Re: NON-TECHNICAL TYPES

[Len Olszewski <saslpo -at- UNX -dot- SAS -dot- COM>]

In article <TECHWR-L%96021910495085 -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>, Jane Allison
<jla -at- vnet -dot- ibm -dot- com> writes:
|> I am a newcomer to the list & have been intrigued by the recent techie vs.
non-
|> techie discussion.  I have a degree in Science Writing and Journalism &
would l
|> ove to break into technical writing -- but all of the ads I see stress
experien
|> ce in software documentation, familiarity with C code, etc.  What's the best
wa
|> y for a good writer with an interest (but not necessarily experience) in
techni
|> cal subjects to get started?  Are there good seminars or short courses that
wil
|> l give me some experience?  Any in the Philadelphia area?  I'm currently a
prop
|> osal writer in the computer maintenance industry, but I don't know how long
thi
|> s job will last.  Thanks for your help. jla -at- vnet -dot- ibm -dot- com

Seminars are a good way to spend a lot of money, though they can give
you an idea of the depth of a given technical topic.

You might want to look into local community colleges for
introductory-level courses in computer technology that are designed with
working folks in mind. Community colleges also tend to have ties to
local employers, and are a good way to (cheaply) try out a couple of
different alternatives. I don't know about cc's in the Philly area. I
entered technical writing after attending a certificate program at
Durham Tech about 7 years ago. With other credentials already up your
sleeve, you might find this is a good route to explore.

Good luck.
--
Len Olszewski           My opinions; you go get your own.
saslpo -at- unx -dot- sas -dot- com