As WriteSourcing continues to expand, I speak to new people on a weekly basis who are often interested in what my background is; they’re curious to know why and how I got started doing what I do and a curious about those personal, professional and educational elements that contributed to it. I’m not shy about sharing my background and my experiences, and I will talk about my post-secondary education if asked and I will say that yes I went, and yes I enjoyed it. But the question that I’m rarely asked is if it made a difference; did it help shape me to be successful (a definition I’m not sure I like to apply, but we’ll go with it) running a freelance writing and editing business?
I do value the importance of education, and while it taught me a lot; I truly don’t rely upon anything I learned to help me today at least not directly. I studied English, I over analyzed Shakespeare with the rest of them, was exposed to some literature I might not otherwise have picked up and participated in heated debates about the symbolism in some pieces of classic literature. I can say that have more opportunity to write, and have more doors opened to me – like writing for an acclaimed student run newspaper distributed city-wide. But for the most part, my learning experiences don’t translate to what I’m doing today. I will never regret getting my Bachelors or taking continuing education courses as I started my career, but I can’t say it would have made a difference.
Running a writing business is about more than simply writing. I don’t have a business degree, and I don’t see how memorizing the definition of entrepreneur would have gotten me any further in my career – I am an entrepreneur and no education would have prepared me to live it. I learn as I go if there’s something I’m unfamiliar with. I rely upon my instinct and it rarely leads me astray. But when it does, I take those mistakes and learn from them.As far as I’m concerned, learning a concept in a text book can never provide the same experience for growth that living it can.
So what it boils down to when it comes to that question few actually ask – my education isn’t responsible for getting me where I am today. Perhaps that was a choice as I chose to do something for my personal enjoyment, not necessarily with a career in mind; also knowing that in today’s world just holding a degree can make all the difference whether or not it plays a role in developed skills and experience. Perhaps the reason I pursued an education for personal interest over career direction, is because I’ve always felt that hands-on experience and inborn intuition and aqcuired skill will go a lot further.
Education is important, don’t get me wrong. My kids will get a post-secondary education as they desire whether they choose to go to University or College for a skilled trade. Whether their experience leads them directly to their chosen career, or whether it simply provides personal growth as it did for me, really doesn’t matter.
I think with any entrepreneurial opportunity, you’ve either got the drive and desire to do it you don’t and the same goes for confidence, because it’s a risk and it’s a wild ride. And you know what? Whether or not my education helped prepare me for where I’m at today doesn’t matter. People out there can keep scoffing at those English majors who don’t have a clear path to their career after graduation, because that’s not all it’s about.
Let me reinforce again, that I’m not undervaluing the importance of a good education, what I’m saying is that those labels don’t have to hold you back from what you want to do. So what if you don’t have a business degree, it doesn’t mean you’re not equipped to run a business. If you feel you need to expand your knowledge, that option is always available, too.
So to all of those people who didn’t ask the question regarding what kind of role my education played in getting me to where I am today, aren’t you glad you kept it zipped? Now you know.
I know there are others out there who share my experience, and others still who find that their education helped their career growth immensely. Where do you stand? I’d love to hear your experience.
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Tweets that mention WriteSourcing Blog » Is Post-Secondary Education Essential for a Successful Writing Business? -- Topsy.com — April 12th, 2010 at 4:54 pmBeth, my background is as eclectic as yours, and while it all helped to shape who I am, I don’t think it has had that much, if any influence on what I’m doing now, although it certainly has come in handy.
Christine Peets — April 12th, 2010 at 5:13 pmI have a degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE), and I worked in that field for many years. I started writing for community newspapers in 1989, and freelancing about 10 years later. In the mid-80s, I wrote for a northern Ontario newspaper about parenting, and early childhood education, so I combined the two—writing and teaching. I’ve done that since 2000 working for social service agencies, planning conferences, and teaching ECE students. So, that background has combined with my writing. It likely will again.
What has helped my career growth if it wasn’t my education? The education I have received working with many talented editors and writers, and those I’ve met through professional associations.
Education is life-long, and we should never stop learning.
I agree 100%. Being a recent graduate, sure I developed my writing skills throughout college and learned how to look at subjects in an analytical manner. However, the other side to writing, starting a website, marketing it, learning to write for the internet, etc. are all things I wish my degree contained. I just had to figure it all out after graduating. Hopefully the degrees in Communication and Journalism will change in this regard, but those classes are still being taught by those that grew up on newspapers and print writing rather than online writing.
Suzy — April 12th, 2010 at 5:35 pmChristine – I agree, not everything I’ve learned has been strictly by what I’ve done in my business, though a lot comes from there. Definitely an education helps shape you with growth and learning and those are never bad things. I’m also one who loves any opportunity to learn about anything I can which is why I’ve continued to take courses etc whether or not it directly helps me day-to-day. Writing-wise, I think I learned more by working with the publications I did even starting in high school, then University than I did studying literature.
Suzy – that’s also a good point! I didn’t do communications, my English degree was primarily focused on literature so it didn’t even touch upon any of those elements. I won’t get into print versus online media and journalism, especially since today I have a clear bias (and whether or not one of those may be extinct in the near future) but, it definitely should be much more well rounded to better prepare people who are just getting out there! But, also proof that not having an educational background that touches on those elements doesn’t have to hold you back!
admin — April 12th, 2010 at 7:02 pm[...] was about ME. If you want to see what I consider a personal post when I write, read yesterday’s post on my [...]
Keeping your business blog relevant | Wax Blog — April 13th, 2010 at 10:56 amI agree too. For me, university was an opportunity for learning: literature, art, history, politics, psychology, anthropology and physics. And it taught me important skills: how to think more clearly, how to work on a deadline, how to budget my time. My friends in engineering, medicine and pharmacy learned how to do their jobs, but for me it was an important base of skills and knowledge so I could then go out and begin to be a writer.
David Weedmark — April 13th, 2010 at 11:19 amWell said, David!
I’ve got to believe too that there are some out there who are better suited to something with a direct career path, like the ones you mention. Life long learning is one thing – but eventually, it does need to go hand-in-hand with a career.
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Ingrid Lagerberg — June 22nd, 2010 at 5:26 amKeep up the great writing and resources.Thanks for your sharing. I think very helpfull.
Joslyn Townsel — August 19th, 2010 at 5:57 am