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Subject:RE: On degrees and the like... From:Chuck Martin <CMartin -at- serena -dot- com> To:TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 28 Mar 2000 10:13:59 -0800
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Elna Tymes [mailto:etymes -at- lts -dot- com]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 8:08 AM
> Subject: Re: On degrees and the like...
>
<snip>
>
> Today's job market focuses (unfortunately) so much on
> familiarity with tools
> that certificate programs and some BA programs (I don't think
> you CAN get a BS
> in technical writing - but then, that would be an oxymoron,
> wouldn't it? <g>)
> tend to teach the tools at the expense of broader education.
<snip>
Last summer, when I was job hunting, I came across one more post that had a
long list of tool knowledge listed as a job requirement. I snapped, and
almost--almost--sent a snippy reply that was going to say "Yeah, but do you
want someone who knows how to _write_?"
I have a Bachelor of Science in Technical Communication from my school, the
University of Washington. It was issued by the School of Engineering. Here,
TC is seen as an engineering discipline, which is as it should be.
--
Chuck Martin
Sr. Technical Writer, SERENA Software
"People who use business software might despise it, but they are getting
paid to tolerate it....Most people who are paid to use a tool feel
constrained not to complain about that tool, but it doesn't stop them from
feeling frustrated and unhappy about it."
- "The Inmates are Running the Asylum"
Alan Cooper
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