Certification - November 2008 - (Page 54)

INTERFACE Symetra Financial: An Interview Is Worth a Thousand Diplomas LINDSAY EDMONDS WICKMAN At Symetra, a degree is just a degree. It doesn’t tell the company how well the candidate will do on the job — that’s where interviewing comes into play. A diploma no longer is the ticket to a job. It’s the person behind the degree that matters. A recent Wall Street Journal article pointed out that degrees — and more specifically the subject matter areas in which they are earned — are losing relevance in the workplace, as religion majors become stock traders and geology majors become IT professionals. At Symetra Financial, a provider of retirement plans, employee benefits, life insurance and annuities, there’s no hard-and-fast rule about degrees. Some employees have more traditional IT degrees while others have sociology degrees, and still others have no degrees. “I certainly don’t downplay a college degree,” said Craig Edmonds, IT manager at Symetra. “I have a Bachelor of Science, and it’s pretty important to me and creates a lot of esteem. Is it applicable to the job I’m doing today? Was it something that was applicable to me getting hired? The answer to both is ‘no.’ “The thing about a degree, whether it’s a bachelor’s degree, a master’s or a Ph.D., [is] it tells me nothing about how that person’s going to collaborate and work with [others]. The most important thing that it tells me, and this is very important, is somebody started something [and] exhibited dedication to finishing [it].” Edmonds feels the same about certifications: It doesn’t matter whether they are vendor-neutral or vendor-specific, although Symetra is more focused on the Microsoft skill set. “With some of the certifications that Microsoft has, the MCSD [Microsoft Certified Solution Developer] or MCAD [Microsoft Certified Application Developer] or any of those, what it tell[s] me is that [an individual has] been tested on a particular knowl5 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE November 2008 edge,” Edmonds said. “Then it’s my job to see if they’re going to fit into this team.” That’s where interviewing comes into play. Candidates are asked questions such as, “How do you like to be rewarded?”, “Describe the kind of person you wouldn’t want to work for” and “How do you get past conflict?” In Edmonds’ opinion, a degree tells him none of this. “You want the people who are willing to learn [and] improve. They have a desire, a craving for knowledge,” Edmonds said. “The ability to work with others is extremely important because there are very few assignments where you’re on your own. http://www.wsj.com/article/SB121858688764535107.html http://www.symetra.com/ http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcsd/default.mspx http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcad/default.mspx

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Certification - November 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Tech Careers Dear Techie Virtual Village Data Stream Academic Connection Troubleshooting What We Like Look Ahead The Gender Gap: IT Lacks a Woman’s Touch IT for Free: Volunteering Today Interface Technical Architect: Learning, Growing, Innovating Inside Certification Endtag Ad Index

Certification - November 2008

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