TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Lurker writer warns: <<Geoff, be careful not to fall into the "getting
respect" trap by stating "...it gives our profession more of a
"professional" appearance and increases our visibility." I know you don't
favor either position, but employers really would not regard this type of
certification with any serious merit.>>
Sadly, many do look for shortcuts in hiring--probably the same ones who
demand a B.A. in Tech. Comm. combined with expertise in a specific tool
rather than closely examining the candidate's competence. I suspect that the
sensible employers will use certification as just one more criterion in
making a hiring decision, but I'm equally certain that some will use it as
an alternative to "due diligence".
<<It seems to me that any certification initiative by STC would play into
the "we don't get no respect" camp.>>
That depends. If the certification really does come to be seen as the stamp
of quality, word will get around (Personnel managers seem to network like
demons <g>) and will begin to rely on it--some (sensibly) as one of several
criteria, and others (ludicrously) in place of more useful criteria. Of
course, if the certificate becomes just a piece of paper that bears no
relationship with quality, it will be roundly ignored and perhaps even
actively distrusted. The reason we don't already have certification is that
it's fiendishly difficult to create a certification process in our field
that truly does reflect a person's competence.
<< <rhetorical question>How on earth does a piece of paper hanging on a wall
get you respect?</rhetorical question>.>>
Non-rhetorical answer: In the absence of personal experience with the
person, it does demonstrate an achievement, and perhaps even one of some
value. The value may or may not be there, but to the ill-informed, the paper
can be compelling; to the well-informed, it may be a true or false measure
of ability, depending on the reputation of the paper. Just like an academic
degree!
--Geoff Hart, FERIC, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
"User's advocate" online monthly at
www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/usersadvocate.html
"I vowed [that] if I complained about things more than three times, I had to
do something about it."--Jon Shear
*** Deva(tm) Tools for Dreamweaver and Deva(tm) Search ***
Build Contents, Indexes, and Search for Web Sites and Help Systems
Available 4/30/01 at http://www.devahelp.com or info -at- devahelp -dot- com
Sponsored by DigiPub Solutions Corp, producers of PDF 2001 Conference East,
June 4-6, Baltimore, MD. Now covering Acrobat 5. Early registration deadline
April 27. http://www.pdfconference.com.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
