Local Author Got His Start in MCC’s Technical Writing Program

Completing a certificate program at Middlesex Community College provided Lowell-native Chris Boucher with a career and a hobby. With Middlesex’s Community Education and Training (CET) program, Boucher learned the knowledge and skills he needed to get hired and succeed in the field of Technical Writing. Having honed his writing abilities through the program, he also credits MCC for helping him with his creative writing and publishing his novel, “Pivot Move.”

A few years after graduating with a bachelor’s degree from UMass Lowell, Boucher was uncertain about his career tract and prospects. While he was applying to jobs that appealed to him, he did not meet the requirements and was not getting interviews. MCC’s program “made all the difference.”

“In the past, I was applying to technical writing jobs without really knowing what they were, but I had an English degree and thought I could do it,” he said. “But no one seemed to agree with that until I was enrolled in MCC’s program. It was so easy afterwards.”

In the program, Boucher had a chance to write every day, build a strong portfolio to show to potential employers, and receive feedback from professors and classmates. All of these essential opportunities led to improved writing and more confidence for him. Another relevant skill Boucher learned was how to write for a particular audience, whether that included for a technical or creative writing project.

“MCC helped me in a number of ways,” he said. “I was an English major in college, but I struggled in my writing classes. The Technical Writing program forced me to apply what I may have learned but never really put into practice. I learned to write clearly, concisely and always with the audience in mind.”

After finishing MCC’s program, Boucher worked for 10 years as a Technical Writer. Although his role changed, Boucher believes the skills he learned in his courses transferred over because his time at Middlesex taught him more than how to be a professional writer.

Going to school in the evenings allowed him to work during the day, which honed his project management skills. This helped Boucher balance his responsibilities between working in his full-time role and writing his novel during nights and weekends.

He also learned how to better use technology, which proved valuable when developing a website to promote his book. And while he never expected to write a book of fiction, Boucher believes MCC’s Technical Writing program provided him with the tools in order to do so.

“Some people might be in the space of, ‘do I really want to be a technical writer? Is it going to kill my creativity?’ he said. “That wasn’t the case at all. It’s still writing every day. Those habits and discipline and improving all the time – in no way did it hurt me. Based on the other skills that I learned, it only helped me.”

Boucher went on to earn two master’s degrees, one in Learning and Technology and the other in Creative Writing. While he had chosen MCC’s Technical Writing program because it was affordable, he also learned the value of lifelong education and how it could enhance his career and personal life in a number of ways.

“Middlesex sold me on how important it is to keep learning,” he said. “I had earned my tuition back before I even finished the program. It’s worth it in the long run – from a financial perspective and a happiness perspective – and the difference it makes in your life by opening up these other opportunities.”

MCC’s CET programs provide academic, professional and personal enrichment for students of all ages and stages in their lives. For more information about CET’s certificate programs and noncredit courses, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/careertraining/or contact Sheila Morin at morins@middlesex.mass.edu or 781-280-3608.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!