Certification - What would we test?

Subject: Certification - What would we test?
From: "Larry Kunz ((919) 254-6395)" <ldkunz -at- VNET -dot- IBM -dot- COM>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 15:32:30 EST

A great deal of discussion on this list has centered on one
question: If we had a certification program, what would we test?

One person says we have to test writing ability; others reply that
our job is a lot more than writing. Someone else says we need
testimonials from employers; others point out the legal difficulty
in obtaining them. All this groping simply reinforces the point I
made earlier: Before we can set up a certification program, we
have to get a handle on what our profession really is.

We have to have consensus, for example, on what body of knowledge
is required for a technical communicator. We have to understand
what distinguishes us from other professional constituencies like
those of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

Getting consensus on these issues won't happen overnight, but
it's important to do -- whether or not we ever set up a
certification program. This list is an ideal place to have the
discussion.

Larry Kunz
STC Assistant to the President for Professional Development
ldkunz -at- vnet -dot- ibm -dot- com


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