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I'm new to the mailing list and would like any feedback anyone
would like to give based on experience in the field, as well as
suggestions as far as how I should move forward. I'm 27-years-old and
have reached a career impasse. After mostly developing my skills
through various customer service and retail oriented jobs (which I've
hated), I need to further my education in order to secure a decent,
salaried position in our wretched economy.
Writing is the thing that I've always excelled at throughout my
life . I have a BA in Communications, but they mock that degree in an
episode of the Simpsons for good reason. It's the degree that most
college students turn to when they realize they don't want to go the
extra 1000 miles to be in a specialized field.
In a few instances in my past work experience, I have found
myself writing scripts and marketing materials and up until recently,
the idea of getting into technical writing did not even cross my mind.
Until now.
I know the issue of how much certification can 'prove' one's
knowledge/expertise in the field has certainly been addressed here,
but I don't really see it as an option in my case. I have been eyeing
online certificate programs and am highly considering enrolling in the
program offered by Brooklyn College. I definitely want to develop
graphic/computer related programming skills in relation to tech
writing, and it seems that this program is well-rounded and focuses on
the latest technology widely used by companies.
Maybe some of you have some advice for me. Do you think there is
a better online certification program available currently? I realize
how dry the work can be in many instances, but I've also heard it can
be a rewarding, creative career experience. Enlighten me a bit!
Thanks.
Mark
On Mon, Sep 8, 2008 at 9:33 PM, Dan Goldstein
<DGoldstein -at- riverainmedical -dot- com> wrote:
> These discussions have usually centered on just that question: What
> would you include in a certification exam to "broadly and quantifiably"
> test the skills required by most technical writers?
>
> I completely agree that certification can be useful to technical writing
> job applicants. We're looking for one that would be useful to the
> *employers* of technical writers.
>
> Again, check out
> <http://www.atanet.org/certification/aboutcert_overview.php>. It's a
> good demonstration of why this *wouldn't* work for us the way it works
> for translators.
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Lauren
>> Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 5:53 PM
>> To: Dan Goldstein; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>> Subject: RE: Introduction
>>
>> ... Certification is one means of proving one's
>> ability to perform a job (and knowledge). It is
>> not a complete form of proof, but it is a broad,
>> quantifiable, and deep method of demonstrating
>> one's skills when the certification is
>> well-structured.
>>
>> So, in this case, certification is a proof of
>> knowledge, although it is not a complete proof
>> of knowledge.
>>
>
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