Re: Where do 'old' techwriters go to die? - is graduate school an answer?

["Jane Bergen" <jbergen1 -at- earthlink -dot- net>]

John,

If you're finding your career "just doesn't seem like enough" then
maybe you should not consider grad school until you figure out what
really lights your fire. I came to tech writing fairly late in life,
then got a Master's Degree in it. I am only sorry I didn't do it 20
years earlier. For me, it's the best thing I've ever done...I love
it...I look forward to going to work every day...I am passionate about
tech writing as a profession, not a job. But I also realize it isn't
for everyone. I also think all of us should do some self-assessment
pretty regularly.

Maybe you should look at the parts you DO like and consider how you
can use them into restructuring a new career. Tech writing can take
many forms, and it can also grow into other things like Web
development, marketing communications, teaching, and on and on. But
don't keep at it if you don't  love it. I can't imagine that I'd last
a week if I didn't like it.

If you still want to think about the graduate degree, then try a
semester of it. Graduate school is a whole different animal than
undergrad. You get into a lot more theory, more philosophizing about
communication and cognition, and lots of other fun and fascinating
stuff. I highly recommend it.

Good luck,

Jane Bergen

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Eldard" <JEldard -at- vinca -dot- com>

> I want to apologize to those who might suggest that I am whining. I
was
> really just thinking out loud to the list and got a lot of great
responses.
> Thanks to all who responded on and off the list. I do go to
conferences,
> read the latest publications, use the latest technologies, but
sometimes it
> just doesn't seem like enough. Could I suggest that we are all just
> exploring the same things again and again? Is it in our job
descriptions to
> be theorists and visionaries? Or are we just too busy getting the
next
> manual, web page, or help screen done? My next question is: for
those of you
> who are continuing your education beyond the Bachelor's program in
> communications, would you suggest it as an answer to a need for
challenge?
>
>
> John Eldard
> Technical Writer
> Legato Systems