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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.
. My alma mater offers a certificate in Technical Writing. It
. is for people who have already completed a Bachelor¹s degree
. and don¹t want a Master¹s.
I have been writing all my life and learned FrameMaker at a prior job where
I discovered I had a knack for software, hardware, and acting as the liaison
between our programmers / engineers and a target audience via written
documentation and online Help. Leaving there, I got a job as a Technical
Writer with my current employer (a medical devices company). I started as a
contract worker, was hired at the end of the six month contract, beating out
a gal who started a week after I did. She had a Tech Writing degree and I
don't have a university degree. Turns out, we had similar skills, but I had
better intangibles (a writer's "ear", ability to talk tech equally well with
programmers / engineers, and got along very well with the other people in my
department.
I've been here full time going on three and a half years now, and wonder if
my lack of a sheepskin will greatly impact job-hunting if / when I decide to
leave, or if my skills and abilities as a Tech Writer / Help Author will be
enough of a trump card.
I have always had a knack for English / Language Arts, I scored in the top
2% of the country in that area when I took my ACT / SAT tests, I'm a
life-long voracious reader, I write for fun, and I'm a card-carrying gizmo
geek. I've taken several professional training classes (HTML / Help
Authoring) since I've been here and have excelled at everything I've
tempted.
So, the question is, have any of you Tech Writers bypassed a University
education on the way to your career? In addition to the seminars and
training classes I take, would this Tech Writer Certification be of an
earthly assistance as I grow my resume?
Regards,
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John Cook
Technical Writer
Technical Information Services Group
Camtronics Medical Systems
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