Your op-ed relating to credential inflation is on point. Beyond college credential inflation there is another "credential" inflation virus that has infected the US. It is the license or certification credential. No longer are 10 to 20 years in a field enough for an individual's worth or contribution. Individuals are now required to be certified or have credentials. Certifications that go beyond passing the bar, CPA, MD etc. Certifications such as black belt 6 sigma, AIPCS, PPM, CFA, CIA, CMA, etc..... Credentials that mean nothing more than the holder of the credential passed an exam. Again business assigning magic powers to an individual with credentials versus real world experience. It has created an entire industry on certification test prep, test taking etc.... while contributing nothing to the work environment. Even worse, relating to credential inflation, I have seen job ads, especially government job ad, that require a certain amount of real world experience, yet they also require college transcripts/grades regardless of whether the individual has been out of college for a period that makes transcripts/grades irrelevant. P.S. My background is 15+ years in finance, operations and project management, in manufacturing, hi-tech, telecom and cpg industries, complimented by an MBA/JD.
- Article
- August 16, 2010