Qualifications

date posted 29th September 2002 15:51

Hi all,

People are talking about qualifications; I remember some time ago being told
by a recruiting person that given equally experienced bodies with one having
something like an MSCD and one not, they'd go for the certified one.

However, with web design work and a lot of back end work, surely the
portfolio helps?

The reason I say this is that 3 or 4 years ago I managed to get 80% in a
recognised JavaScript examination, DESPITE my having only flicked through a
noddy book on the subject a couple of days before. I was so guilty that I
sat down afterwards and boned up on the subject...:-)

The corollary of this is that I've not got any VB type qualifications BUT
have written and architechted OO VB applicatins for two of the UK's biggest
banks, the NHS, GE, etc. Just because you HAVE got a qualification doesn't
mean you're any good, and not having a qualification doesn't mean you're
crap.

What qualifications and exams, etc. DO mean is that your recruiting and
interviewing process can be less rigorous. When I've recruited, I've
adopted the approach of :

1. 30 minute technical proficiency exam involving real code doing a real
job. Ask open ended questions about teh code, some questions about why
certain things are done, spot the mistake questions, etc.

2. Sit down for a technical interview with the candidate that took teh form
of a little chat. Start with one area of inteerst from the CV, ask
questions and discuss until one of you - either interviewer or interviewee -
runs out of steam.

3. If they have a portfolio, look it over before hand and talk about it.,

Joe