Hi all, OK, I'll weigh in here with a slightly different perspective.
I was 42 when I decided a major career change had to be in my future. After getting some professional career counseling, I chose to go into technical communication. There was an excellent master's program in technical communication, through the English Department at a local university, and I made the decision to go for it. Two years later, I came out of the program with the master's degree and a job before I even graduated. (I also got on-the-job experience as a student by doing an internship.) I know for a fact that the degree was a key factor in winning that first full-time job. I *don't* know for a fact but strongly suspect that it has been a major contributing factor in at least one other position I have held over the years. And I also believe that it has allowed me to obtain a higher salary than I would have otherwise gotten (though that was not a particularly strong factor in my decision to get the degree). Am I a better writer and technical communicator than I would have been without the degree? No doubt about it. Am I in a better position because of it than I would be without it? Probably. Has it given me a perspective and understanding of the profession I would not otherwise have? Absolutely. Would I have gone for the degree if I were already working in the field of technical communication? I doubt it, but I can't say for certain. I certainly wouldn't have done it *just* for the money. There are other, more intangible benefits, to having the degree; but those benefits definitely do translate, I think and hope, into my being a better technical communication professional than I would have otherwise been. Sorry for the length. One of my major weaknesses as a TCr. Chuck Beck Sr. Technical Writer | Infor | Office: 614.523.7302 | [EMAIL PROTECTED] ______________________________________________ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
