Re: Certification Redux

["Molis, Debbie" <Debbie_Molis -at- FREDDIEMAC -dot- COM>]

Bill,

Re your comment to Geoff on requiring a bachelor's and Master's.... Please
don't take this the wrong way. These are important points, I believe.
(For everyone outside the US, please bear with me.)

I have been brought up to believe, and still believe, that this is a free
country. If you apply yourself and work diligently, you can achieve
anything, including being a technical writer.

Holding a bachelor's and Master's degree, or even certification, doesn't
guarantee that you're going to be successful or even good at  professional
technical writing and editing.

It's how you prove yourself in the "real world" that will ultimately decide
how successful you can be, and that's as it should be.

There's room for everybody who wants to be a technical communicator to do
so. I don't think it's a stretch to say that those who have excellent skills
related to technical communications but don't have degrees specifically in
technical or technical writing, or certification, deserve to succeed as
technical communicators. These people shouldn't be looked down upon. Their
talent is driving their success. If they weren't talented, they wouldn't be
hired and continue to be employed.

For some positions, there might be some special skills necessary. You might
learn these special skills on the job, perhaps over the years.  I find that
you often learn as you go in this world. If you learn these skills
effectively on the job and gain practical experience, there's no reason to
spend more money on college.  And keep in mind that there are many positions
that don't require special skills like programming, engineering, etc.

It's wrong to say that just because someone doesn't have a degree in these
special skills that they won't be good at it, or that they just shouldn't do
it or they shouldn't be hired.

If someone who doesn't hold a technical communicator-related degree and has
trouble finding employment in the field, it would probably be worthwhile to
gain additional education. Or maybe they'll determine that this isn't the
right field.

But you have to let the market forces work...

Debbie Molis
Technical Writer
dmolis -at- erols -dot- com
Debbie_Molis -at- freddiemac -dot- com

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