Re: credibility (longish but IMO worth reading)

[Sean Wheller <seanwhe -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

I haven't said much on this thread and must also admit
to not having read each and every message, so forgive
me if another post has already stated what I am about
to say.

--- Goober Writer <gooberwriter -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote:
> 
> Getting back to the point, and relating back to
> degrees, I can honestly see *a* value to higher
> degrees and certification when it comes to
> *perceived
> credibility*.

I don't think it is about perceived credibility. I
think it more about having a measuring stick against
which a potential employer can get an idea of what you
should know and how you may be measured in relation to
other potential employees.

If Tech Writing was a profession with a well
established history in higher-education then I don't
think that this discussion would have taken place. It
would be assumed that as a Technical Writer, you are
educated to high-level.

Higher Education, as a standard requirement for the
profession is not a bad thing in the long run. In the
short run it will make some Technical Writers, sans
higher-education, nervous about their employability
over the next 5 - 10 years.

I think that this concern is largely founded in
personal insecurity and extenuated when a person has a
low self esteem.

> 
> Yes, these things will make your resume more
> visible,
> more robust, yadda yadda yadda. BUT, I still
> maintain
> that no level of degree or certification makes a
> better tech writer.

I think it is important to note that visibility is not
only achieved by having a degree on your resume.

Seasoned Tech Writers, with a successful track record
can make a name for themselves in a number of ways. In
my experience the most productive has been networking.

I have also found that a Tech Writer with the above
can, in some organizations, lend credibility to the
product literature.

There are a number of cases where, Tech Writers have
worked themselves into the position of becoming a SME
on a subject and they have published great technical
works that often serve as a reference to the developer
community. Most of these people have been self
employed and entrepreneurial in nature.

Still, though they had no higher-education, they were
able to enhance their visibility and credibility very
effectively.

What makes two people, given the same circumstances
and conditions perform differently? I cannot say. But
what I do know for a fact that it is possible for a
person (employed or self-employed) to build a profile
that is worth serious consideration by any employer.

Some argue that it is the responsibility of
organizations such as the STC to elevate the
profession. In some respect this is true and to some
degree they have done so. Yet, these bodies can only
achieve this goal in tandem with their membership.
This said, I am often confounded when seemingly
brilliant initiatives that should have a positive
impact for the profession are met, time and again,
with distinct lack-luster in the community.

> 
> These people
> might be the absolute best candidate for a job, but
> could easily be overshadowed by a potential idiot
> with
> a "MS/PhD in TechComm" brandished on their resume.

Yes, but it depends on what the employer is looking
for. I have met many employers who are little
impressed by people having titles and prefer to look
for concrete proof or results that are based in
practical experience.

> value to those who truly want to learn for the sake
> of bettering themselves. But, in todays' society,
> degrees and certification really are sought for one
> primary
> purpose - perceived credibility. Again, there are
> those who benefit, developmentally, from them, but
> in
> the end, the stamp of achievement is all that seems
> to
> matter to many hiring parties.

I think that this thinking is slowly being eradicated.
Especially in developing countries where majority of
people cannot afford a higher-education. Alternative
training and certification methods are becoming more
acceptable and even desired in certain professions.


>>>> With regard to non-deplume.
Handy as it may seem to use non-deplume, they do
nothing to enhance your visibility or credibility. I
would argue that using your real name is far more
advantageous.

You may not wish that a person can google you for fear
that they may take one or more of your statements out
of context, this situation can have a negative impact.
For if you are a non-deplume, you will remain a non
entity and therefore have no visibility or credibility
to speak of other than what you have written on your
resume.

You may wish to hide, what you perceive, to be the
less desirable qualities of yourself for fear that it
may not work in your favor at interviews. I ask you to
consider the following:

Any mature person knows that no person is perfect. We
have our strengths and our weaknesses, our good times
and bad. We make blunders and embarrass ourselves and
other people.

Picture perfect is only half a person. This makes many
employers nervous. They like to see the good and the
bad. In fact some of your "less desirable qualities'
may unwittingly be one of your greatest assets in
certain situations. Anyway, a well rounded person is
far more marketable and attractive that a clinical
facade.

If you are fearful of some type of retribution, make
yourself some rules (yes, you can break them from
time-to-time). Rules like:

If you have nothing of value to say.
Don't say anything.

If you have nothing good to say.
Don't say anything.

Sean Wheller
"A clear conscience, is a sure sign of a bad memory."

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