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I think the #1 skill you can sell (or not) is your overall ability to solve problems. Just my curmudgeonly POV there, but in my experience nothing is worse than an "expert" at ANYTHING (FrameMaker, Word, or whatever) who cannot solve his or her way our of a paper bag that does not have the given expertise tag attached to it.Â
If you already have experience coding, then transfer that to HTML... Get into javascript. Warning: It's a bit of a different animal, but it's every bit as powerful as Java and C++, and has some advantages over those languages. Anyway, if you want to get into online docs, that's the way I would go (erm, HAVE gone). Build yourself some good and interesting online doc examples, post them to your own web site, and send the URLs to prospective employers. While you're building your web site, you might play with PHP or Node.js as well for some server-side programming. I think that would do more good than some certificate in HTML. Be prepared to discuss how you accomplished whatever you present. Oh, and incorporate something from a REST API in your site. REST is big these days.
Another thing to focus on is the information domain -- Will you apply at a video encoding company? Learn about video streams. Network management? Learn it. Medical devices? Learn about compliance and medicine. I hope you get the point. At the bottom of it, you will have to write ABOUT something. It's no good if you don't know what you're writing about. Show the aptitude to LEARN, and show some initial homework in the domain your prospect deals in.
As for buying software at a discount... Sure, you should get it all. Get Maker, RoboHelp, oXygen, etc. Well, only if you plan to work freelance. If you hire on as an employee, your employer should provide you with the tools. Don't forget free tools. Continue your Java work with Eclipse... Documenting APIs is not a bad business!Â
cud
On 6/25/15, 4:20 PM, "Craig Lashley" wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I am currently in school for Technical Communication and will be graduating
>next Spring. I've been trying to determine what types of software would be
>best to purchase while I can still get a student discount. I saw a post
>about Adobe Tech Comm Suite a few days ago. I also see Frame Maker and Dita
>a lot white doing tech comm searches. Are these worth buying as an
>individual? I've been told several times to learn HTML. I have a basic
>understanding for coding such as Java and C++. Is there a legit way to get
>certified HTML to show a future employer? I've done many walk through
>tutorials on Youtube, and have a basic concept and understanding of HTML. I
>feel for a future job having some sort of tangible documentation proving
>that would benefit me. Are there other certifications outside of a college
>degree I should look into? There appears to be a large amount of webpages
>saying they offer certificates, but which ones actually carry weight? I am
>working on determining what I could be doing outside of going to class to
>help me really have an upper hand as far as employment in technical
>writing.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Craig
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Learn more about Adobe Technical Communication Suite (2015 Release) | http://bit.ly/1FR7zNW
