Re: Obsession with University Degrees?

[Eric Haddock <eric -at- ENGAGENET -dot- COM>]

>Although I am earning an MA in English with a technical writing focus, most
>of the practical stuff that I know about technical writing has come from
>job-related experience, not school.

   Your school is deficient then IMO. If you're not going to learn how to do
something effectively, then why should you go? It seems like you're forgoing
how to be a more effective technical writer in favor of staying in academics
longer.


>It [an MA degree] says that you are dedicated, goal oriented, achieving, and at
>least somewhat above-average in intelligence.

   Graduating from college at all means you're above average
intelligence--which isn't saying much because remember, the average IQ is
100. ;) This is why college degrees have become quite de-valued over the
years, I believe. (But that's another subject, hmm?)
   To me, the MA means "someone who liked their field and academics enough
to postpone seeking a full time job to continue in the academic system some
more." That's neither good nor bad--just a different perspective than
someone who got a BA and different still from someone who got a PhD.
   Just having an MA doesn't mean you're any smarter than someone with a BA
or even an AD. An MA might only equate to a tolerance for academics,
availability of funds or dedication to a field--it could mean any number of
things which is why I don't judge _people_ based on, of all things, their
degrees.

   If I were hiring you and I knew that you said you learned more skills on
the job than you did in school--then why should I give any more weight to
your MA? It seems to me that I should look for someone with more experience
than you--they'll have more skills to bring to the job, won't they?


-- Eric   (^_^)



 /`-_     Eric Haddock ------ http://www2.corenet.net/moonlion
{     }/  Technical writer
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