The Professionals
August 2015
"Professionals are the kind of people that others respect and value. They are a genuine credit to their organizations..."
We've been thinking recently about the profession of technical communication, and what it means to be a professional in this field. There are two aspects to this - the recognition of the profession, and respect for the profession - by employers, practitioners, and the general public. Everyone recognises the profession of doctor, and respects the training process required. The same cannot necessarily be said for technical communicators - in New Zealand, anyway.
I know a few people - mostly from the US - who can say that they knew that technical communication "is a thing" as youngsters in school. I know others who discovered it later in life and made a conscious decision to make the career switch - often from a related field such as teaching, or from a technical background such as engineering or software development. I also know many who have worked in the field without realising that the profession has a name, and a body of knowledge, and a place in academia, and professional development and support organisations such as TechCommNZ.
This ambiguity forces those of us who (knowingly) represent the profession to seek recognition and respect by educating those around us about what we do, the value we add, and the expertise and training we bring to the job.
Regardless of whether you have extensive formal training in technical communication or not, you are a member of a profession, and this brings benefits and responsibilities.
Complete our survey and be in to win
We wondered what it means to you to be a professional technical communicator, and as we know you all love the chance to win a $100 Prezzy card, we decided to ask you. Fill out our survey to have your say - it will only take 5-10 minutes.
Quote: Mindtools.com
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