Re: Degrees of employment

[Barbara Karst-Sabin <barbara -at- QUOTE -dot- COM>]

Sad but true.  I have a Master's in Technical Writing and Editing.  And
do you know why I have that Master's degree???  Because, after four
years working on a Neurosurgery ward at UCSF, I couldn't be hired in the
editorial office because I did not have a degree in English or
Journalism.  I had to "translate" for the so-called medical writers who
knew nothing about medicine, but I couldn't be hired as more than a
typist.

Well, I went out and got a specialized graduate degree.  Did it help?
You betcha.  Is it the only way?  Not always.  Should it be?  No way in
h---!  Unfortunately, most job descriptions are written by people who
have no real clue as to what skills are required.  The easiest thing to
do is to demand a degree.  Voila, they're a professional recruiter!

Your friend (or co-worker) should brush up her resume and post it on
DICE.  Some recruiter out there will have sense enough to see that the
skills are there even if the piece of paper isn't.

And has it occurred to anyone that requiring a degree in this line of
wokr is a bit of an ageist ploy?  Many tech writers have come up from
tech or clerical jobs and have been around quite a while.  Maybe I'm
paranoid (oh, all right!  I confess.  I am paranoid! \;+)))

BJ

Robert Maxey wrote:
>

> How many believe that a degree is the most important thing to possess when
> being hired for a writing assignment? Either a permanent or freelance
> position. How many good freelance writers out there are ever asked about
> their training and/or degrees? Do any of you think that a good writer
> should be considered for a permanent position only if he/she has a degree?

 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=