What a certificate changed for the people who hold one
Association certificates can affect confidence, professional credibility, career transitions and continuing development. Their value to an individual also depends on how employers and hiring managers regard the training.
Holders’ experiences
In 2011, American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) members reported that certificates helped with career changes, confirmation of knowledge and skills, credibility among peers and clients, and keeping up with industry practices and trends. Some members who hired writers also believed a certificate could improve a candidate's job prospects.
One medical editor with a doctorate in English and 20 years' experience as a corporate trainer found substantial gaps in her knowledge despite expecting three essential-skills workshops and five self-study modules to be easy. She had joined AMWA in 2008 to expand her business into medical editing, which matched her skills and corporate client base. The training gave her greater confidence grounded in learning about grammar, terminology and best practices, while bringing science and English closer together.
A physician and company chief executive seeking a career change completed the essential skills certificate through self-study modules in eight months. He reported greater confidence in seeking medical writing and editing projects and increased involvement in AMWA.
A scientific publications support coordinator at a university hospital in Monterrey switched from the older core curriculum to essential skills and completed the certificate through two years of workshop attendance, with his department head's support. He had proposed the training to his employer to establish the credibility of his editing skills with researchers and provide his department with evidence of biomedical-publication training. He reported greater confidence and more support from his department and hospital.
A former analytical chemist who already held three AMWA certificates took two years to complete a composition and publication certificate. Two of the five people who interviewed her for an industry position noticed her certificates, and colleagues subsequently brought her questions about syntax and word usage. Having paid for her professional development during seven years as a consultant, she judged that the benefits outweighed the expense.
An experienced writer with an English degree found that a science fundamentals certificate consolidated therapeutic-area knowledge accumulated over years of writing. In 2011, she was pursuing the regulatory and research track to update earlier training, expecting coverage of FDA and EU documents for increasingly international trials and electronic submissions that employers expected writers to produce.
Hiring and employer support
A manager hiring freelance and full-time writers in 2011 regarded an AMWA certificate as evidence of professional credibility, relevant skills, an interest in learning and a willingness to learn from colleagues, while emphasising that it did not guarantee a job.
Another hiring manager had not required certificates but preferred holders when other factors were equal. Within her department, professional development was an annual goal, and working toward a certificate was one way to meet it. A scientific publications manager likewise did not require certificates from applicants but expected staff without one to work toward a certificate after joining.
Employer encouragement and funding were not universal: one patient-education writer reported that her section's management neither encouraged nor financially supported obtaining an AMWA certificate, and wished it did.
Presentation on a CV
Including a completed or in-progress certificate on a CV can demonstrate engagement in professional development and keeping up to date in the field. It can also open a discussion with managers about staying current with trends and best practices.