The secret of technical writing success?

Sat Jun 23 09:38:05 MDT 2007

Karen,  
I found that my Engineering job experience gave me a leg up when I actually starting looking for technical writing jobs.  I was another who morphed into Tech Writing from an Engineering background.  I would recommend an Engineering, Science, or Computer degree with a minor, double major, or 2nd/3rd degree in English/Journalism.  If he is ambitious - he should go for that PhD, then he can spend time writing books on technical or scientific subjects & universities/colleges will support that!  
Even if he doesn't go technical, going for a PhD as a Goal will open up avenues not available to the general job seeking person.  For example, a good friend of mine got degrees in Latin American Women's studies.  She was able to obtain grants to travel and live in Peru in order to write her PhD Thesis, which became a well respected and unique book on how Convent politics affected South American and Peruvian development by Europeans from the mid-1500s on!  This was b/c convents took in the women's doweries when the women joined & the Mother Superior and other high-ranking Nuns were able to make selective business loans to the community.  It was also b/c daughters of high-ranking Spaniards were admitted into the Convents and those familial relationships had political influence.  
She has visited Peru frequently on Grants or University monies!
Wishing him the best,
Marian

Marian Blake
maid1marian at yahoo.com
830-798-1087

----- Original Message ----
From: Hillary Hart <hart at mail.utexas.edu>
To: STC Austin Discussion List <stc-austin-general at lists.stc.org>
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 11:31:28 AM
Subject: [stc-austin-general] RE: The secret of technical writing success?

I heartily concur with Mary.  If he has a talent for science, 
encourage him to major in whichever branch he prefers.  In a good 
science program he'll do some writing anyway, and, as Mary says, he 
can also take writing courses.

Then he has lots of options (especially if he goes on for a Masters) 
- -everyone is looking for technical folks who can write!!!

hillary

At 07:59 AM 6/22/2007, Mary Connor wrote:
>I have to agree with you and would advise him to get the science 
>undergrad, minor in writing. Just seems SO much easier to establish 
>the technical chops up front. My husband and I both are aware of how 
>not getting the technical degree first makes going after the 
>advanced degrees we want _now_ harder or wildly impractical.
>
>Buy him a copy of the musical "Avenue Q", which opens with "What do 
>you do with a B.A. in English?"
>
>Still, the coming demographic crisis (boomer retirement) should 
>lower his anxiety about employment; should be ample work for the 
>articulate and nimble-minded. Following his passions, he should do fine.  :-)
>
>Best, Mary Connor
>
>________________________________
>
>From: bounce-stc-austin-general-123172 at lists.stc.org 
>[mailto:bounce-stc-austin-general-123172 at lists.stc.org] On Behalf Of Karen Kay
>Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 9:07 PM
>To: STC Austin Discussion List
>Subject: [stc-austin-general] The secret of technical writing success?
>
>
>I got a phone call from my sister today. Her son is 17 and looking 
>at colleges and majors and so on, and the other day, he said to a 
>friend of his that he wished he could find something to do that 
>where he could combine his interest in science with writing. My 
>brother-in-law, bless his heart, said to talk to Aunt Karen.
>
>I'm not sure what to tell him. I feel very strongly that what you 
>major in doesn't determine what you do with your life--heck, I was 
>an undergraduate double major in French and German, then did 
>graduate degrees in linguistics and the history of Japanese 
>language. And now I'm writing about computer chips! All the writers 
>I know well came to technical writing indirectly. I don't know 
>anyone who decided to be a technical writer in high school and who 
>directed their education in the path.
>
>To complicate matters, one of the difficulties my nephew is facing 
>is that he is enormously talented in almost every area. I know that 
>sounds like auntly bragging, but in this case, it's true. He could 
>be an actor, a musician, a math weenie, a newspaper editor... Or a 
>technical writer.
>
>So.... What kind of education would you recommend? My suggestion was 
>a technical education in whatever area he decides on. What do you 
>think? What would you tell someone who is 17 and thinking about 
>choosing your profession?
>
>---
>You are currently subscribed to stc-austin-general as: hart at mail.utexas.edu
>To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
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Dr. Hillary Hart
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station, C1786
Austin, TX 78712-1786

campus mail: C1786
(512) 471-4635
(512) 471-5870 (fax)
hart at mail.utexas.edu
http://www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/hart/

Delivery services:
Dept. of Civil Engineering
301 E. Dean Keeton
Austin, TX 78705

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