Re: Can this career be saved?

[Donna McManus <donna -dot- mcmanus -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Becca, why not?

Those three programs IMHO aren't very relevant, except in a few rare cases.
It seems to me that the certificate idea would be a good idea to get caught
up with what is happening in the field and some of the practices. Not sure
though that it's imperative to worry too much about the software skills
unless you know employers you'd like to target are specific on those
packages.

Try just putting together a solid portfolio of good work and take a shot at
getting a job or two underneath your wings--you could do that while under
taking your certificate program if you worked part-time. Just my two cents.
Employers that I know of would at least take a look at your resume if you
could show some relevant work examples.

Donna


On Mon, Jun 6, 2011 at 12:11 PM, Becca <becca_price -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote:

> I was a tech writer for 25 years, doing mostly independent contracts - my
> last few full-time jobs ended, however, when the company I was working for
> went out of business.
>
> Due to family reasons, I haven't worked in the field since 2003. I've had a
> few part-time jobs, but mostly I've been a stay at home mom with two special
> needs children. Now the kids are grown and driving themselves and in
> college. I really miss technical writing, and would like to get back into
> the business.
>
> Our local community college has a locally-well-thought-of program where I
> could get a technical writing certificate in 3 terms. I'd learn programs
> like InDesign, QuarkXpress, and FrameMaker, in addition to getting caught up
> with current best practices in the field - I know things have changed
> radically since I had to leave writing.
>
> My question is: Does this certificate sound worth while? it certainly is
> more pragmatic than getting a Masters in Technical Writing from a local
> university (that program sounds more theoretical than practical). Would any
> company look twice at someone with my history? My freelance days included
> contracts from companies such as Ford, Apple, and EDS.  I've kept contact
> with a few people who could still give me referrals.
>
> -becca
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