Re[3]: Certification

["Khalil, Alexandria G." <akhalil -at- SUNGARD -dot- COM>]

           Susan,

           I don't buy the argument. I had a manager with 4 kids and a wife who
did not work and he went to school at night to earn his EE degree, believe, he
was neither 20 nor supported by his parents. It took him some time but he did
it. I earned my MS at night and I am a single parent and I'm not 20 years old.
I know several people in the same situation. Further, most companies offer some
sort of tuition reimbursement program. Also, most colleges offer loans, grants
or payment programs. As far as what type of degree a technical writer should
have, I don't think it has to be a technical writing degree, I have an BS in
Electrical Engineering Technology and it has served me well in the profession.
Degrees in English, History, business, Computer Science, Biology, Engineering,
Journalism, ,Sociology, Psycology, Art, just to name a few, are just some of the
degrees held by some of the technical writers I've met and worked with. It's
easy to find many reasons for not doing something and however, it takes real
determination to do something you want or must do!


        Regards,

Alexandria Khalil
SunGard Capital Markets
Phila., Pa
akhalil -at- sungard -dot- com


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re[2]: Certification
Author:  "Susan W. Gallagher" <sgallagher -at- EXPERSOFT -dot- COM> at Internet
Date:    1/4/96 9:37 PM


Judith Blackbourn wrote:
>> Here's my worry -- I don't have a college degree. So even though the
>> local STC chapter has awarded me a Best of Show the last two years,
>> I wouldn't be qualified for a certificate!

And Grant H answered:
>So far, I've not seen anyone say that you *have* to have a degree to
>get certified. I think that there might well be an "in lieu of" loophole
>that would let people such as yourself pass through (or over, or whatever :-)

Then Alexandria Khalil added:
>I don't think you need to change your career because of a certification
>requirement that you need a college degree. I think if that if a college degree
>were needed for any certification, you should go out and get the degree.
>Sometimes there is just no way around that type of requirement. Further, in
>terms of marketability, what harm would getting a degree cause?

So, now it's time to add my $.02...

Judith, you're not the only one sweatin' a degree requirement, although
I agree with Grant that certification will *probably* side-step the
issue by allowing you to substitute experience. There are *lots* of
us oldtimers who entered the profession long before tech writing
became a degree program. Some of us have degrees in other things, some
of us don't have degrees at all. A certification program that ignores
the abilities and contributions of the ancient and venerable (that's
me ;-) ) won't get very far.

Alexandria - I agree with you that in terms of marketability, a degree
would be more beneficial than harmful. But... Please be aware that there
are those, in our profession and elsewhere, who lack the economic
resources to obtain a degree, lack the time it takes to work on a degree
because of family obligations or whatever, or live in areas without
direct access to a 4-year school or with limited access to university
extensions that typically offer only business, education, and nursing
programs. If you're 20 and single and mom and dad are footing the
bill, getting a degree is easy. If you're 40 and divorced and
supporting 2 or 3 kids and don't live near a school that offers a
suitable program... They don't sell degrees at the supermarket, you
know?


-Sue Gallagher
sgallagher -at- expersoft -dot- com