I think that depends on what Jim's definition of "successful" is,
and what results TWs are "happy" with.
As a writer, I would not be very happy at all with a certification
that was not recognized by hiring managers in industries I want
to work in.
As a hiring manager, I would not be very happy at all with a
certification that did not reflect *my* requirements for what
constituted a person "qualified" to work for me as a writer in
my industry. And, of course, the hiring manager at the
company down the road works in a different industry is
bound to have different requirements.
Resolving this is not utterly impossible. The AMWA has
managed to devise a set of education programs and certs
that are in fact widely accepted and are often required by
employers seeking to recruit medical writers. But to date
I can't recall any attempts at putting forth technical writing
certifications that propose to implement similar levels of
technology and industry based training and evaluation for
writers working in other fields.
Gene Kim-Eng
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