Re: MA, no job experience issue

Subject: Re: MA, no job experience issue
From: Atticus Fisher <AtticusF -at- PCIWIZ -dot- COM>
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 15:40:04 -0400

To All:

I guess the "no experience" issue is relative.... I just started a tech.
writing job with a small software company and have *no* previous technical
writing experience. But I do have an MFA in Creative Writing, the gumption
to learn and an employer who's willing to take a risk.

'nuff said.

Atticus

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rebecca Stevenson [mailto:rstevens -at- HUBDATA -dot- COM]
> Sent: Monday, April 05, 1999 5:48 AM
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: MA, no job experience issue
>
>
> If I may be so bold as to speak, I think this may be a function of how
> most Tech Writing masters programs work. Generalizing from my own
> experience at Northeastern, many of the participants have been out of
> school for some years and are looking to change career tracks; I don't
> know if that holds true everywhere, of course.
>
> These people already have full-time jobs, which may or may
> not touch on
> technical writing in some way; they can't go out and do an internship
> for little or no money for a few months just to get a bit of
> experience.
> And they can't go out and get a *real* job in the field until
> they have
> that degree that says they have some idea what they're talking about.
>
> I think if you're in a program that emphasizes practical job skills
> (which the NU one does fairly well), and you've got a decent level of
> motivation, you'll find yourself prepared to hit the ground running in
> the working world. Which is all school is good for, really....
>
> I've got two quarters to go. <g>
>
> Rebecca Stevenson "Real artists ship."
> Technical Writer -- Steve Jobs
> Hub Data, Inc.
> 617-602-3141
> http://www.hubdata.com
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Katav [SMTP:katav -at- YAHOO -dot- COM]
> > Sent: Monday, April 05, 1999 8:22 AM
> > To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> > Subject: Re: Oh no...not another newbie!
> >
> > First, this is NOT intended as a flame of Mr. Gardner.
> >
> > Here is a lad "with infinite theoretical (but
> > relatively little empirical) knowledge" who has
> > "already landed a terrific job with a worldwide HW/SW
> > developer and producer" based, one presumes, on his
> > soon-to-be-awarded MA-TW.
> >
> > Two things bother me about the post.
> >
> > Thing 1: At the MA (I'm screaming here) level, our TW
> > wanna-be has both "infinite theoretical ... knowledge"
> > (scary thought ... "infinite theoretical") with
> > "relatively little empirical knowledge." How is it
> > that a person is awarded a bachelor's - let alone a
> > MASTERS - sans experience - OJT, internship, etc. I
> > came to TWing from newspapering and the Florida school
> > in Gainesville that offers J courses has a long
> > history of internship requirement-to-graduate (with a
> > bachelor's). Most of the grads with a J degree from
> > that school are ready to work from Day 1.
> >
> > Perhaps I am way out in left field (again), but to my
> > Winnie-the-Pooh mentality, it seems logical that a
> > person should have SOME experience in a discipline
> > BEFORE undertaking a master's program (in that
> > discipline).
> >
> > Thing 2: Our almost-MA has "already landed a terrific
> > job with a worldwide HW/SW developer and producer" and
> > while I am happy for him, I wonder what the employer
> > expects of him ... I hope the expectations are
> > realistic. High expectations based on an MA will harm
> > both the employer AND the employee. (Can an MA-TW find
> > happiness as a junior writer?)
> >
> > Let me repeat that this is NOT a flame of Mr. Gardner;
> > indeed, it is not a flame of either B* or M* -- or
> > even PhD* candidates/degree holders. Mr. Gardner may
> > have excellent credentials, and certainly is to be
> > commended for asking guidance from the list (albeit
> > belatedly ... colleges and universities with TW
> > programs ought to be made aware of this and similar
> > lists & encourage their students to [at least] lurk).
> >
> > My suggestion is that any of us with influence with
> > any school of higher ed use that influence to push for
> > more 'real world' exposure to the professions before
> > graduation.
> >
> > (BTW, I am responding to Mr. Gardner off-list with
> > some suggestions he might find useful.)
> >
> > --- "Richard C. Gardner" <rgardner -at- INTRCOM -dot- COM> wrote:
> > > Hello all,
> > >
> > > Two, I am one month away from finishing my M.A. in
> > Technical Writing and have already landed a terrific
> > job with a worldwide HW/SW developer and producer.
> > Any advice for someone with infinite theoretical (but
> > relatively little empirical) knowledge? Any words of
> > wisdom
> >
> >
> > ===
> > Katav ( katav -at- yahoo -dot- com )
> > ''Despise not any person and do not deem anything unworthy
> > of consideration, for there is no person without his hour,
> > and no thing without its place'' {Ben Azzai [Avot 4:2]}
> >
> > _________________________________________________________
> > Do You Yahoo!?
> > Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
> >
> >
> ======================================================================
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> >
> >
>
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