Re: Re[2]: Job Information

[Janie Bergen <BERGEN -at- UNTVAX -dot- BITNET>]

Eric,

Sorry to be so long in answering your questions (below). Lately this
system has been "quirky" -- sometimes I can wait for more than one
minute for a single character to appear after I type. It kind of
discourages writing.

>What kind of projects did you do in UNT, and how did they differ from the
>free projects you would have done (if you'd only known)? What kinds of reaction
   s
>did you get from prospective employers? Have others
>on this list had the same experiences?  Since I am working full-time as a
>technical communicator as I am working on an MA, this doesn't affect me
>directly, but I am sure that other students here at OSU and elsewhere would be
>interested.

Seems like we have a lot of interest in jobs and job training lately.
First, I would like to clear up one thing: I don't think my Master's
degree is worthless, but that is the impression that potential employer's
seem to have. From my experience in job hunting, they ONLY want
experience!

As far as projects go (in school), we wrote papers comparing grammar
checkers, discussing issues such as readability, cognition, page layout,
and rhetorical theory. No employer seems interested in these issues as
theory. They only want to see the results.

For all the people on the list who are interested in grad schools, I
would caution them to carefully consider these questions:

- What kinds of professors are heading the program? Do they have
        any practical experience as a writer?
-       Does the school offer any opportunities for working with
        "live" companies doing "real" projects?
-       Where is the technical writing program? English department,
        journalism dept., computer science dept.? Consider whether
        this might limit you in your particular area of interest?
-       Is there an active student chapter of STC? Or a nearby
        professional chapter (may be even better)?
-       What kind of commitment to grads does the school make in
        terms of internships (we had to find our own--my professors
        simply wished me "good luck"!) and then full-time employment?

Anyone with more suggestions feel free to jump in here. Also, give
serious thought to how long the program has existed and -- if
possible -- talk to some graduates.

Janie Bergen