In October I finished my last assignment of my last subject of my 3rd degree. On November 15 I found out I passed that subject. Today I received an email that began…
Dear Rachel
Congratulations on completing your studies (see below) and becoming a graduand of Charles Sturt University. This is a wonderful achievement.
Notes: 3707IA – Master of Information Architecture
After I tweeted in October about finishing my course, a friend replied saying I can now call myself an Information Architect. Can I call myself that? It didn’t occur to me that I was. That got me thinking. When I finished my first degree, a Bachelor of Applied Science (Home Economics) I didn’t call myself a Home Economist. I never gained employment in the field so I never thought to call myself that.
I thought things were different when I became a Librarian but thinking about it today it wasn’t. I enrolled in a Master of Applied Science (Library and Information Management) with the full intention of doing the full masters from the start. I did however pay a fee to ‘graduate’ with the Graduate Diploma of Applied Science (Library and Information Management) as well. I was working as an Admin Assistant at the time and thought having the grad dip would help me to get a job. It did, eventually, but in the 6 months or so between finishing the grad dip and obtaining my first library job I don’t think I once thought of myself as a Librarian. The moment I got my first library job I did though.
I know I am probably unlikely to get a job with a title of Information Architect. I definitely intend to work in the field but I will probably be more likely to get a job with web, user or internet in the title and I am happy with that. I have the skills and knowledge to be an information architect. In fact I used them at work this week to rejig the navigation of our website. But why don’t I feel like I can call myself an Information Architect.?
Why is it that I value my job title more than my degree entitlement to call myself a professional title?
So,am I a Home Economist, Librarian and an Information Architect, all 3 or just a Librarian?
Maybe whatever the situation calls for. ..I’m an illustrator, artist, graphic designer, minion for the mining industry, whatever’s needed to interest or alternately scare someone off …..I also did a picture framing course. …so…carpenter?
You’re skilled in a variety of disciplines, and you can be anything you want. Just remember, you are more than a job title- you’re Rachel, which is pretty cool 🙂
Very deep thoughts for what I thought was a flippant remark at the time *lol*
I know what you mean though. My original qualification was a BSc in chemistry, but I never thought of myself as a scientist or a chemist, especially since I didn’t work in the field for long. I also tended to label myself by my job or career title, although I never felt entirely comfortable with that either. Nowadays I find labels confining, whether they are qualifications, job titles, family statuses, etc. I know we need them sometimes (and occasionally they even make us feel good, especially if they signify an achievement), but I don’t always like the box that they put me in. For example, it took me a couple of years before I would put anything in the ‘description’ boxes on various social media sites, such as Twitter, due to that feeling – when I did, it was for other people rather than for myself.
What do you put in that box for “Occupation” on official forms? I always put “Professional Engineer” though that was not, of course, my job title, that was Rehabilitation Engineer, which is what I think of myself as.
But what about now? Student? Aspiring Physics teacher? – I’m still entitled to Professional Engineer (my registration is still up-to-date) – but if I am not employed is it still my occupation? I still think of myself as a Rehabilitation Engineer, and probably always will to some extent.
Tricky one.
Mostly, of course, I’m just a bloody nice person 😉