Avon Murphy has been a college professor, a technical communications program director, a government technical writer, a freelancer, a contract editor at Microsoft and other firms, and owner of Murphy Editing and Writing Services. An STC (Society for Technical Communication) Fellow, he was for 17 years book review editor for "Technical Communication." In this article he chronicles his varied career, and reflects upon lessons learned. He writes that today he sees himself mainly as a resource, and takes opportunities several times a year to make an in-person or online presentation to a college class, speak before an STC chapter, mentor students and teachers at high schools, or work with newly minted technical communicators. He shares some tips for those considering a career in technical communications.