The Power of Certification

There’s a Dilbert comic strip that shows Dilbert having trouble with his computer.  Another character appears, urging him aside. “I’ll take care of this,” he says, “I’m certified to repair these machines.” This character sits down and announces, “I SUMMON THE VAST POWER OF CERTIFICATION.”  It turns out, however, that this is all he knows how to do, and the PC stays broken.

Scott Adams is having fun with certification here, of course, but the fact of the matter is there is a power to certification.  It’s like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It’s a shorthand signal to an employer that they’re dealing with someone who’s passed the test, who’s made the grade.

You don’t think so?  Perhaps this little story from a C-Tech instructor at George Washington Carver Magnet School in Houston, Texas, will change your mind.

This story concerns Richard Lovett, a recent graduate of Carver, and holder of a C-Tech Certificate. After graduation, Richard went to apply for a job with Southwestern Bell. 

At Carver, they advise all their students to attach their certificates right to their résumés, so they’ll be seen right off. That’s what Richard did. The HR interviewer took one look at the certificate and told Richard, “You come with me.”  He brought Richard straight to the shift supervisor. “I’ve got somebody for you,” he told the supervisor.

And Richard had a job.  No interview. No questions asked.  No nothing. 

How’s that for the power of certification?

Students and faculty from G. W. Carver