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Subject:Re: Certification From:Heather Atkinson <HMA209 -at- SAFETY -dot- NWSCC -dot- SEA06 -dot- NAVY -dot- MIL> Date:Fri, 4 Feb 1994 15:43:01 EST
--> Are there any efforts to set up a certification of
--> technical writers?
-->
--> By "certification", I mean the process of granting
--> a certificate of technical competence.
-->
I'm not sure I'd want something of the sort established. I read an
article recently in "LAN TIMES" about CNE status that makes me leery
of creating any kind of Technical Writer certification. The article
argued that CNE has now become a prerequisite for all corporate job
listings that in any way relate to LANs. However, the author
stated:
"The harsh truth is that, today, it is all too possible for a
motivated, moderately intelligent person to obtain a CNE without
ever having so much as cracked the case on a PC, installed an
application onto a NetWare LAN, or actually logged into a NetWare
file server. <snip> There is absolutely no requirement that CNE
candidates have prior relevant experience to qualify for
certification."
It seems that the CNE title is now being used as a filter as potential
employers scan the resumes of applicants. But, do they really even
understand what a CNE certificate is? Or has it just become the
basis for determining the skill level of the candidate?
This scenario is what would worry me about a Certified Technical
Writer (CTW?). What does everyone else think?
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! Heather M. Atkinson !
! Technical Writer !
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