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>Bill DuBay wrote:
> ... You are still out there slugging it out by yourself, hoping the
>interviewer knows something about technical writing and knows how to evaluate
>all your references, portfolio, etc. It works most of the time for some
>people. But you would be missing the one thing that can establish you as a
>member of a profession, and that is the indication that you have met the
>standards set by your professional peers, some of whom are experts in their
>fields, not just by former employers, satisfied customers, or happy support
>people, who might not be aware of what those standards are. Certification is
>all about having standards and being able to identify those who meet those
>standards.
>
>-----------------------------------------------------
>Kudos (I guess) to Bill for waging his courageous one-man campaign in favor
>of certification, but... I sure wouldn't go along with the notion that a
>person who has happy former employers, satisfied customers, happy support
>people, etc., lacks the "one thing" that would give him/her credibility.
>In recruiting to fill a position, I'd approach it exactly the opposite way:
>if a candidate lacked the one thing that I think really matters -- a solid,
>proven track record of satisfied customers with a good portfolio to back it
>up -- THEN I might look at the certificates and miscellaneous other pieces of
>paper the person brings along.
>But that person's certificate would surely count for nothing, if the NEXT
>candidate who came in could demonstrate a solid track record.
>Ernie Tamminga
>Director, InfoEngineering
>Digital Sound Corporation
>-----------------------------------------------
>Opinions expressed are my own, and not necessarily those of Digital Sound
>Corporation
>
>
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