Re: So what do you do with SOCIAL sciences?

[Richard Lippincott <rlippinc -at- BEV -dot- ETN -dot- COM>]

Gretchen Toth asked:

>Is there anyone who has had a background in the SOCIAL sciences who would share
>how they have used that background or share how that background may actually be
>sought by an employer?

I worked for three years as a social worker, it was a day job during the time
when I was working on my tech writing degree at night. My job title was "Child
Abuse Investigator."

While on interviews, I'd always point out the following facts:

*As an investigator, I was required to go into often hostile situations,
 quickly determine what was happening, and then take appropriate action.
*I was required to maintain extensive case records, and they must be well
 organized and accurate. More than once my written notes were used as evidence
 in cases determining child welfare.
*Kids lives literally depended on what I did, I had to get it right the first
 time.
*On-call status, and middle-of-the-night emergencies meant that I was used to
 staying until the job was complete, not packing up and going home at 5:00.
*I was also used to working under extreme pressure and deadline.
*I had spent the past three years extracting information from angry and
 abusive parents, getting data from a busy engineer shouldn't be a problem.

The social service job stayed on my resume for a few years, it was also a
good ice-breaker in job interviews. "You're probably wondering how a person
starts out with a journalism background, does social work for three years,
and then becomes a tech writer. Well, let me tell you my story....." Some
managers even admitted they had put my resume in the "interview" pile when
curiosity about that subject finally tipped the balance, and they decided
to call me in.

Job interviews are sales pitches. Just find the aspects of your current job
that most likely lend themselves to what your potential managers want, and
be sure to build up those qualities in the interviews.

Rick Lippincott
Eaton Semiconductor
Beverly, MA
rlippinc -at- bev -dot- etn -dot- com