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Subject:Re: Engineer to Tech Writer From:Kathy Stanzler <KatheS -at- HEALTHCARE-AUTOMATION -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 27 Aug 1999 09:48:15 -0400
Megan wrote:
> Recently, the list discussed a thread on journalist-to-techwriter career
> path, now I'd like to ask about a related path: engineer to tech writer.
>
[Kathy Stanzler] Gee, I thought I was the only one! I have a B.S. (no
remarks, please!) in Ceramic Engineering, worked as an engineer for a year
and hated it. Much later I started writing children's stories out of sheer
boredom, found out that I liked writing and was good at it. Much, much
later, I found myself in the position of having to figure out how to
adequately support myself and three children, so I put together an
engineering background with a love of writing and came up with technical
writing.
I have found an engineering background to stand me in good stead when job
hunting. It carries a lot of weight with employers because it tells them
that I can think like an engineer, communicate in their language, yet write
for end-users. I stand with one foot in both worlds and I wouldn't want to
be any place else.
