New Faces of Bamboo: Introducing Katie Packard
Published 03/16 courtesy of Bamboo Solutions Community
Editor's note: As readers of our 2009 Year in Review series will have likely gathered, Bamboo is currently undergoing rapid growth. Some of our new hires have been with us for a couple of months now, but with new faces appearing in the office seemingly daily in recent weeks, we thought it would be a good idea to introduce the new folks to Bamboo Nation. You should expect to see many of these new faces beginning to appear regularly here in the Team Blog over the course of the year.
What is your role at Bamboo, and what are your goals for the year?
I'm the technical writer for the Product Management team's tools and technologies group. My goals for the year—other than the obvious ones of learning SharePoint and the ins and outs of Bamboo's products—include regularly contributing to the Team Blog and writing helpful, informative KBs (knowledge-based articles). Oh, and impressing my manager so much that he installs a Dunkin' Donuts coffee bar in the kitchen just for me.
What's your professional background?
I just spent two years working at a military/IT magazine, where I did a little bit of everything: writing, editing, training, blogging, content management, social media strategy, you name it. I have experience with e-newsletters and writing about a range of technical subjects, and I also try to bring my writing and editing skills into the volunteering that I do. I wrote my graduate thesis on plain language and usability and readability theories, so I try to incorporate those principles into whatever I'm working on. Lastly, I'm a dedicated member of the Grammar Police. I am strongly against the serial comma.
What prompted you to join the Bamboo team?
I have long wanted to learn SharePoint and to work in the software industry, and with the benefit of unlimited Dr Pepper, Bamboo seemed like the perfect next step for me professionally.
What are some of your first impressions of working at Bamboo?
Everyone is genuinely excited about and proud of Bamboo's products. That enthusiasm is contagious.
With over 60 products to learn, do you feel overwhelmed? What's your strategy for getting up to speed?
In a different corporate culture, I might feel overwhelmed, but everyone here is so friendly and helpful—and I drink a lot of coffee to keep me focused. I'm taking an online Mindsharp training course in SharePoint right now, and I've been spending a lot of time reviewing the documentation that is already available to absorb as much as I can. And I'm attending meetings, lots of meetings. This past week may have set a record for the number of meetings I've attended, but they're all informative, so I'm not complaining.
Other than your deep and abiding love of Web Parts, what interests or hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?
I volunteer for the local SPCA. I love to read. I drink a lot of coffee and Dr Pepper. I'm addicted to Netflix, which I use to get my fix of 90s-era Steven Seagal movies—the lamer they are, the more entertaining they are. I'm also addicted to school; I often come across some class that sounds interesting that I wind up taking.
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