#32687
Why Certification by the STC Won’t Work
The virtues of certification cannot be ignored, but they are outweighed by the drawbacks: There’s no evidence that employers will value certification; it can be highly subjective; and it requires ongoing renewal, even for experienced practitioners, to avoid diluting its value. The more important task must be to demonstrate our value to employers. Only once they understand our value will certification provide a means to assure employers that they can expect to receive that value.
Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2008). Articles>Certification>TC>Professionalism
#32688
Certification - Why We Need to Begin 
I believe certification of technical communicators is unavoidable, given the current status of related professions and our technological environment. Either the STC develops a certification program, or someone else will do it.
Rosenberg, Nad. Intercom (2008). Articles>Certification>TC>Professionalism
#33564
The Process and Prospects for Professionalizing Technical Communication 
Despite claims for at least the past quarter century of mature professional status for the field of technical communication, studies in the history and sociology of the professions provide criteria that suggest we are not yet truly a profession. This article reviews economic, sociopolitical, and ideological factors that characterize the modern professions and argues that the technical communication field, at best, only partially meets the criteria. The prospects for professional status of technical communication might be improved by developing a critical consciousness of the processes of professionalization and concertedly acting in ways that facilitate those processes.
Savage, Gerald J. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (1999). Articles>TC>Professionalism
#33579
Categorizing Professional Discourse: Engineering, Administrative, and Technical/Professional Writing 
Rhetorical categories can and should be developed by scholars of professional writing to identify how values held within professions constrain the ways discourse is interpreted in organizational settings. Empirical research (conducted by the author and others), discourse theory, and pedagogical practice in professional writing strongly suggest that at least three categories of professional writing exist: engineering, administrative, and technical/professional writing. The author demonstrates this claim and distinguishes the characteristics of these three categories. Engineering writing is shown to respond to professional values of scientific objectivity and professional judgment as well as to corporate interests. Administrative writing reflects the locus of decision-making authority and promotes institutional identity. Technical/professional writing aims to accommodate audience needs through complying with professional readability standards. Future research should focus on defining the characteristics of these varieties more precisely. Articulated definitions of these three varieties of professional writing can help scholars and practitioners better understand how discourse is framed and interpreted in organizational settings.
Couture, Barbara. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (1992). Articles>TC>Taxonomy>Professionalism
#35194
Get Passionate about Technical Communication
Introverted people aren’t normally considered passionate. Even if you’re an extrovert, would you consider yourself passionate about technical communication?
Minson, Benjamin. Gryphon Mountain (2009). Articles>TC>Professionalism
#35316
The mission of STC is to “advance the arts and sciences of technical communication.” How does this help you, the member? I have been a freelancer/business owner for the vast majority of my career (so far). Let me say a few things about STC’s value proposition for mercenaries like me.
O'Keefe, Sarah S. Scriptorium (2009). Articles>TC>Professionalism>STC
#35838
Basic Etiquette of Technical Communication 
Parents spend years trying to teach their children to be polite, and some of us had to learn at school how to properly address an archbishop. Yet, it seems that advice on courteousness and politeness in technical communication is in short supply; most of us learn these skills through what is euphemistically called “on the job training.” With enough bruises on my back to demonstrate the amount and variety of my experience in this area (though not my skill), here are some of the things I’ve learned.
Spinellis, Diomidis. IEEE Software (2009). Articles>TC>Technical Writing>Professionalism
