Writing documentation is a skill that requires more than a good command of the English language. The technical writers that I've hired in the past didn't even have English degrees, but were excellent at what they do.
I don't think the copywriters in the media agencies I worked at had English degrees either.
I've only hired one English major in my career, and that was as a software developer. He was -much- better at writing code than he was at writing prose.
Frankly, a lot of people don't know what field they belong in when they first graduate. I have a social sciences undergrad and an MBA, and I've been "out of my field" doing technology for 90% of my career. Most of my friends in the tech industry also don't have engineering or CS backgrounds. A lot of them have diverse backgrounds like poli.sci, etc. And most of us started our careers doing stuff like "admin assistants" etc.
an English degree is not required to write well. However, writing well, one would hope, would be required to obtain an advanced English degree. I'm focusing on the ability to write well as a marketable skill.
Yes, you need to add that to something else to be useful, usually, but the ability to write well is fairly rare, and it's a skill the guy has, so it's a good place for him to start.
>Writing documentation is a skill that requires more than a good command of the English language. The technical writers that I've hired in the past didn't even have English degrees, but were excellent at what they do.
non-technical products require documentation as well.
Like I said, he'll need to learn some other things to go along with the writing ability, but having the writing ability there up front helps a lot, and hopefully allows him to find an employer who might be willing to take a chance and be patient while he learns the rest of the trade (at a lower pay rate, of course, than an experienced documentation writer)
No, it's work experience. Being around office politics, talking to people in different roles, learning how to be a professional. If you're an admin assistant in a tech co, chances are that you'll get exposed to whatever systems they're using as well. Every job has something to teach you, including, yes, fast food jobs. I grew up in my Dad's fast food restaurant, and I learned more about human nature and the importance of always thinking about quality than I have at any of my more "professional" jobs.
My first job could be considered an "admin assistant job" by all regards - I had no official responsibilities related to tech. My boss saw that I knew computers well, and I got to work on their home-grown CRM system, and I set up a national BBS system (yes, I'm that old) for their not-for-profit. I also got to write a lot of technical documentation while I was there, and after that I made the jump into the tech industry as a documentation writer for a startup, which opened doors into development.
So yes, you can make your upward path into tech as an Admin Assistant.
Interesting story. Yeah, I managed a BBS at my highschool... I'm just a hair under 30, so those were the last gasps of the BBS systems, but eh, it was fun.
I don't think the copywriters in the media agencies I worked at had English degrees either.
I've only hired one English major in my career, and that was as a software developer. He was -much- better at writing code than he was at writing prose.
Frankly, a lot of people don't know what field they belong in when they first graduate. I have a social sciences undergrad and an MBA, and I've been "out of my field" doing technology for 90% of my career. Most of my friends in the tech industry also don't have engineering or CS backgrounds. A lot of them have diverse backgrounds like poli.sci, etc. And most of us started our careers doing stuff like "admin assistants" etc.