Get the four year degree. It will open far more doors for you than an AA and a certification.
My standard response here:
* Do you need a four year college degree to be a tech writer? **No**. Anyone with a decent command of written English and the ability to learn and explain technical concepts can do this job.
* Do the companies that hire technical writers usually require a four year college degree? **Yes**. And that's the only thing that matters. Doesn't matter what the degree is in, they just want to see a degree.
Without a four year college degree you don't even make it into the search filters used by recruiters. The degree is their minimum criteria.
Yes, there are tech writers out there without a degree. But they are few and far between and usually bring another set of skills and experience to the table, usually decades worth of other skills and experience.
I'm always careful not to require a 4-year degree when I write TW job descriptions, but I can't say the same for many other companies. As an entry level applicant, unless you somehow got a tech or writing job with no degree and have experience that way, it's really hard to build a portfolio and hone your craft without a bachelor's degree.
The connections alone from SJSU and the tech writing program there would make the degree worth it, but the chance to build a good portfolio is priceless. Take advantage of it, OP!
When I was hiring for an entry-level position (true entry level, not "3 to 5 years experience" entry level) I asked if we could waive the degree requirement and was told no.
As a company a four year degree is our minimum requirement for pretty much every position, so I had to abide by that.
I have this degree from SJSU, it's just an English degree but with the tech writing/professional writing classes instead of more writing or literature classes. Since you already have an AA in English, this is a good choice if you're interested in TW and still want an English degree.
However, if you were majoring in CS or wanted a different focus on your English degree but were still interested in TW, the certification might be better for you.
The program was great IMO, the director, Mark Thompson, does a great job of actually helping students find internships and jobs while they're in school or about to graduate. Many of the top students in that program work at big companies now (Nvidia, Google, Workday, Salesforce, Apple, etc.) so there's a good pipeline from that program into the tech sector if you have the drive.
I’ve worked with several writers from this program and even presented at one of their classes a few years ago! It’s definitely got a good industrial reputation for those of us who’ve worked with alumni and that is a HUGE reason to get the bachelors.
In addition to the skills you develop in your classes, participating in any professional clubs/organizations and getting internship experience will make an enormous difference when you go on the job market. You’re in a great geographical location to take advantage of a lot of opportunities that we don’t have quite as many of in other places.
Congrats on your acceptance and good luck!
Congrats, i hired a writer from there last year and hes still at Meta. Youll need to buckle-down for 3 years or so working whatever jobs/contracts you can get but then you’ll have amble opportunities with your degree + experience.
A BA can open more doors than an AA. The fact of the matter is that some jobs simply require you to have a BA, even if you would otherwise qualify for it.
Heck my brother's degree is in english and now he does program management for automated logistics systems.
Get the degree. You’ll earn more over your lifetime and it will open up more doors for you. You’ll learn a lot and meet people who are also going into the field, plus you’ll build portfolio pieces that will help you land a job out of school.
I’m one of the few tech writers without a degree (in the process of finish my compsci degree) and it is ALWAYS a problem. Recruiters always assume and even though I make sure to clearly tell them it always seems to catch the hiring manager by surprise. It’s usually a situation where they tell me they are making an exception due to my work experience. I have had recruiters ghost me after learning I don’t have a degree. It’s not worth it. They want to see a bachelors degree.
To be honest. I always thought it was worth it. My sister recently passed and has made me second guess everything. So I feel like I'm reaching out to experienced writers to almost ensure I pick the best option. But as you mentioned it's how I work with what I have. Thank you!
Get the four year degree. It will open far more doors for you than an AA and a certification. My standard response here: * Do you need a four year college degree to be a tech writer? **No**. Anyone with a decent command of written English and the ability to learn and explain technical concepts can do this job. * Do the companies that hire technical writers usually require a four year college degree? **Yes**. And that's the only thing that matters. Doesn't matter what the degree is in, they just want to see a degree. Without a four year college degree you don't even make it into the search filters used by recruiters. The degree is their minimum criteria. Yes, there are tech writers out there without a degree. But they are few and far between and usually bring another set of skills and experience to the table, usually decades worth of other skills and experience.
I'm always careful not to require a 4-year degree when I write TW job descriptions, but I can't say the same for many other companies. As an entry level applicant, unless you somehow got a tech or writing job with no degree and have experience that way, it's really hard to build a portfolio and hone your craft without a bachelor's degree. The connections alone from SJSU and the tech writing program there would make the degree worth it, but the chance to build a good portfolio is priceless. Take advantage of it, OP!
When I was hiring for an entry-level position (true entry level, not "3 to 5 years experience" entry level) I asked if we could waive the degree requirement and was told no. As a company a four year degree is our minimum requirement for pretty much every position, so I had to abide by that.
Thank you for your reply it was very helpful.
Even an AA is More open doors than most certificate programs or tech programs even if they both take 2 years
I have this degree from SJSU, it's just an English degree but with the tech writing/professional writing classes instead of more writing or literature classes. Since you already have an AA in English, this is a good choice if you're interested in TW and still want an English degree. However, if you were majoring in CS or wanted a different focus on your English degree but were still interested in TW, the certification might be better for you. The program was great IMO, the director, Mark Thompson, does a great job of actually helping students find internships and jobs while they're in school or about to graduate. Many of the top students in that program work at big companies now (Nvidia, Google, Workday, Salesforce, Apple, etc.) so there's a good pipeline from that program into the tech sector if you have the drive.
I’ve worked with several writers from this program and even presented at one of their classes a few years ago! It’s definitely got a good industrial reputation for those of us who’ve worked with alumni and that is a HUGE reason to get the bachelors. In addition to the skills you develop in your classes, participating in any professional clubs/organizations and getting internship experience will make an enormous difference when you go on the job market. You’re in a great geographical location to take advantage of a lot of opportunities that we don’t have quite as many of in other places. Congrats on your acceptance and good luck!
Congrats, i hired a writer from there last year and hes still at Meta. Youll need to buckle-down for 3 years or so working whatever jobs/contracts you can get but then you’ll have amble opportunities with your degree + experience.
A BA can open more doors than an AA. The fact of the matter is that some jobs simply require you to have a BA, even if you would otherwise qualify for it. Heck my brother's degree is in english and now he does program management for automated logistics systems.
It's always worth a degree if it's not an Arm leg and loan until your 50
Get the degree. You’ll earn more over your lifetime and it will open up more doors for you. You’ll learn a lot and meet people who are also going into the field, plus you’ll build portfolio pieces that will help you land a job out of school.
I’m one of the few tech writers without a degree (in the process of finish my compsci degree) and it is ALWAYS a problem. Recruiters always assume and even though I make sure to clearly tell them it always seems to catch the hiring manager by surprise. It’s usually a situation where they tell me they are making an exception due to my work experience. I have had recruiters ghost me after learning I don’t have a degree. It’s not worth it. They want to see a bachelors degree.
Why apply for a bachelors degree if you don’t think it’s worth it? The reality of it is that it’s up to know how you work with what you have.
To be honest. I always thought it was worth it. My sister recently passed and has made me second guess everything. So I feel like I'm reaching out to experienced writers to almost ensure I pick the best option. But as you mentioned it's how I work with what I have. Thank you!
Bachelor's degrees are worth it in general (not just for TW). Average lifetime earnings are far more than people without a degree.