I am interested in becoming a technical writer and am curious about certification programs. A little bit about my educational and work experience: I have a BA in English Literature and minors in History and Professional Writing from the University of California, Santa Barbara (graduated in 2005). By the end of this year I will have finished a Skills Competency Award in Technical Writing from Santa Barbara City College. This program is a bit of a joke—I haven't learned too much so far and I'm not sure if anyone will be that impressed with it, as it's from a community college. For the last three years I have worked as an editor at a nontechnical reference publisher. Although I'm not planning to leave anytime in the near future, I am seriously considering working toward a technical writing career, as this pays much better than publishing. I am also thinking of starting my own writing/editing business, providing editorial services to businesses on a contract basis. So these are my questions: 1. If I wanted to become a technical writer, should I seek additional certification? How important is certification in this field? 2. If I should get additional certification, where should I get it from? Are there any schools that offer certificates that are particularly prestigious? The program MUST be online, so that limits my options somewhat. 3. Of the few places I've looked at so far, the certificate offered by the University of California, Riverside Extensions Program seems like it might be the best. The courses seem pretty high-level and being a UC I would imagine the certificate would look good on a resume. Does anyone have any experience with this program?

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There are thousands of writing jobs out there in any field you choose. Freelance is the word you are looking for. Remember a great portion of the most successful people in the world are self-starters without college and in a lot of cases high school educations. If you have a passion for pursuing your own writing/editing business on a contract basis, go for it. It will be a real gold mine. Especially since you already have 3 years experience as an editor. Here's a chapter out of my book that will help you decide what you want to do. http://nolanberentis.com/gratitude/