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Subject:Re: Grad school vs. the world From:Stuart Selber <SSELBER -at- MTUS5 -dot- CTS -dot- MTU -dot- EDU> Date:Fri, 22 Oct 1993 17:52:43 EST
Amy writes in response to Randy Allen:
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Response to grad school vs work experience:
I think that technical writing programs are valuable in many ways, but I
believe that there is no substitute for practical experience. Grad
school is great for learning theories and exploring issues that you
never have time to explore in the business world, but there are
other ways to stay informed and "on top" of the issues. Becoming
involved in STC and other professional organizations is a way for
tech writers who need philosophical and theoretical stimulation to
find release.
How do others feel about this SENSITIVE issue?
---------------------end original message----------------------------
I think Amy is write to point out that advice about graduate work in
technical communication should be related to career goals. And that practical
experience has no substitute. But I think that most would agree that
a solid educational background in tech comm, given all the possibilities
and diversity in the field, is real important too. I also think that there's
more to grad school than exploring issues no one has time for in "real" work.
Our profession needs solid researchers, good teachers, and refelxive
practitioners - folks who are outside of organizational constraints and
pressures that can provide perspectives on our work we might not get otherwise.
As a profession, I also think we generally agree that technical communication
is increasingly complicated work, and we need folks who are in positions to
explore those complications and challenge boundaries. Hate to think what our
profession would be like without a rich mix of practice, research, and theory.
I suspect we would learn little about how people learn, read, write, and
use our products.
