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Well, as long as it worked for you. I used to hire for our company, and
I hired both "English Majors" and non. A person who does some writing
other than tech writing, is a good candidate usually because he or she
can handle stringing together a complete, coherent sentence.
Some people will _always_ be too "vested" in their words. I think this
has more to do with the personality of the job candidate than whether or
not s/he has an English degree. Or so I would hope. Some people write
reams of stories and will never be published because the _just aren't
good enough_. The same for tech writers, unfortunately.
I can write a mean safety procedure, and yet I have my own lit ezine. I
thought I'd enjoy being a tech writer more than being a bagger in a
grocery store, and I was right. I just hate the thought that I might be
discriminated against in a _writing_ field because I have a
_writing-related_ degree. Somebody should have warned me.
>----------
>From: Doreen Mannion[SMTP:DoreenM520 -at- AOL -dot- COM]
>Sent: Monday, March 31, 1997 12:53 PM
>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject: novelist wannabes
>
>Jody LaFerriere writes in response to part of my posting:
>
><<Why not? I wouldn't be asking YOU to make me a best-selling novelist.
>I'd be asking you for a job! What if my web site said what I really want
>to be is a person who grows prize-winning roses. Would _that_ exclude me
>too? Sheesh, I'm allowed to do things in my spare time aren't I?
>>
>>From: Doreen Mannion[SMTP:DoreenM520 -at- AOL -dot- COM]
>><snipper>
>> Again, as a prospective employer, I can't exclude you based on certain
>>information I find there, but if you tell me what you really want to be is a
>>best-selling novelist, well, sorry!
>>
>Hiring managers tend to hire based on past experience, both good and bad.
>I've found that the techwriters I've had contact with who "really" wanted to
>be novelists are far too vested in their words to be good techwriters. I
>therefore avoid hiring techwriters, all other things being equal, who want to
>be novelists. I tend to avoid hiring English majors for the same reason. I'm
>not saying I'm right, and I'm not saying that perhaps I haven't passed up
>some terrific techwriters, but this is what has worked for me.
>
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