Technical Communication
Certification
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What is certification?
The process through which an organization grants recognition to an individual ... [who] meets certain established criteria.
•“Certificate” versus “certification”
•“Certification” versus “licensure”
•“Licensure” versus “accreditation”
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Certification and professions
A profession is marked by three attributes:
•A unique body of knowledge
•A code of ethics
•Certification of qualified practitioners
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Certification milestones
• First discussed in 1964
• First sanctioned work: Ad Hoc Committee on Certification in 1975
• Membership surveys: 1975, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1995, 1997
• Certification RFP issued in 1985; response not pursued
• Feasibility study
commissioned in 1998
• Began work on Body of Knowledge (BOK) in 2007
• Benchmarking report on professions in 2008
• Value proposition adopted in 2009
• Certification program approved by Board on 30 April 2010
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Certification drivers
• Legitimize the contributions of, and respect for, our profession
• Establish uniform worldwide performance standards
• Increase the employability and salary of certified practitioners
• Satisfy employers’ expectations
• Reduce hiring risk for employers
• Bring in non-dues revenue for the Society5
Guiding principles• Certification is voluntary
• Certification focuses on uniform areas of practice where technical communicators provide unique value
• Applicants must meet prerequisites to be eligible for certification
• Applicants must demonstrate knowledge, skills, and experience
• Assessment involves a variety of methods
• A core certification provides the basis for certification growth
• Applicants must agree to adhere to the STC Code of Ethics
• Opportunities are provided to applicants for remediation
• Once granted, certification must be maintained
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Areas of practice1.User, task, and experience analysis
2. Information design
3.Process management
4. Information development
5. Information production
6.Review coordination and reconciliation
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Example of salary impact
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Value to employers
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• Employers find that certified professionals are more often competent and successful than uncertified ones
• Employers spend less to hire, train, and replace certified employees
• Therefore, employers seek out and pay more for certified professionals
Fee schedule (TBD)
• ISPI: $995
• The Data Warehousing Institute: $975
• ASTD: $799
• Human Factors International: $750
• IEEE: $645
• STC online certificate course $595 (member)
• APMP: $450
• ASQ: $450
• IIBA: $450
• PMI: $405
• Accreditation in Public Relations: $385
• ABC: $320
• AMWA (certificate): $275
• BELS: $250
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Consider these association fees:
Application packet
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• Résumé or curriculum vitae
• Attestation from you and your client (boss)
• Signed Code of Ethics
• Work samples and artifacts
• Accounts (stories) of projects
Evaluation process• Several sessions per year
• Application screened by STC office
• Packet examined by three trained evaluators (who receive honoraria)
• Under non-disclosure
• Each evaluator looks at three packets (evaluator-applicant ratio is 1:1)
• Evaluate against established criteria
• Results:
• 3–0 vote: certify
• 2–1 vote: return for clarification
• 1–2 or 0–3 vote: reject
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Certification and BOK
• The STC BOK is being fleshed out
• It will become the basis for future examinations
• It will become the basis for future specialty certifications
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Steven Jong, RTFM
•Certificate
•Plaque
•Pin
•Logo
•Designation
•Listing on Web site
Certification marks
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Certification and degree
• Certification assesses both what you know and what you’ve done
• However, a technical communication degree (or equivalent) is a solid foundation to becoming certified
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If you can’t demonstrate/don’t know an area
• Use completed projects, not current ones
• Use samples from previous jobs
• Redact samples
• Do the case study instead
• Take a class first
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Expanding beyond writers
• Specialty certifications (future)
• Requires BOK
• Opportunity for partnerships
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Maintaining certification
• Certification is good for three years
• To maintain it, continue your education to maintain current skills or learn new skills, and stay active in field
• Reapplication packet contains fee and proof of course attendance
• Screened by STC office
• Results: Recertify or return
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•Only STC has the international reach to offer international certification
•We can use the same model internationally
•Requires the BOK
•We must revalidate our work outside the North American market
International certification
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