The Next Great Scam
There is something you should know about the HR folks at the firm you are applying for – they do not want to talk to you. Ever. They will spend as much time as they can erecting barriers to entry so they minimize the time reading resumes, conducting interviews and on-boarding new recruits. And there are a lot of organizations helping them out, raking in great profits and all with your tax dollars helping out.
Back in the day your entry to the work force was based on two things: who you know & what you know. Perhaps it was a simple as working in the Old Man’s garage. When the OM retired, you took over. You gained your knowledge under the oak tree bashing out the fender of some junker you bought for $20 and then landed a non-paying spot during the summer working on cars that actually run. Or, maybe you were of the “white collar” group and either landed an internship at the accounting firm, or Daddy sent you to college or you did your time in the Armed Forces and got your GI Bill and away you went. Of course, you could also work a couple of jobs and pay for college yourself. Everyone had barriers to entry but everyone had the opportunity to do something.
Then came along the entitlements. Sometime in the 1960s a college degree became a guaranteed right, not something to be saved for or sacrificed for. People of all walks of life were suddenly entitled to at least four years of drunken & stoned good times. This was done through Government grants, guaranteed loans and a number of other programs in which you (yes, YOU!) were guaranteed at least a BA in Underwater Basket Weaving. The result? The four year degree was devalued to the point of a high school diploma. It was nothing special, it was expected. In the 1980s “industry” put out the word that an MBA was needed if you expected any kind of management position. When I graduated from GWU in 1987 more than 40% of those at the ceremony were MBA grads. As you can imagine, the cost of a MBA program rose exponentially making it one of the most expensive academic programs outside of the medical fields.
Again, as the income of the nation rose and Government programs adjusted, the barriers to consideration for a step up the corporate ladder became higher. The playing field suddenly leveled at post graduate work. Out of every ten jobs I look at these days, eight require advanced degrees. So, of course, folks went out & got them. Now the HR departments had yet another problem, how to say “No” really fast and get on with the day.
Along came “Certifications.” Let’s understand something right here and now. Certifications are nothing more than a cash machine for the “Accrediting Body,” study guide publishers and test taking centers. That’s it – that’s all. The body of knowledge behind these certifications are some of the largest clouds of vapor and hocus pocus you will ever encounter. Now, this assessment does not arise from the trampling of sour grapes. No, I know four CISSPs who described the CISSP BOK and the test in words like these; “You will apply almost none of what you memorize in the CISSP to real life.” Read that again. According to these four seasoned INFOSEC specialists, the CISSP credential is worthless as far as applied knowledge goes. But look at the cash generated by this: $2,500 for a review seminar or $15,000 for a boot camp. $600 for the exam. $150 - $400 in books and guides. Didn’t pass the exam? Wash, rinse, repeat.
Let me also say this; I have been leading very successful programs and projects since the late 1980s. In studying the course materials for the PMP exam I have yet to have anything close to an epiphany in Project Management. The PMBOK appears to be nothing more than common sense wrapped up in pretty diagrams and jargon.
Add to this the fact these accreditations are being handed out like candy, very expensive candy, yes. Let’s look the “in service” requirements for the CISSP & PMP (by the way – I am picking on these two because they are the most asked for certifications out there and are the two BOKs I am most familiar with). CISSP requires five years in IT security. Now, they define this very, very loosely. In fact, you have a menu of ten “areas of discipline” from which you can choose two. What does this mean? If you have had to enter a password into a system to retrieve tapes and transport them off site for five years (four with a degree), well, you probably can qualify. Now all you need is a pile of cash (supposedly the Government will give you that) good test taking skills and two friends who are CISSPs to write letters for you and VIOLA! You are a CISSP and worth more than someone with an advanced degree in computer science.
The PMP, on the other hand, requires 4,500 hours (three years) of logged, project management experience. Now, does that mean 4,500 actual hands on, or just three years acting as a PM? The rules are very nebulous on this point.
The worst thing about these scams is that I know of no one in industry who wakes up and says; “By golly! We need to require random certifications! Because, goodness knows a college education, experience and a good work ethic are NOT enough!”
The final insult comes directly from the Department of Defense. It is quite obvious that someone in DoD owns massive stock in Comp TIAA, (ISC)2 and Sylvan/Prometric. Under DoD 8750 any SysAdmin touching a server MUST have A+, Network + or SSCP and be certified in an Operating System. Mind you, these folks are going to be doing work on SERVERS. A+ deals with DESKTOPS. Network plus is basic networking skills and SSCP is basic security skills. N+ & SSCP are redundant to the Operating System Certification and A+ is useless in the described environment. The requirement for these certifications adds NO value, costs the tax payers money and only serves to raise the barriers to entry for people and organizations.
So, kids, the bottom line here is if you are looking to move up in the work force, change jobs or (God forbid) please don’t think that MBA carries any weight. You’d better have a whole bunch of letters behind your name. By the way – you are a CERTIFIED MBA, right?
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