by Karen Rokich
It’s a long way from writing a poem about a little lamb to working as a tech writer. As they say, however, every journey begins with a first step.
Margaret VanWinkle was writing short poems in the third grade. However, her exposure to writing as a career was limited in her small Ohio town (she thought all writers were novelists). Since she viewed writing as a tool, not a vocation, she didn’t take any writing classes at Ohio State. In fact, she graduated with a major in biology.
Unfortunately, the biology degree became outdated while she raised seven children. While she was living in Ontario, Canada, one of her good friends was a newspaper columnist, and Margaret began contributing articles about raising children.
Margaret re-entered the work force as a secretary and eventually worked as an executive assistant for a life insurance company in South Dakota. After her divorce, money was very tight. C. S. Lewis once said that he wrote The Chronicles of Narnia because they were the type of stories he wished he could have read as a child. Following this example, Margaret began writing personal finance columns for the Rapid City Journal—the type of columns that she wished she could have read before her divorce.
Margaret returned to Ohio in 2003 and began working for Assurant Specialty Property, first as a claims representative, and then as an administrative assistant. When a technical writing position opened, her insurance background and a portfolio of newspaper columns proved invaluable in gaining the hiring manager’s attention.
She has been a technical writer for over three years and loves it. She creates and maintains online client manuals, captures new procedures, and documents all aspects of homeowner insurance (from verifying homeowner insurance to paying insurance premiums to processing property damage claims).
She said, “The challenges of this position are common to many of us. I continually strive to maintain tact and respect as I work with managers, and I enjoy learning new software applications such as Adobe RoboHelp and SnagIt. I also strive to improve my writing skills. The STC, and especially the Southwestern Ohio chapter, has provided many opportunities for growth.”
In her free time, Margaret enjoys visiting her children and their families (in six states). She also square dances regularly and is the editor of the quarterly newsletter for the national organization Single Square Dancers USA.