resume

Simon Vandore
B.A. (Communications - Journalism)

A professional writer, experienced in news, features and online journalism. Highly computer literate, well-read and widely travelled.




Comments

I hope to find a career direction that will use a wider range of my skills than the technology media which has employed me to date. I can write about anything, but I can do more than just write.

Career highlights include:

• Popular columnist and freelance writer on Internet and technology issues.
• Written, managed and edited news and feature content for a major national magazine.
• Designed and ran Australia's first commercial magazine Web site.
• Elected editor-in-chief of university student newspaper.

I travelled overland through Indonesia during the first democratic elections and across China following the handover of Hong Kong. I've bicycled alone around post-communist Eastern Europe, then caught trains across Russia, Siberia and Mongolia. I have also helped build houses and farm cattle.

I am determined, creative, intelligent and perform well under pressure.

Personal

Born 9 March 1970 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Resident of Sydney, Australia, since 1979.
Dual Australian and British citizenship. Single with no dependents.

Employment

April 2000 to present
Freelance journalist, Sydney NSW
Regular 2000 words per week as senior reporter/commentator for Newswire (newswire.com.au) and Australian Personal Computer (APC) magazine, including overseas/interstate assignments. Opinion column 'Vandore' published weekly online. Various feature and analysis tasks for magazines at ACP Tech. Research papers produced for publishers.

December 1997 to April 2000
Senior Writer/Features Editor, Australian Personal Computer
Most senior non-management journalist with Australia's biggest selling technology title (30 staff). Responsibility for briefing and writing features, news and reviews. Wrote and edited The Y2K Pocketbook, first and second editions.

[June 1996 to December 1997 - Period of travel through 21 countries, mostly by bicycle. Various short-term income, from letter-writing to photojournalism of a building fire in Budapest!]

November 1994 to June 1996
Online editor, Australian Personal Computer
Pioneered online publishing and covered the Internet boom. Wide range of Web design and news/feature writing responsibilities. Regular radio interviews about Internet issues.

February 1994 to September 1994
Assistant editor, Computer Magazine Group
Wrote news and features for a range of small technology-related publications.

January 1993 to December 1993
Editor-in-chief, Interp, Charles Sturt University - Mitchell (Bathurst NSW)
Produced a fortnightly student newspaper with a staff of nine for about 5000 students. Circulation rose by 25%, advertising by 20%, number of pages by around 30%.

Education

Bachelor of Arts (Communications - Journalism), 1993
Charles Sturt University - Mitchell, Bathurst NSW

Higher School Certificate, 1988
Barker College, Hornsby NSW

Skills

• Touch typing 75 wpm
• Expert computer and Internet knowledge (including HTML and some scripting)
• Familiar with most publishing processes and software
• Fluent in German as a second language
• Good at interacting with other cultures
• Some experience with cattle farming and house construction
  

Interests

• Recent reading: No Logo by Naomi Klein, The Business by Iain Banks, Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks
• Creative writing... short stories, someday a novel. Occasionally published.
• Music: anything from classical to hip-hop
• Movies: Recently seen Almost Famous, Finding Forrester, Quills, Traffic
• Soccer and cricket fan
• Computer games
• Environmentalism
• Travel: visited about 25 countries
• Cycling: toured the UK, continental Europe (east & west), Tasmania and NSW
• Good food and wine
  

Ambitions

To find the ideal way for a writer to make a living.
To help the western world learn from other cultures.
To always have a satisfied mind.