Respect and bitter beginnings...

[Janet Renze <jrenze -at- CGN -dot- ORG>]

I have found this thread really interesting because my lack
of respect in my current environment is also distressing
(like many of you...) but perked up at Moshe's comment
about background--

<snip>
construct a laundry list; the people would look at my resume and
screech, "What's this? Eastman School of Music?!?!?!?!?!?" After
that, I had to bust my butt to prove that I knew what I was doing,
as if one expertise excluded others. Today I have a history of
success to back me up, but I haven't forgotten the bitter beginnings
and can feel compassion for people just starting out.
<snip>

I wonder how many other tech writers were musicians at
one time? (or are now?) I also "fought" the "but you were a music
major, what could you know about anything..." comments for a
long time, and finally shook them after the MA in Tech Comm.
(apparently I was bona fide then, in that piece-of-paper way that
the school of hard knocks can't give you). anyway, I heard more than
once during interviews that many *programmers* were musicians in
a previous life. maybe we're not so different. scary.

Janet Renze
jrenze -at- cgn -dot- org

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