Buck Hedges
Technical Writer
About Myself
A resume can list many facts about a person, neatly jammed into a single 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper. All the work-related facts a hiring manager would care to know. They seldom say much about the individual, however. Someone who looks great on paper may not be that pleasant to work with. Just by looking at a resume, any applicant, no matter how well qualified, is still an unknown quality.
Let's be honest: After about 5 minutes (or less), all resumes start to look the same.
If you are here, you are looking to find who exactly what kind of person I am. This page contains a brief biography, which will hopefully give you an idea of what kind of employee I am—backstory, if you will. If you're only perusing to see what kind of work I can do, skip this and move on to my portfolio. Your time is important, after all.
Philosophy and Work Ethic
My experience in a wide variety of fields—heavy industry, technology, service, and agriculture—has given me given me a strong work ethic. I'm a firm believer that Early is on time, and On Time is late. I believe deadlines should not be met, they should be beaten. With a stick. Exponentially.
My background has also given me the ability to relate to clients, no matter what their field, and to communicate effectively with any audience.
I strive every day to live and work by the standards I hold dear:
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People are more important than things.
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Honesty is the best policy, especially when it isn't easy.
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Limits exist only in your mind.
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You can do anything if you're willing to face the consequences.
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I believe in the idea, "Always under promise and over deliver."
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I am a firm believer in planning for the Murphy Factor: never expect things to go perfectly, and be prepared.
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At the same time, I believe perfection can be achieved. I have even done it once or twice.
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There is always a solution.
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Knowing the "Why" behind the process is more important than knowing the process.
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There is always opportunity for improvement.
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Always look for the humor in the situation. Even if it's gallows humor.
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Fear is only an emotion. It can be controlled, fought down, and ignored.
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Finally, Truth is what it is. Whether we like it or accept it is completely irrelevant.
My History
I was raised on ranches across Nevada and Idaho, mostly in the Great Basin area of the American west. Most of these were rural. A mere fifty miles separated one from the closest town. The furthest was 108 miles, forty of which were dirt roads.
School was done at home, and I graduated from BYU's Independent Study program in the top 2% of the nation. I also competed in 4-H and produced the Grand Champion Steer three years in a row.
During one of our stays closer to town, I began taking Tae Kwon Do, and developed a passion for martial arts that is still with me today. The moves and distances made continual study difficult, but I was able to study Kyokushin and Okinawan Karate from time to time. I am now a Second Degree Black Belt, and Sensei of the Gate City Dojo in Pocatello, Idaho.
I graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor's in Technical Writing, and a minor in Sociology. I now live in McCammon, Idaho on a small farm. My wife and I raise horses, weeds, and boys—not necessarily in that order.
Hobbies and Interests
My hobbies are as varied as my experience. I enjoy everything you would expect a modern-day computer nerd: reading science fiction, watching movies, miniature wargames, and long, Pepsi-filled nights of computer games.
At the same time, I enjoy both eastern and western martial arts, camping, blacksmithing, paintball, and mounted archery. I am as happy working at my computer as I am operating a D-9 bulldozer. I can easily stop work in my office, walk into my shop, and forge a knife from a piece of steel. Therapy from a rough day at a computer is to go home and ride my horse.
I am proud to say I really don't fit any stereotype.
I'm just
Not Your Ordinary Nerd.