Certificates from school or from professional training?

[r k]

I'm thinking of taking some courses in technical writing, because while I have a lot of confidence in my ability to perform and/or learn technical writing on the job, I don't have specific training or past job descriptions that I can point to in my resume. I have a science/tech background and my jobs have included--but not focused on--writing for a technical audience, and it seems employers are looking for something "official."

Given that money and time are significant issues and I don't plan to get another degree, do you feel it's better to:

1. Go for a quick course from a professional training site (like online-learning.com or techwriter-certification.com) so that I can put "certificate" on my resume, or

2. Forgo the certificate, and using comparable time/cost take several courses directly from an accredited college, without finishing a program?

Which carries more weight?


R.

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