writer, to an Advisory Writer/Project Manager, and then to a Personnel
Manager. I mainly led a team of twelve technical writers to closely work with the Research &
Development center in Toronto, Canada to provide documentation support for IBM compiler products.
The key authoring tool used was Arbortext Editor, which employs DITA.
Key achievements:
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Successfully managed resources to accommodate project changes
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Built strong relationships with stakeholders in Toronto
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Organised various programs in the team, which effectively improved the both the product
knowledge and the technical writing skills of the writers
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Provided high-quality documentation for several compiler and language features
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Reviewed and edited the writing from other writers for quality assurance
Senior Technical Writer
Marvell Technology (Shanghai) Ltd | Nov 2006 - Aug 2008
At Marvell, I owned the documentation for the Marvell MSA compiler independently and worked closely
with the local Research & Development teams in Shanghai and the Technical Publications manager and
team lead in the United States. The key authoring tools used were FrameMaker and Microsoft Online
Help Compiler.
Key achievements:
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Described all the compiler features for different releases
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Successfully delivered FrameScript and Microsoft Online Help Compiler training to my
American colleagues
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Collaborated closely with other teams to ensure documentation quality
Technical Writer
Intel (China) Research and Development Center | Dec 2004 – Nov 2006
At Intel, I owned the documentation for Intel IXA compiler and Intel MSA compiler. When the Intel CHG
group was acquired by Marvell, I continued to work on the MSA compiler documentation at Marvell. The
key authoring tools used were FrameMaker and RoboHelp.
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Key achievements:
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Described all the features of the IXA compiler
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Led writers in Germany and the United States to maintain the MSA compiler documents
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Worked closely with writers and other stakeholders from the United States, India, and Germany
on documentation projects
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Provided training and coaching to junior writers
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Planned documentation work and prepared the project release schedule
Technical Writer
FalconStor (Shanghai) Software Inc | Jul 2004 - Dec 2004
In this role, I was the only writer at the Shanghai site and provided documentation support for all the
network storage products developed on that site. The key authoring tool used was FrameMaker.
Key achievements:
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Worked closely with the testers and described all the product features with high quality
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Led effort in maintaining the content on the company’s website
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Mentored an intern student and provided necessary training to her
Technical Writer
WebEx (China) Software Company | Oct 2002 – Jul 2004
At WebEx, I worked as a team lead in the Shanghai site and managed six writers. I owned all the WebEx
API documents and updated them by closely working with the product manager in the United States. The
key authoring tool used was FrameMaker.
Key achievements:
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Described all the API features in various documents
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Suggested technical specification improvements, which were successfully implemented
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Motivated and guided the local writers and closely collaborated with the managers in the United
States
Software Engineer
Jetco (Beijing) Software Company | Mar 2000 - Aug 2000
At Jetco, I worked as a developer and was mainly involved in one localisation project and one
development project. Key technologies used included HTML, ASP, and SQL.
Key achievements:
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Led the Cisco ICR localisation project and successfully completed it ahead of schedule and to
a very high standard
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Participated in the development of an online hotel reservation system
Software Engineer
Heilongjiang Huafu Computer Company | Nov 1998 – Nov 1999
In this role, I worked as a developer and developed software products for the power market of the
province. Key technologies used included Delphi and SQL.
Key achievements:
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Developed software applications for a power management system
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Developed components for a device control system
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Developed a temperature monitoring system for a power plant
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Software Tester
Golden Health Medical Network Company | Mar 1997 – Nov 1998
In this role, I mainly worked as a Software Tester. I was also responsible for providing technical support to
our customers. Key technologies used included HTML, ASP, and SQL.
Key achievements:
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Worked as the lead software tester supporting the company’s hospital management products
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Provided training to junior Software Testers
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Provided technical support to customers
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Developed a web-based hospital registration system
Software Tester
Harbin Attribute Oriented Technology (AOT) Company | Sep 1996 – Mar 1997
I started my IT career with this job. In this role, I tested the AOT applications on various platforms, such
as Windows and Mac OS.
Key achievements:
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Probation period was shortened due to excellent performance
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Tested software application on multiple platforms, including Windows 95, Windows NT, and
Mac OS
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Provided localisation support for some products of the company
English Teacher
Harbin University of Science and Technology | Jul 1992 – Aug 1996
In this role, I taught college English to freshmen and sophomore students and led them to pass the
CET-4 test.
Key achievements:
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Collaborated with other teachers in planning the teaching schedule
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The majority of my students passed the CET-4 test
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Developed software applications to enable analysis of student learning results
EDUCATION
Postgraduate Diploma of Information Management | 2017
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Masters of Educational Technology | 2003
Shanghai International Studies University, China
Bachelor of English Linguistics | 1992
Hunan University, China
REFEREES
Available on request
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