Tech Writer category in ETS

[Liz Babcock <Liz_Babcock -at- C28B5 -dot- CHINALAKE -dot- NAVY -dot- MIL>]

Mail*Link(r) SMTP               Tech Writer category in ETS
Barry Maid asked on 14 September about the "new test" Educational Testing
Service (ETS) is developing for Tech Writing. Sorry I didn't answer this
sooner. Those TECHWR-L participants who are on the STC Board have been at the
board's meeting since Thursday and therefore haven't had an opportunity to read
the list during that time.

I wonder if the "test" Barry is referring to is a recent ETS activity that
added the profession "technical writer" to those measured by the Strong
Interest Inventory. If you've ever taken this "test" (or its predecessor, the
Strong Campbell Interest Inventory), you'll realize that it's not a true test,
but rather an instrument that asks multiple-choice questions about your
interests in a wide variety of areas in order to arrive at interest scores that
can be compared to those of professionals in a variety of careers. It's been a
long time since I took the test, but I remember that a lot of the questions had
to do with whether I like to work alone or with other people, etc. The Strong
Interest Inventory is just one of a battery of instruments career counselors
might use to help people decide what careers might suit them.

STC was involved in a peripheral way in that a sampling of our members provided
information to ETS to help that company develop a profile for the profession of
technical writing. We on the STC Board consider that the addition of this
career choice to the Strong Interest Inventory is great PR--both for STC and
for our profession.