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David wrote <A degree in tech comm, perhaps with a minor in a scientific or
technical discipline, and some first-rate portfolio samples and you
should be a fairly hot ticket anywhere.>
That would be nice, but seems a bit out of synch with reality. Are you by any
chance a TW instructor?
The TW field has serious problems; according to WinWriters, one-third of their
members have been downsized, outsourced, or flat out canned in the last year or
two. That tends to create a VERY low demand career field, and that demand shows
little indication of increasing in the near future. Yes, jobs are available.
Yes, new entries can find work if they are willing to start for peanuts "to gain
experience and fill out their resumes." The length of their "careers" is often
the time from date of hire to first request for a raise--at which time they will
be replaced by another dewy-eyed innocent willing to work 60-70 hours a week to
"prove their dedication."
TW is a great field. My point was that expecting a degree to provide leverage is
silly; most of the skills needed have to be acquired in addition to, not inside
of, a degree program. There are a LOT of people out their with degrees in tech
comm, and there are more every semester. To be employable, a bit more is
necessary than a tech comm degree and a stunning portfolio; we all have those.
Thanks
"There is a place in New York where mathematicians, statisticians, and
researchers can test their theories nine times a day, six days a week. To no
one's great surprise, most fail miserably. The locals call it Belmont Park."
(Anonymous New York racing fan when told that sophisticated statistical models
represent reality, hence are capable of predicting future events.)
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