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Daniel, I think your GitHub idea is a winner. SourceForge might also do the trick (https://sourceforge.net/p/forge/helpwanted/documenters/). For new writers, having a portfolio is probably more important than having a certificate.
Personally, I got into tech writing the easy way: I started out as an expat writer overseas, where skill counts for more than experience.
-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Friedman
Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2016 9:13 AM
To: Dan Goldstein
Cc: TECHWR-L (techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com)
Subject: Re: STC Certification
I feel like this thread has gone extremely negative on the STC certification. It would be nice to present what you guys think are some good alternatives for someone new to the technical writing field or someone looking to make an upwards career move.
FWIW, I think the main problem with the STC certification is that it is a general technical writing certificate, when most employers are looking for someone with (at least some) domain-specific knowledge.Â
Someone starting out would probably be better served spending their time building portfolio pieces through school or by volunteering time to a non-profit or open-source projects on github.Â
If certification was to be pursued, it might be better to go for certs in specific subject-domains relevant to the industries that you are trying to break into. For example, in IT it would show a good baseline of knowledge to get the COMPTIA A+ or the entry level Microsoft MCSE: Desktop Infastructure cert. I am not familiar with other industries, but I am sure there are similar courses/certifications for healthcare/finance/government/etc.
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