Re: Liberal Arts Grads Can't "Grasp?" Give me a f&*#ing break.

[Elna Tymes <etymes -at- LTS -dot- COM>]

Wohlrab Arleta - DRACS wrote:
>
> Hillary,
>
> Your interpretation is correct if you insert a few words:
>
> *Pure* liberal arts people are likely to be unable to
>  understand technical issues *due to a lack of training
>  in technical subjects*. They will talk about these issues
>  in ignorance.
>
Much as your reposte makes the point that ignorance is a temporary,
correctable state, you're assuming that a liberal arts grad comes to
you, the hypothetical employer, as what amounts to a technical blank
slate.  That's not true any more - every college grad I've interviewed
has known how to use a word processor and a copier, and has invariably
had at least basic exposure to email and the concepts of networked
storage of documents.  Those *are* technical matters.

I should add, however, that we also require a sample of some writing
involving showing someone else how to do something, such as a procedure,
or a technical description of a process.  So we get a feel for the
applicant's writing ability as well.

I would MUCH rather hire a liberal arts graduate with some exposure to
technical courses than a technical graduate with some exposure to
liberal arts, if those were the only criteria involved.  As it so
happens, there are enough people out there who have dug into technical
(usually computer-related) topics on their own who apply for our jobs
that the techie/non-techie distinction isn't that obvious.  What we do
for our clients generally involves explaining technical things to
less-than-highly-technical audiences anyway, so the non-technical
mindset works to our advantage.

Elna Tymes
Los Trancos Systems

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