Re: Survey Results -- Certification follow up

[Denise Fritch <dfritch -at- INTELLICORP -dot- COM>]

Hi Dave,


> Michael is exactly right that industry is not particularly interested in
> certification.  What I can add, however, is industry is also not
> particularly in technical communication degrees.  In job listings requests
> (not requirements) for TC or comparable degrees have gone down from 30% in
> 1994 to (are you ready?) 6% of the most recent 100 postings.  Only 18% are
> interested in any degree of any type.  Like Michael, I have been asking
> employeers what they think this means.  Basically, they are
> giving technical writing degrees a big oh-hum.

Did you also obtain statistics / ask industry about the difficulty they have
in filling technical writing positions today vs. the earlier period? We have
witnessed posts on this list recently that most locations have many more
open positions than applicants. I would expect that companies will "lower"
their requirements to fill a position rather then leave a position unfilled
when the available applicants fail to meet the full extent of their
requirements.

Also, did you ask whether industries are training new hires so that those
employees then have the skills actually sought? I should think training a
new employee would be one method of meeting a company's request for a
specific set of skills, some of which a new employee may lack.

Best,

     Denise L. Fritch
     Sr. Tech Writer
     IntelliCorp, Inc.
     Mountain View, CA


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