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| Subject: | RE: [gislist] GIS Certification? |
| Date: |
06/11/2004 09:40:01 AM |
| From: |
J Bee |
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"I also checked out GISCI certification and find it very fair as well as
meaningful to both the certificate holder and a prospective employer. The
process is actually evenly divided into thirds. Education alone is not
enough, but long-time work experience can be while the grandfather clause is
still in effect. A BS in Geography, 7 years relevant experience and some
contributions to 'the field' (participation in conferences, publications,
etc.) is enough for certification. "
Am I still missing something? Going back to Anthony's original question, why is certification needed? What do you mean by fair? Seven years work experience with education is enough to be considered certified? Really? You mean after five or six years (with education) I am not "certifed" or as it implies, qualified to do GIS? Gime me a break...and talk about insulting!
As was mentioned in past posts, how in god's name did GIS ever get to this point without a certification program. My guess is that in the long run, this is going nowhere. Local governments will not require it mainly because they are already building their GIS without any so-called "certified" people. As an aside, I still maintain that the invisible push for certification is an insecurity isuue for those who don't feel their profession is esteemed enough.
"Because it covers a wide variety of elements, (one can be certified whether an analyst, tech, coord, etc.) ethical representation of skills is also important. Certification
helps HR personnel in large companies and it can also help small companies,
especially those new to GIS, get the right person for the job."
As many folks know, networking is the best way to get a job. In my experience, HR professionals are involved in forwarding resumes to the hiring personnel, checking references, etc. - not hiring an applicant.
Accountants have CPA's because among other things, investors and stockholders are looking for that assurance that qualified individuals are keeping good tabs on their investments. Engineers are certified because much safety to human lives is placed in thier hands. Ditto for nurses. But GIS? Hey, I'm in GISer and I'm married to a nurse, and there ain't no comparision to who should be certified.
If all you GIS sheep out there want certification to feel better about yourselves, why not band together? Maybe form a company? Hmmmm, let's see, what should we call this company? How about Arthur Anderson Certified GIS Professionals?
Looking forward to never being certifed-
Bob - CPCO (Certified Pepsi Can Opener)
"Lemke, Paula" <Plemke@co.cerro-gordo.ia.us> wrote:
I also checked out GISCI certification and find it very fair as well as
meaningful to both the certificate holder and a prospective employer. The
process is actually evenly divided into thirds. Education alone is not
enough, but long-time work experience can be while the grandfather clause is
still in effect. A BS in Geography, 7 years relevant experience and some
contributions to 'the field' (participation in conferences, publications,
etc.) is enough for certification. The hard part, Matt, is documenting those
experiences to form a valid portfolio, but a little perseverance goes a long
way. Whether certified or not taking the portfolio on an interview can only
bring good results.
ACT and SAT scores no longer mean much, but you still need them for college
entrance. Due to the requirements of GISCI certification, I think it will be
the leading recognition for GIS professionals. Because it covers a wide
variety of elements, (one can be certified whether an analyst, tech, coord,
etc.) ethical representation of skills is also important. Certification
helps HR personnel in large companies and it can also help small companies,
especially those new to GIS, get the right person for the job. My portfolio
is just about complete and I am looking forward to certification.
Paula Lemke
Soon-to-be GISP
-----Original Message-----
From: VanDyken, Matt [mailto:vandyken@ci.holland.mi.us]
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2004 3:33 PM
To: 'gislist@lists.thinkburst.com'
Subject: RE: [gislist] GIS Certification?
New to the the list so I'm just going to jump in here.
I have looked at the GISCI criteria and I suppose I'm not against it
in principle. However, it seems to me the certification criteria are
extremely weighted toward education. As a person with a bachelors degree in
geography with 7 years of experience, I don't believe I would qualify for
certification. However, one of the 50 or so end users I support(one man
shop) has a masters in GIS/Planning and probably would.
Thoughts?
Matt
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