Not again: certification? (Take II)

Subject: Not again: certification? (Take II)
From: "Hart, Geoff" <Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 10:58:57 -0400

Lurker writer warns: <<Geoff, be careful not to fall into the "getting
respect" trap by stating "...it gives our profession more of a
"professional" appearance and increases our visibility." I know you don't
favor either position, but employers really would not regard this type of
certification with any serious merit.>>

Sadly, many do look for shortcuts in hiring--probably the same ones who
demand a B.A. in Tech. Comm. combined with expertise in a specific tool
rather than closely examining the candidate's competence. I suspect that the
sensible employers will use certification as just one more criterion in
making a hiring decision, but I'm equally certain that some will use it as
an alternative to "due diligence".

<<It seems to me that any certification initiative by STC would play into
the "we don't get no respect" camp.>>

That depends. If the certification really does come to be seen as the stamp
of quality, word will get around (Personnel managers seem to network like
demons <g>) and will begin to rely on it--some (sensibly) as one of several
criteria, and others (ludicrously) in place of more useful criteria. Of
course, if the certificate becomes just a piece of paper that bears no
relationship with quality, it will be roundly ignored and perhaps even
actively distrusted. The reason we don't already have certification is that
it's fiendishly difficult to create a certification process in our field
that truly does reflect a person's competence.

<< <rhetorical question>How on earth does a piece of paper hanging on a wall
get you respect?</rhetorical question>.>>

Non-rhetorical answer: In the absence of personal experience with the
person, it does demonstrate an achievement, and perhaps even one of some
value. The value may or may not be there, but to the ill-informed, the paper
can be compelling; to the well-informed, it may be a true or false measure
of ability, depending on the reputation of the paper. Just like an academic
degree!

--Geoff Hart, FERIC, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
"User's advocate" online monthly at
www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/usersadvocate.html

"I vowed [that] if I complained about things more than three times, I had to
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