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Faye (aka wsfn) spoke on behalf of training and certification:
> Sent: March 6, 2007 8:56 AM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: certification
>
>
> I just thought I would put in a few thoughts from
> someone who has 3 university based certificates
> (tech writing, tech editing, and professional
> writing).
>
> These meant that I took more classes in these
> areas (over and above my BA in English with
> emphesis in Technical Writing), had to maintain a
> B or better in all of them, and prepare a
> portfolio of material for each that was then
> judged by a board of 5 professors in order to
> receive each certificate.
>
> Did it make a difference? I think it did. I was
> already in the field, running my own department
> while doing this, and I still found it valuable.
>
> First, it showed that I had additional education
> in these things. I could pick up additional tool
> sets and have examples of my work without
> worrying about getting permission from my current
> job (DoD). It also gave me a broad base for my
> interests which are varied and prove that I am
> competent in each...without a job experience for
> each.
Ah. This last point is one that I like.
Hear that, the rest of you certification pushers?
That's a really good selling point - latch onto it.
My work history is mostly long stretches with single
companies, so my experience is not as varied as I might
wish (say, the next time I'm looking for a job - been
at this one since 1998... hmmm). It was only three years
ago, barely, that I got the opportunity to write Help,
as opposed to book-and-pamphlet documentation that was
destined for PDF or print. There are other big chunks
of what-techwriters-do that I haven't experienced,
hands-on.
I would value training and certification that could
get me exposed (in useful, practical ways) to other
kinds of techwriting. For example, I think I could
be good at (and enjoy) writing for physical/mechanical
systems, and medical-related writing is an attractive
proposition, but one that I'd never have an opportunity
to try, given my background.
Likely there'd be other folks who would relish some
organized, well-presented instruction in fields in
which they have an interest, but no experience, and
no obvious path to that experience (even among those
who would willingly take a 50% pay-cut to become an
entry-level TW in a new specialty, there might not be
many who are able to do so, given life-stage and
family/fiscal responsibilities). An avenue to some
exposure and (pseudo-?) experience in a new branch
might be attractive enough that people would pay.
Explore this more. Chop-chop! :-)
Kevin
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