[geeks] STARBUCKS SHIT -- the name game now

[Michael A. Turner]

	I can respect an MCSE on the basis of something that one gets
because employers demand it. If I see that and something else substantial I
have no problem and it adds an edge to the applicant. If that is the ONLY
thing they have then it is a big minus. A lot of employers are feeling that
way now also. Here is a great example in an ex-Girlfriend. She is a late
20-something party girl (best description) daddies rich so she has never had
to work at anything very hard, never completes what she start(School or
work). After we broke up she decided to keep the money coming from daddy she
needed an education. So she signed up with the local cert mill and took the
mcse classes and PASSED them all. She is not a Certified MCSE, as far as I
know she still has not installed 2000 or NT anywhere but in class. What
gladdened my heart though was all she could get as a job after all this
schooling was a help desk position, something I could have got her with
about 5 weeks of coaching. 
	Now to answer your question about what ECPI is. They commonly call
themselves "technical colleges" but they go by many names these days. I am
sure you have seen the ads late at night for your local version. The key
would be that you get a high paying computer job in just 18 months (all of
these adds claim this). I'm sure you recognize the breed I am talking about.
ECPI is a fairly large brand named one in the united states. 
	Another thing that cracks me up about the local ECPI add is the fact
that they ADMIT that their school is for unmotivated slackers. The add is
presented in a "personal" testimonial format. It start out with a girl
saying " I was going to the local college but I found the format to
unstructured and to long. At ECPI I was able to become a technical engineer
in just 18 months". Now tell me, how many employers want someone who is
unmotivated to accomplish things on their own and are unable to stick to
projects. Frankly if I was ECPI I would be looking at firing my ad agency,
but I suspect that add is carefully tailored to attract the right market,
the unmotivated and people who cannot see things through. Probably because
these people will be less likely to sue once they find out what their
"education" is worth.

Michael A. Turner
Systems Engineer
WHRO
michael.turner at whro.org
http://www.whro.org


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andrew Weiss [mailto:ajwdsp at cloud9.net]
> Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 1:36 PM
> To: geeks at sunhelp.org
> Subject: Re: [geeks] STARBUCKS SHIT -- the name game now
> 
> 
> On Thursday, April 11, 2002, at 12:11 PM, Michael A. Turner wrote:
> 
> > 	You just hit on one of my main pet peeves these days, 
> changing a job
> > name to sound like it is more important. The one I keep hearing that
> > absolutely drives me into a frenzy is the ECPI adds . WTF is a 
> > "Technical
> > Engineer" or a "Desk Top Support Specialist"? One is hell 
> desk, I know I
> > worked their, but I cannot even begin to decide what the real world 
> > term for
> > a "Technical Engineer" I think we may refer to them here as 
> "intern who
> > makes cat 5 cables" but I am not sure.
> > 	I cheered when the state of Texas told Microsoft that 
> they could not
> > call MCSE's engineers as to be an engineer you have to pass a state
> > certification test. I wish more places would do that. 
> Frankly I think it
> > should be MCSL with the L being lackey, but then I am 
> preaching to the 
> > choir
> > here.
> 
> True, although the MCSE quality should go up... the Windows 2000 MCSE 
> stuff is 5 times harder.... so in general quality should improve.
> 
> > 	And as a future note, since these messages do get 
> archived and end
> > up on the internet, When I worked at my last job one of my 
> duties was 
> > to go
> > through the potential hires. I was to separate the pile 
> into three, the
> > No's, the Maybes and the yeses. All of the yeses were 
> called back, some 
> > of
> > the maybes got calls, depending on how bad we needed 
> people, and the 
> > no's
> > were all pitched (usually by me right then). One of the 
> things that was 
> > an
> > immediate NO was if I saw ECPI ANYWHERE on your resume, be 
> it graduated 
> > from
> > or attending (the usual case). I believe the other managers did the 
> > same,
> > our experience with that school was so poor in the quality 
> of people we 
> > got
> > that we couldn't take the time to fix them. We figured if 
> you had not
> > learned enough to keep ECPI off your resume, then we did 
> not need to 
> > hire
> > you. Just wanted to say that to any potential candidates 
> out their that 
> > are
> > searching around for a school choice before the spend their $16K.
> >
> 
> I'm doing the MCSE all by my lonesome... just a book, some 
> coffee, and a 
> lamp... Why am I doing this you might ask?... well until I get an 
> opportunity to do the Jr. Unix admin thing, this looks like a 
> way to get 
> some more experience under my belt... and it doesn't look 
> like managers 
> are paying attention to the fact that I hold two Cisco certs but only 
> the MCP (I'm on my way, but can you believe it... all the extra Linux 
> and UNIX experience plus the Cisco certs doesn't mean jack to the 
> employers... they need at least an MCSE.... biggest bullshit 
> I've ever 
> heard... and when they actually tell me these things, I've been 
> occasionally known to let them have it.)  So I will as what is ECPI?
> 
> Andrew
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