Comments on: 6 Reasons to Get Certified https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html a freelance writing resource. Thu, 02 May 2013 18:27:48 +0000 hourly 1 By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html#comment-12063 Thu, 02 May 2013 18:27:48 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html/#comment-12063 Paula, thanks. I'm home today, but not sure when I'll disappear again — probably late next week.

]]> By: Paula https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html#comment-12062 Wed, 01 May 2013 14:35:28 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html/#comment-12062 Hey, y'all – Lori's a bit tied up today and asked me to post a comment here reminding everyone about Writers Worth Week(s).

If you plan to contribute a post this year, time is running short.

Let's hope Lori's real-life issues cut her a break and she's back in the office soon!

]]> By: Paula https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html#comment-12061 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:43:31 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html/#comment-12061 This all reminds me of the LinkedIn Group I belong to: Certified Professional Writers Association. There is no certification or association – the name is sort of an in joke designed to weed out new or would-be writers.

Basically, if the group managers check your credentials and deem you worthy of joining, you're "certified."

]]> By: anne wayman https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html#comment-12060 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:29:27 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html/#comment-12060 I'm sort of anti-certification for writers… it's one of the few real trades left and the certification courses I've taken are mostly make-work, to assure jobs for certifiers and for those who grandfather in.

There are exceptions, like Deveon's sustainability – that one actually makes sense because of the tech stuff involved. (techy sentence there) But the certification for tech writing is imo bogus… yet if you want to tech write for the biggies today you need one. Sigh.

Now, ask me about taking classes and courses… I'm all for that.

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html#comment-12059 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:16:14 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html/#comment-12059 Devon, agreed. I took one course that absolutely bored me to tears. Dropped in midway. The instructor had a droning voice, and she presented the material in the driest, most mundane fashion imaginable. Plus it was intensive — entirely too much work. It felt like busy work. No thanks.

Paula, I don't get you wrong. I did it every day and it became drudgery very quickly. I like doing resumes occasionally. As a steady diet? No thank you. I've done it, and I loathed it.

Cathy, you have to tell me which publisher (privately). I agree — if they're paying a pittance to non-professionals to get the job done, forget it. Not worth the money.

]]> By: Cathy Miller https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html#comment-12058 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:38:56 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html/#comment-12058 Ack – pardon all the typos – that's what I get for not previewing it 1st. 😉

]]> By: Cathy Miller https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html#comment-12057 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:37:07 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html/#comment-12057 I have maintained my broker license ever since I 1st started ny business writing company. I'm sure I could get by without doing it, but I think it helps keep me up on the technical side of health and life insurance.

I know I've shared this with you, Lori, but I'd also caution about checking out the certification. There is a magazine publisher with its hands in several areas – health care reform, wellness, self-funding, etc. They ride the backs of industry professionals to do their article writing. Well, they got the bright idea to develop certification for wellness and health care reform, also on the backs of the industry professionals. They had training put together chapter-by-chapter by those willing to do it – no pay, of course. And no percentage of the training course revenue.

They may very well have well-credentialed indutry professionals, but they could just as easily have people who have no idea what they're talking about.

Needless to say, I didn't sign up. 😉

]]> By: Paula https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html#comment-12056 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:34:36 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html/#comment-12056 I toyed with the idea of pursuing certification for résumé writing, thinking perhaps I could charge more for my services, until I realized I really didn't want to spend copious amounts of time writing résumés.

Don't get me wrong, it's a valuable skill and I don't mind polishing résumés on the side. I simply don't want to do that on a daily basis.

]]> By: Devon Ellington https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html#comment-12053 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:52:30 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/04/6-reasons-to-get-certified.html/#comment-12053 I'm interested in doing more work with green businesses and organizations that specialize in sustainability, so I studied with a top person in the field to get certified.

As long as it's something I'm interested in and know I want to pursue in more depth, I'll do it.

If I'm not really interested in it, it's not worth it, because I'll spend my time wishing I was somewhere else.

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