It is greatly appreciated.

I found this page that lists a few distance-learning courses for technical writers. Scroll down to the bottom to see it. It may serve you well to shop around a bit.

http://www.techwriter-certification.com/

I wanted to know if they are reputable.

Thanks.

These are what are called “mentored courses” and they are accredited by Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business in Canada and Ohio University in the United States.

Vanessa

You have mentioned some great ideas.

KISS (Keep It So Simple)

Does anyone else have any other suggestions?

The first suggestion I would make is to check out an earlier column that answered a similar question. Read that article here. There was some good advice.

Secondly, the best way to get better at something is to do it. And you don’t necessarily have to try and find a job in order to get a little experience. You can make it a personal project.

Find someone you can trust to critique you properly — too many friends will be afraid to critique your work for fear of hurting you, so make sure you find someone who understands what you need. And then work at explaining something. Anything. Rewiring your stereo. Disassembling a bicycle. It can be anything that you know well that requires a step-by-step explanation as to how it is done.

Then have your friend try to follow the instructions. You can watch, but don’t offer any help. You will see right away the impact of any mistakes in the instructions.

You could also offer to any business owners you know to document any internal procedures in their company. How to close out a cash register. How to lock up the store. And so on.

The limit here is your imagination, and in the end, you’ll have a great portfolio piece.