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Subject:RE: English major as TW prerequisite? From:"technicoid" <technicoid -at- cableone -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sat, 1 Nov 2003 08:19:54 -0700
Hi, David.
>So, I'm curious: how many tech writers have English degrees? Has anyone
>else found that not having an English degree has hurt them at some time
>in their career?
I have a BA and an MA in English. They've never hurt my chances, as far
as I know. However, only once do I recall applying for a job in which
the employer required an English degree. In that particular instance,
the employer wanted someone who could write for a broad audience with
widely varying reading skills. Frankly, the English studies alone didn't
help me in that position. My linguistics studies, coupled with a lot of
experience working with ESL students in the university writing lab,
helped tremendously.
As a hiring manager, I look for a degree or experience in a related
field. One of the temporary employees I hired in my last management
position had a BA in German. Another employee had a degree in History.
Only one had an engineering background. All of the employees had their
strengths, but I'd be hard pressed to say whether those were matters of
individual preference or qualities they derived during their college
education. I lean toward the former.
When not having an English degree hurts your chances, I believe it's
because of an *arbitrary* decision on the part of the employer, NOT
because an English curriculum offers anything better than a
communications, history, philosophy, biology, or other degree. I
personally think that a liberal-arts program produces a well-rounded
employee, but that's a personal bias, one which I would try not to
inject into an employment screening process.
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