Re: Re: Re: ICCA members (rob@xxxxxxxxx)

Thanks for everyone's input on this subject.

Sounds like cerification is still a very controversial
subject. I know a couple of years ago it was dicussed and
opinions varied greatly. At the time I opted not to
certify because I felt that the AS/400, RPG market was
driven by reputation alone.

I can, and probably will, continue to find work based off
word-of-mouth. However, as the market tightens I would
like to easily distinguish myself from the rest of the
market. Whether that be with CCP or IBM Certified
Specialist or whatever.

In your replies you touched on two subjects that concern
me. One, reworking someone else's work. I, too, have taken
jobs undoing a prior contractor's mess or scrapping it and
starting from scratch. Two, if you are making more money
than me, you better be better than I am. Someone replied
that they were educating other contractors on a skill or
software package where they were charging half the rate of
the people they were educating. These concern me because
they put the person in the hiring position in a pickle. No
matter how little they contract someone for, the money is
wasted if it has to be reworked. And how much do they have
to spend before assuring themselves they will be getting
quality work?

I would like to be able to attach something to my name
that will tell the people responsible for hiring me (those
that have never heard of me) that they will get quality
work at a fair price. I believe that whatever that
something is will depend on us as a community.