Re[2]: Certification Redux

["Walker, Arlen P" <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM>]

      And finally, certification would be OPTIONAL, much like the Editor of
      Life Sciences certification, as I understand it, so there's no need
      for anybody to get their knickers in a twist. If and when
      certification is offered by an organization such as STC, it's
      completely up to the individual to take advantage of it or ignore it.

While it's certainly true that a certification program can be set up that
does not officially compel people to pass it before being able to practice
the trade/craft/profession, I'm not so sure a meaningful one can be set up
to be truly optional.

If the certificate is a reliable, meaningful determinate of skill, then
quality-minded employers will require that applicants possess one. If it is
not, then those same employers will not only not require one but will not
pay a premium to writers who have one.

So while it's all well and good to *say* that a certificate will be
optional, the reality is that it will either be a completely meaningless
waste of time and money or it will be a job requirement. There's not a
whole lot of middle ground between those positions.


Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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