Finding the perfect candidate to fill an open position within your organization requires considerable effort on your part.

Let’s say you’re looking for a Technical Communicator with experience in technical writing, user experience design and technical translation.

Where to begin?

It starts with writing an accurate job posting; you must consider the skill level that you require in a candidate, identify the list of ‘must-have’ and ‘nice-to-have’ skills and qualifications and finally, post the job on the best job boards.

You must then manage the avalanche of resumes you receive; they must be sorted, screened, and categorized. All of this before you conduct a single interview.

After weeks of interviewing folks, the real challenge begins. You’ve identified two qualified, capable individuals. Both candidates are equal when it comes to interpersonal skills, linguistic proficiency, and organizational habits.

Who to Hire?

Candidate #1 – earned a Bachelor’s degree in Technical Communication 6 years ago but hasn’t worked in a related field for about 4 years. She turned to journalism and now finds some of those jobs are drying up and wants to get back into Tech Comm.

Candidate #2 – holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (heavy on theory) which he earned 10 years ago. He discovered that working with programing languages really wasn’t where he wanted to spend his time. He has been working as a technical writer for three years and recently obtained a technical communication certificate from the International Technical Communication Qualifications Foundation.

As a hiring manager, what do you value more in a candidate,

• recent experience and a current tech comm certificate or
• a degree in the field but no recent experience in the tech comm sector?

The International Communication Qualifications Foundation offers a Certified Technical Communication Professional certificate. Visit the website at www.ITCQF.org for more information.