Not all technical writers begin their careers in the classroom. Often, talented people fall into the role and turn a skill into a career. As an embodiment of this unique path to success, Tracy Summers is a alumna and advisory board member of UNT tech comm.

As a veteran of the technical communication industry, she works as senior technical writer for ARGO Data (a software development company specializing in the financial and healthcare industries).

Tracy creates and edits written documentation for a variety of software products. Her work mainly consists of updating older content for software updates. Her changes can be as minor as grammatical fixes or as complex as adding sections about new features in the software.

"It's a lot of conceptual work," Tracy said. "I'm always thinking: what does the content look like now, and what can I do to improve it?'"

As senior technical writer, Tracy carries additional responsibilities. At ARGO, becoming a senior technical writer means the employee leads their team in projects, estimates how long a project will take to complete, and trains new writers as part of their own content creation workload.

Tracy says she is still as excited about her job today as she was when she began working as a technical communicator at a company then known as SuperMedia, where she describes "falling into" her role.

While working as a customer service representative for SuperMedia, one of Tracy's managers asked if she would help rewrite a document. She accepted and subsequently impressed her bosses. Tracy was given a temporary spot on SuperMedia's documentation team and later took on the role on a full-time basis.

Tracy worked at SuperMedia for over 13 years and she fell in love with documentation work. "It was very fast-paced, and some elements of persuasion to it too. I loved it," she said.

When an opportunity came for her to return to college and finish her bachelor's degree, Tracy jumped at the chance. She began attending UNT after hearing that the university's technical communication department was top-notch. Tracy remembers hugely benefitting from both Dr. Lam's and Dr. Friess' courses. She mentions that their courses still frame the way she thinks about her job today.

"After what I learned from them, I know I can tackle anything at work. It's just a matter of figuring it out," Tracy said.

Tracy eventually finished her bachelor's degree as well as her master's degree with UNT Tech Comm. As a member of the Tech Comm department's advisory board, she now serves the university and department. Tracy has the following advice for students entering the workforce.

"Don't limit yourself, you may miss out on opportunities around you," Tracy said. "Always stay on the lookout for new opportunities, especially in DFW."