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> Who's to say that those horrific writers won't still get great billing with
> the certification program and those incredibly competent and experienced
> people won't still get passed over and forgotten?
As I sit here some 20 months after being laid off, I could buy that
argument, but I won't. ;) I've been fortunate to find enough contract
work to keep me afloat all this time, but full time jobs? Not so much.
We're seeing a different shade of this scenario now... Employers are
either low-balling open positions or are only hiring entry- to
mid-level positions because that's all the funding they have with
which to fill their need. Credentials are being used in two key ways
right now:
1) Companies screen for the strongest applicants and see who accepts
the amount they want to offer.
2) Companies understand what credentials mean and therefore don't
entertain candidates who look like they are overqualified for the
position (aka flight risks).
On one hand, killer credentials could get me a job. It may not be
exactly what I want, but it's a job. On the other hand, I could
receive a lot of rejection.
I've managed to avoid the former scenario because I can smell a bad
situation from a mile away (hooray experience!). But, that also means
that I've become rather intimate with the latter scenario. Most
companies in that case just don't bother contacting you back (despite
great conversations up to that point), though some will have the
cojones to explain the situation in some manner.
So where am I going with this?
Credentials... Certification... There's always going to be a chance
that they will be ignored or otherwise abused. Yes, there are some
damn good writers out there with no degree at all, and there are other
writers who hold advanced degrees yet couldn't author a useful topic
on their best day. So does that mean that going to school for a
technical writing degree is also not worth it? Should we abandon all
attempts to show some semblance of achievement? If so, someone owes me
the equivalent of a house for my wasted education. And that's
experience talking. ;)
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