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Believe it or not I do know the difference, and I don't disagree. I'm not
STC is actually the best organization to begin an accreditation program, but
that was what I was referring to. Accountancy is a profession. You don't
have to be a CPA to practice it, but it does elevate your standing. Network
Engineering is a profession. You don't necessarily have to have an MCSE or
Cisco certification, but it sure helps.
And yes I personally know quite a number of accredited Project
Managers--Thought about going for it myself at one time, but then I got laid
off. Sounds like the accreditation/certification culture in Canada is
different than in the US. I'm an accredited motivational trainer, public
relations professional, and I am Certified Professional Shoe Fitter (bet
nobody else on the list has THAT designation! Got it when I was a partner in
a children's show store). Mostly what it means is that occasionally someone
has heard of it, and entry-level recruiters tend to be far more impressed
than they o. Otherwise it just means I could throw numerous three digit
sets of initials behind my name. Now if I had something with the clout of
CPA or MCSE, my job search would probably be shortened considerably!
Regards,
Connie Giordano, APR, CNT, CPSF (and soon to be M.A.)
-who wishes she had sig lines like Kim and Keith, so then I could be a
Certified Not-so-profession Sig Line Writer-that would be CNSLW - ooh
impressive!
-----Original Message-----
From: Kim Roper [mailto:kim -dot- roper -at- pixelink -dot- com]
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2003 4:31 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: Hostility towards STC
Connie Giordano wrote:
> I agree that you didn't call technical writers
> unprofessional, but I do
> disagree with the concept that it's not a profession.
Let's get this one straight:
Technical writing is NOT a profession in the large "P" Profession sense of
the word. For it to be a profession, there would have to be an accrediting
body and means of enforcing professional conduct in terms of ethics and
competence. Professional standing can be --removed-- for violating rules of
conduct.
Examples of occupations where this is strictly enforced:
-- Medicine
-- Law
-- Psychology
Examples of occupations where one may be a "Professional" but it is not
required to be able to work in the field:
-- Engineering*
-- Project Management**
* At least in Ontario, there are restrictions on who may claim to be an
engineer, Professional (P.Eng) or not. P.Eng accreditation is required for
certain tasks, such as design sign-off, legal deposition, and guaranteeing
of a passport application.
** Yes, there are accredited Professional Project Managers. Really.
Cheers ... Kim
(Engineer, but not P.Eng.)
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