Sesilie Karrick
Systems Matter, But Only if the User Can Use Them
Where It Started
At seventeen, I crash-landed into retail without a clue. Some people just know how to do things without being told. These are the folks who say things like:
“Add a pinch of salt.”
“Let’s meet up around one.”
I’ve never been one of these mystical beings. What is a pinch of salt? Is that even a measurement? What time is around one? Is it before one? After one?
Naturally, I was amazed by coworkers who knew that mopping should be done in an ‘S’ pattern without being told. To this day, I still don’t understand why mopping in an ‘S’ pattern is superior to sweeping the mop from side to side.
Soon, I discovered that many systems went unspoken, and newcomers were supposed to know them. Something about this belief irked me — perhaps because things that were obvious to most people were rarely obvious to me.
My answer? Write everything down.
From Survival to Systems
I became a curator of details. Armed with a notebook and pen, I recorded everything. Years passed, and I graduated from recording details to structuring information into definable processes.
When I left retail and moved into retirement services, documenting processes had become a survival skill. I couldn’t find the tools I needed, so I made them:
A how-to guide for saving a Single Sign-On bookmark.
A searchable OneNote notebook for plan updates.
A note-taking template organized by verification method, topic, and resolution.
While creating these documents, I had an epiphany:
Translating processes into plain language and defined steps was the work I enjoyed — the work I was meant for.
My Writing Today
Outside of work, I write how-to guides, product reviews, and personal essays as a contributor to The Unexpected Autistic Life, a Medium publication. I also rebuilt a knowledge base article and created a flowchart for a personal project.
What I Bring
With over seventeen years of experience in customer support and a B.S. in Cybersecurity, I bring unconventional expertise in technical writing. I specialize in creating structured content that is inclusive and user-friendly.
I am constantly honing my craft through certifications like:
HubSpot Academy SEO
Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer
Editing Mastery: How to Edit Writing to Perfection
Looking Ahead
If you want a writer who digs deep into details and makes complex info simple, let’s connect.