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.
>
> > All expenses paid? Buy-in at the company level for this will be
> > tough.
>
> It depends on the company and how much they back the concept. Don't
> companies pay 3-4k (cost plus expenses) to send some employess on
> weekly training trips
>
> > And what does a FTE do in this case? Take vacation time?
>
> Sure..why not? Is one week of vacation, one time, so precious that it
> cannot be dedicated to self improvement?
>
> remember...the whole process SHOULD be tough....isn't anything elite
> usualy that way?
>
Think about it this way...most FTEs in professional jobs get at least
two weeks' vacation per annum. And consider the cost of a vacation that
someone might plan for several years--a cruise, a tour in a foreign
country, etc. Such trips can easily be several thousand dollars. In my
case, I'm planning a 4-day racing school at Sebring International
Raceway next spring for between $3K and $4K.
My point is this--people will spend money on things that are personally
and emotionally important, regardless of the financial return. If a
certification could mean an extra 20% - 25% increase in annual pay (of
course we don't know what it would mean) that would probably be
important enough for many people on this list to invest the money--the
ROI makes it a no-brainer. And some people would do it if it weren't
worth a penny more income because the learning experience and
accreditation is value enough on its own. I know if I could increase my
earning power 20% - 25% for the same money as a few days of driving a
Panoz like I stole it...well, Sebring would just have to wait another
year!
What is the ROI on a trip to Rome? A visit to Alaska? Four days in a
race car? Probably not nearly as much as professional certification
(unless day five brings a sponsor and an SEC--Somebody Else's Car--to
drive).
I guess it's all a matter of what is really important to the individual.
Some people would believe certification is not worthwhile having even if
it were offered (for a variety of reasons). If it were expensive enough
that it had to be planned and budgeted in advance (both for time and
expense), those people would probably still opt to spend the same time
and money touring Italy or cruising the Caribbean.
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, purge it and do not disseminate or copy it.
Now Shipping -- WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word! Easily create online
Help. And online anything else. Redesigned interface with a new
project-based workflow. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
Doc-To-Help 2005 now has RoboHelp Converter and HTML Source: Author
content and configure Help in MS Word or any HTML editor. No
proprietary editor! *August release. http://www.componentone.com/TECHWRL/DocToHelp2005
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
