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Subject:Ph.Ds and job prospects From:"Roth, Lesley, Ms., GATQ" <rothle -at- COMM -dot- HQ -dot- AF -dot- MIL> Date:Fri, 10 Jul 1998 09:35:00 PDT
Hello again,
I am seeking some career advice from seasoned folks on this list.
I am currently a technical writer co-op with the US Air Force. I
recently finished my MA in English (American lit) and am now thinking of
going on for a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Comp at a local university on a
part-time basis while pursuing a full-time day job in tech writing.
I enjoy tech writing and would very much like to make that my full-time
career but I want the option of working as an adjunct or faculty member
at the college level teaching writing and/or English at night (teaching
one class or two and maybe moving to f/t in the future). I also am
toying with the idea of working as a grammar training consultant in the
long term future and wonder if a Ph.D. would help.
However, I am concerned that having a Ph.D. might hurt me in the tech
writing world because possible employers might think that the Ph.D. would
price me out of their market. Has anyone on this list ever found that a
Ph.D. has hurt them when job hunting or on the other side of the coin,
has it helped?
Please respond off-list so as not to bother other folks. Thanks.
Best,
Lesley Roth
