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Subject:Re: Grad education for tech writers From:Anne Halsey <Wrdfinesse -at- AOL -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 12 Aug 1998 22:14:38 EDT
Stacy Camacho inquired about the value of a gradschool
education in TechComm.
<opinion on - please, please, please don't let this start
the annual ed/anti-ed flamewar>
I'd recommend against going directly from a Bachelor's program
to a grad program. IMO, getting a good two or three years of
real-world experience under your belt is advisable before entering
a grad program.
Why? (And my rationale comes from 15 years of experience PLUS
a BS in Journalism PLUS an MS in TechComm ...)
School teaches you theory. Which is good. Teaches you the
mechanics of authoring. Which is good. But it doesn't (at least
in my experience) teach you the realities of dealing with schedules,
understaffing, less-than-optimal tools, uncooperative SMES,
deadly deadlines, unrealistic deliverables, and on and on.
Get out in the trenches. If, after a year or two, you still LOVE
the work and the challenges, by all means pursue an advanced
degree. The grad school experience will be much more
meaningful to you if you thoroughly understand why you're
learning what you're learning. <opinion off>
<repeated plea to not start the ed/anti-ed flame war>
