[clue-talk] Assessing technical skills?

[Jeff Cann]

Nate Duehr wrote:
> Can you be more specific?  How do you know when they're headed there?
>
> The next time I do an online transaction with a bank, I sure hope the 
> coder hired for the job was asked better questions than what kind of 
> cheese they'd be!
>
> Seriously folks -- what is UP with Computer Engineering still being so 
> un-professional?  

Nate,

I agree with much of your post.  I also think that 'certification' by 
vendors is immature.  I know that Red Hat does hands on labs and this is 
great.  So many other vendors give you a certificate after you snooze 
through their class, never to prove that you learned the concepts and 
skills.

My personal example is the PMI PMP.  My company asked people like me 
[technical managers] to get their PMP [Project Management 
Professional].  It's fairly rigorous 4 hour exam plus a huge number of 
documented hours of project management experience.  The kicker for me is 
the 'passing grade' is only 65%.  I don't think I could have graduated 
any level if I got straight Ds.

There are obvious problems with certain entities try to push their 
'certifications' - they tend to water down the thresholds to pump up 
their numbers of certified members.

In contrast to the a professional certification of my wife [an 
attorney].  The State BAR has RIGOROUS standards to become an attorney.  
The test is difficult [my wife studied for 2 months, 20 hours a week] 
and there's a high threshold to gain your license to practice law.

Perhaps in the future, software engineers will be required to hold a 
license.  Until then, we will continue with the best practices approach. 

FWIW - the reason doctors, lawyers, and civil engineers have to be 
licensed is because there are serious consequences if they screw up.  In 
the past [before mandated licenses] there were a lot more quacks.  Sure 
there are a lot of idiot doctors and lawyers who pass certification, but 
at least you have some confidence in their training.  I don't have the 
same confidence for any IT certification.

Jeff

-- 
CLUE President
http://cluedenver.org/