Re: cert discussion

[Rich Schultz <rich@ccrwest.org>]

Hal Miller writes:
> We did:
>   - agree to have a team of folks determine a set of Job Description Level
>     One items that are both "acceptably" common to most sysadmins and in
>     some way "measurable" sufficiently to come up with a program that can
>     result in a certification at a rather basic level of system administration

This is a key problem with certification:  you can easily measure what is
less important, but it is difficult to measure those traits that make a
good system administrator.  For example, are you a good problem solver?
Are you self-directed, diligent and meticulous?  Do you learn new things
quickly?  Do you communicate well with both experts and novices?  I have
yet to see a written or oral exam that can measure these well.  On the
other hand, if you work with someone for a while, at least six months, you
can probably answer all these questions about her.  We already use this
form of certification and we call it "references".

> I'm afraid that without some such program in
> place, altogether too many employers will insist on one of the vendor-
> specific certifications as a condition of hiring, without understanding
> what those really mean/don't mean.  I see our allowing that to occur without
> some effort to supply a better alternative as a disservice to our membership.

An alternative is to educate employers about what these certifications mean
and don't mean.  The SAGE Jobs Descriptions booklet was a fantastic piece
of employer education.  The forthcoming booklet on hiring and interview
practices might be an appropriate place for some employer eduation on the
(f)utility of certification.

Rich Schultz
certifiably uncertifiable
rich@ccrwest.org