In speaking with people since the Summit about certification, I’ve been asked many variations on the question “what’s in it for me?” It’s a natural question that must have a good answer, but there’s more than one way to look at it.
Category Archives: Certification
Certification: What took so long?
When I announced the start of the STC certification program at the Summit in Dallas last month, I used images of a marathon on my slides, in part because the Boston Marathon was held only a couple of weeks before, but also because of the long path we followed. Believe it or not, certification wasContinue reading “Certification: What took so long?”
At long last: certification!
As you’ve heard by now, at the STC Summit on April 30 the Board of Directors approved a business plan to begin a certification program for technical communicators. While this was the culmination of my three years as chairman of the Certification Task Force, it also represented the completion of a task that was firstContinue reading “At long last: certification!”
Off to the Summit! (And I do mean “off”…)
Tomorrow I leave for the STC Annual Summit in Dallas, Texas and my last meeting as a Director at Large. I am finishing my term and rolling off the Board after Monday’s annual business meeting. It will be a little strange not being tremendously busy at the conference this time. (For the record, the SocietyContinue reading “Off to the Summit! (And I do mean “off”…)”
Can we fill in the blank? “All technical communicators _______”
STC has the biggest membership “tent” of any association of technical communicators, both by size and variety. But we’re by no means the only show in town. There are associations of medical writers, FrameMaker users, proposal writers, marketing writers, editors, and more. What, if anything, is the common thread that binds us together, and isContinue reading “Can we fill in the blank? “All technical communicators _______””
Assessment for Certification
Granting certification means that the applicant is found to have reached a minimum level of competence. But how do you know an applicant is worthy of certification? On what basis do you make the judgment? The question goes to the matter of assessment, and technical communicators interested in certification are interested in the matter.
What is it that we do, exactly?
What is a technical communicator, and why would you hire one? The answer to that question is called a value proposition. In general, it’s a statement of the unique value added by any person, product, or service that explains why you’d want to spend money. For technical communicators, it’s not something we’re used to offering,Continue reading “What is it that we do, exactly?”
Steven Jong 