RE: texas tech university online graduate program/experience

["Susan W. Gallagher" <sgallagher5 -at- cox -dot- net>]

If you've been in school long enough to earn two degrees
and still don't feel competent, what makes you think that
more education is going to help? I'm sorry, I don't mean
to seem rude, but I just don't follow the logic.

Go out and do a real project from start to finish. Find
something in the open source community that interests
you, volunteer to write a procedures manual for the local
animal shelter, ... . You get the idea. Put all that 
education to work in the real world.

Or find a technical writing internship. Internships give
you real-world, corporate experience with lots of hand-
holding from someone who has experience in the field and
who gives a damn. (You have to give a damn to run an
internship program, trust me! <g>)

Whatever you choose, make sure it's  real work that
has you interacting with real people and projects. You
need to prove -- both to yourself and to your first
hiring manager -- that you can function in the real 
world and produce real work, not just intellectual
exercise.

As a now-and-then hiring manager, I would see no benefit
to you from more education. Real-world experience is what
you need in order to make your resume look good enough to
get you hired in a real job.

HTH!
-Sue Gallagher

-----Original Message-----
From: nhancock -at- mindspring -dot- com
I am a two-time graduate of Georgia State University ( Atl, Ga) who is
interested in the online Tech Communications grad program at Texas Tech
University.  GSU does not have a formal program in Techical
Communications, so I've taken classes (enough to complete two B.A.'s) to
compensate. Unfortunately, I lack the experience necessary to succeed in
the field. If anyone has any suggestions for experience (pay is good, but
not necessary..I have a job) and comments on the program at TTU, I'd be
grateful.
Confused as ever...