Certification: Who Dares?Specialist certification is still a somewhat vague concept in the IT world. Some see it as proof of participation in a training program, whereas others believe it demonstrates that an IT professional has certain proven qualities and experiences. The value assigned to any given certificate can vary widely depending on the granting organization’s credentials, and the reasons people seek certification can be just as varied. Many workers obtain certificates for self-development or career-improvement reasons, whereas others are obliged by their employers to qualify for certification to work on certain projects. On both ends of the employer–employee spectrum, substantial ambiguity remains in the case for and against certification. Is it just marketing hype, or does certification fit with the constantly evolving professionalization and industrialization of IT? Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to WasteBy Tom Costello and Phil Laplante US President Barack Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel addressed nearly 100 CEOs at The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council in November 2008. In that talk, he famously stated, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." Emmanuel's comment was met with surprise and some criticism. His vocalization of what's probably a common, but callous, practice of political expediency had many heads turning. But Emmanuel knows that there's opportunity in exploiting a bad situation to meet one's desired ends. Professional EssenceThe November/December 2008 issue of IT Professional focused on "IT as a Profession," with the guest editors' introduction considering several of its potentially distinguishing characteristics. In particular, the guest editors pointed to James Steib's comment that "professionalism is competent creation." They viewed this as not broad enough to cover the work done in such professional activities as acquiring and operating computing services and went on to consider the role of a body of knowledge. The editors recognized this as important, but "a true professional must always consider the public good." Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK) (2004 edition) IEEE Software Engineering Standards Support for ISO 9001: Getting Your Organization Started IEEE Computer Society Real-World Software Engineering Problems: A Self-Study Guide for Today's Software Professional |
IT Professional covers emerging technologies, security issues, data management techniques, and systems integration challenges as they affect the enterprise. |
