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Subject:incompetent interviewers / certification From:John Russell <jrussell -at- COMMSOFT -dot- NET> Date:Tue, 17 Jun 1997 09:13:43 -0400
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There are countless cases we are all familiar with, in which a company hires
a tech writer for the first time. Every one else is an engineer. They know
they need to get a tech writer on board, but don't know how to tell good
documents from bad. They could give a test, but don't know how to do that..
With certification, the certifying organization gives the test and can verify
that this person has passed the test and will bring the benefits of the
profession into the company..
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But this scenario doesn't raise the question of the technical writer's qualifications so much as whether a tech writer is needed. Being the first tech writer in a sea of programmers/engineers...I should think that the first arguments will revolve around the mere *need* for technical writers and the value they add to the development process.
Once the programmers/engineers are convinced of this, *then* can come the arguments concerning tech writer qualifications. It's at this point that certification can add value.
But the scenario described above does not, in and of itself, support certification. I can only imagine the look of stupor on the director's face--who by the way doesn't believe documentation is necessary at all--when I say to him/her that "a certified technical writer is in order." And how do I respond when he/she refutes "Tech writer? Just get some kid out of high school to write the user manual!" or "That's ok. I'll have one of the programmers slap something together."
|-]
K. John Russell
Technical Writer
Commsoft, Inc.
Rensselaer NY 12144-5721
http:\\www.commsoft.net
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