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Subject:RE: A suspected can of worms - knowing the future From:France Baril <France -dot- Baril -at- ixiasoft -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 26 Jun 2003 11:44:43 -0400
Richard Lippincott said:
But the question there is "While you're still in school, how do you know
what you'll be documenting when you get a job?" What you end up documenting
may not even -exist- when you're in school....
For a student entering college this fall with the intent of becoming a tech
writer, what advice should we give -today- to assure that student will find
work in a field that is active and hot in the spring of 2007?
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I feel you have just made a very important point...
I guess this is why most university programs try to open up people's mind and teach students how to think instead of trying to teach students specific knowledge. Developing programs specific to each profession or job title is somewhat dangerous as no one really knows what the future holds.
I know chemical engineers who work in the software industry, journalists who write plays, electric engineers who work in marketing departments, database specialists who work in video rental stores and people with no degree at all who still make a good pay as network analysts.
I find the danger in studying in a program that leads to a specific position is that you loose the flexibility to switch to something else as the market evolves.
Most technical writers come from other professions and many might just do something else in a few years.
Maybe wanting to become a technical writer is just too specific. Those who like to write should study to be able to write just anything. Those who like biology should maybe focus on that field and then, depending on the opportunities they have, they can become technical writers, researchers or teachers.
On the other hand, if these students feel they can't be happy doing anything but technical writing, well, they must choose a field and hope for the best or accept to become more general technical writer. They should be aware that very technical positions will be offered to very technical people first. If they do not specialize in school, they might have to do it afterwards.
France Baril
Rédactrice Technique / Technical Writer
IXIASOFT
(514) 279-4942
france -dot- baril -at- ixiasoft -dot- com
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