Re: What about BA/BSc-level tech comm. programs?

Subject: Re: What about BA/BSc-level tech comm. programs?
From: Susan Gallagher <Susan_Gallagher_at_Enfin-SD -at- RELAY -dot- PROTEON -dot- COM>
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1993 11:45:00 EST

Text item: Text_1

Patrick O'Connell writes:

- IYHO or in your personal experience, how serious a limitation is it to be
sans degree, even if you're extremely capable, highly technically knowledgeable,
and pour all your creative energy into your job?

- Are there people out there who've made it big without the sheepskin? And
is it expected that the recession/depression/whatever, one obvious effect of
which could be (fewer people able to afford college = fewer
w/sheepskins), will make it easier for the talented but sheepskin-less? Or is
the inverse in effect -- more people doing the post-secondary thing for maximum
competitive advantage? There is evidence of the latter trend generally, but what
about the tech comm field specifically?

The voice of experience here, Patrick. Lemme tellYa what
it's like to work in the Tech Writing field without that

Make it big??? Is there such a thing in this field?
Idunno. Make a living? Most of the time, if you're
careful, if you're **really** good, and if you're

I started college in 1966, and after 5 moves across country
and 1 to Europe and back, one child, and a divorce and
remarriage, I finally pulled my 150+ credits together for an
AA in Liberal Arts in 1985.

I started working as a computer applications trainer in
1983, and since there was no existing curriculum... This
got me started in tech writing. I had no background in the
field, but back then there wasn't much background to be had.
Journalism was the degree of choice for a career in software

I've been a writer ever since then (with some tech support,
training, and system administration thrown in). How?

I've worked for **very** small companies (under 10 people)
for most of my career. (My current company got swallowed by
a whale, so now I'm in with the big guys!) Small companies
don't offer the financial security that the big ones do, but
they also don't lock themselves in to **requirements** as
much. They allow you to broaden your own horizons. You can
wear as many hats as you can make fit and nobody tells you
it's not your job.

My resume is about as non-standard as it can possibly get!
It emphasizes my skills and experience and down-plays my
lack of formal education and all those tiny companies that
went bankrupt out from under me.

You gotta be a sponge! Learn everything you can. Take on
those off-the-wall assignments, just for the experience.
Volunteer to do trade shows and conferences to show off your
skills and get the exposure. Once people in the industry
get to know you, your education doesn't matter quite so

And... If you don't have a Sheepskin, you betta have a
thick skin!

Good Luck! Hope this helps!

Sue Gallagher |
Sr. Technical Writer | "Updating a manual
Easel Corporation | is like changing tires
Enfin Technology Lab | on a moving car."
San Diego, CA | -- Edmond Weiss
Susan_Gallagher_at_Enfin-SD -at- relay -dot- proteon -dot- com |

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