Re: Certification

["Arlen P. Walker" <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- CORE -dot- CORP -dot- JCI -dot- COM>]

>  Do you think STC (or some other "official" body) should
>  be certifying technical communications professionals?

My knee-jerk reaction to this question (about *any* field) is "No," but I
acknowledge there are circumstances in which certification is helpful. My
knee-jerk is caused by the attitude I've seen in many "certifiable"
individuals. They see the certificate as the end, and their profession as
merely the means to get there.

>     - Is TC a profession, or just a job?

Both.

>     - Given the wide range of "stuff" we do as TCers, how
>       would/should certification work?

Given a collection of information and a document spec, write a manual.

>     - Should/could there be "grades" or "classifications" of
>       certification?  If so, what should they be?  How should/
>       could we differentiate between skill levels?

No, none, and we shouldn't. "Technical communicator third class?" Sounds
like a crewman of the Enterprise. Programmer certification has many
classifications, and most people don't what they are, and couldn't
differentiate between them if you gave them a list of the certificates.
Accountants have two certificates,most folks outside accounting (including
HR types who do the hiring) only know of one. If you're going to certify
someone, then do like the lawyers and just have one.

>     - What should we call ourselves (again, given the wide
>       range of stuff we do and industries we do it in/for)?

Writers. Then we start a campaign to take that title away from all those
who don't fit our definition of what we are.


There, *that* ought to supply enough kindling. :{>}

Have Fun,
Arlen

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- jci -dot- com
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