Associate Degree In Technical Communications
Q: I am an experienced technical writer but currently lack a degree.
I found an online program at Gateway Technical College in Wisconsin that
results in an Associate Degree in Technical Communications:
http://cws.gateway.tec.wi.us/programs/techcomm/Courses/Course_Descrip...
ourse_descriptions.html
Since this college is part of a vocational/technical group, some or all of
the credits will most likely transfer to the Wisconsin state college system
later. (I'm verifying this)
My question to the group: in your experience, how marketable is an
associate degree? Most of the job postings I've seen for tech writers have
required at least a Bachelor's degree.
My areas of specialization include software documentation and instructional
material design, but I am considering transitioning to marketing
communications.
A:I don't know. All other things being equal at an interview, I'll take
the candidate with the STC membership, then the candidate with the
degree, then the candidate with neither.
The degree gets your foot in the door. It shows that at some point in
your life you committed to a long-term research project to achieve a
goal, shows you can focus and commit. Plus, it shows you have had some
training and education, so perhaps it is less likely that you need to
learn some grammar and perhaps some topics about the subjects of your
technical documentation.
I'm not sure about an associates degree itself, but taking courses and
improving your education in the area of technical writing as an adult
tells me you are serious enough about your career to add one or two more
balls to the things you are juggling, and I like that commitment to your
career. Probably, on a scale, I'd weigh this about the same as taking
continuing ed by regularly attending regional conferences on tech
writing topics.
And should it ever come to pass that I'm in a position to be a hiring
manager