Re: Certification--a new concept. Discuss

[Al Geist <al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com>]

I can see both sides of this argument, and I've been on both sides of 
it.  My kids are now adults and out on their own, but for a while there 
were a lot of missed baseball games, or trips to the movies because I 
had to attend some seminar, or other program to "enhance" my status at 
the company, or spend a weekend on a project to make sure it was "done 
right."  One day I woke up to an empty house (I was also a single parent 
from their teenage years on) and found the place empty.  As for the 
company that I worked so hard to make myself more valuable for....it was 
long gone, the victim of economic times and inept senior management.   
Although I am very close to my children, all those times I could have 
been with them when they were younger are lost.  Unfortunately, that is 
something you only discover with hindsight.

However, with that said, I can also see the need to constantly improve 
your worth.  The key is to get those certifications in such a manner 
that minimizes the impact on your family.   If companies are shown the 
ROI for offering certification programs during working hours is far 
greater than the potential for worker turnover, then that might be the 
path to take.  If you work for a company that could care less about you 
as an employee, then it might behoove you to dust off that old resume, 
put on a suit and tie and find a new office elsewhere.

Anyway...that's my 2-cents.

Al

T.W. Smith wrote: