Re: Entry-level requirements

[Elizabeth Fox <efox -at- IMMPOWER -dot- COM>]

"A good writer is someone who is interested in things. . . In my experience,
the degrees which correlate well to success as a tech
writer are history, theology, psychology, and sociology. Those which
correlate least are English and technical writing."

I cannot help but rebut the assumption that an English degree is one which
correlates least to technical writing.  English is a compilation of those
subjects that he deemed to contribute to successful tech writing--history,
theology, psychology, and sociology (and much, much more).  It is true that
you (hopefully) cannot earn a degree in English without the proper
background in grammar, which requires the study of rules and regulations;
however, you cannot study and analyze literature without a knowledge of the
other "things," such as history and theology.

The most important ability that I learned by studying English is how to
gather and analyze information.  I spent many an hour in the library
studying a specific work of literature and gathering everything possible
from it, not to mention using other sources for information.  In technical
writing, you must be able to do the same, only with a different subject
matter.  If you cannot probe and research the subject about which you write,
be it software or whatever, you can't get very far.

And because of my interest in analysis, there will never be an end to what I
can learn--there are plenty of interesting "things" out there to keep me busy!

Elizabeth Fox
Technical Writer
Revere, Inc.
Birmingham, AL
efox -at- immpower -dot- com

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