Re: English Majors as TW

[Stephanie Jagielski <Stephanie_Jagielski -at- AAL -dot- ORG>]

Hi All!

I am currently a fourth year English major at the University of Wisconsin
in Madison who was lucky enough to get an internship as a technical writer
and editor in an insurance company. So far I have found that my ability to
read and write about vastly different types of literature and fields of
study have helped me at my job. I am not claiming to be a technical writing
wizard and master, but I am saying that before people look too far down
their noses at English and Journalism degrees, they first realize what
these individuals can offer to the companies in which they work.

We actually are good writers; we have to be or we fail class. We learn fast
and easily comprehend new materials: we have to or we fail class.
Journalism majors can make unnecessarily wordy material brief and concise
without blinking. A large part of what we do in school is learn to
understand extremely difficult material quickly such as Spenser, Milton and
Keats. We have many of the qualities you find in technical writers, but we
just need some one to let us do their dirty work, get their coffee, and
shadow office life while editing and doing some minimal writing so we can
acquire the skills I hear people complain we don't have. Many of you might
not be where you are today had some one not taken a chance on you. I love
my job. I love the field I am finally introduced to. I would not be able to
do any of this at all had some one looked at my resume and said, "EEWW an
English major!"

Anne

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