In response to David Jacques's post:

I agree that a master's degree and HFI certification are not necessarily
comparable. The HFI certification is supposed to be more like the PMP
(Project Management Professional) exam PMI sponsors -- a test that
supposedly proves you have basic knowledge in the field. The courses (10
days, not two) are meant to help people pass the test the same way there
are courses to help people study for the PMP exam, and like PMP, you are
not required to take the courses to take the exam. It would be nice if
HFI had the same clout that PMI has, but maybe in time it will.

As a hiring manager, I would probably not hire someone who had the
certification or a master's and no work experience for a senior
position, but would consider them for a more junior position.

Krista
================================================
Krista Van Laan
Director, User Experience and Documentation, VeriSign Security Services
487 E. Middlefield Road    Mountain View, CA 94043    
Tel: 650-426-5158  Fax: 650-426-5195
www.verisign.com
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ACM SIGCHI WWW Human Factors (Open Discussion) 
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Jacques
> Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 5:38 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: DISCUSSION: HFI Certification vs. Master's Degree
> 
> Mark Notess makes a pretty good assessment of the practical 
> implications of either option. Excellent post.
> 
> But actually it's unfair to compare both. You should bear in 
> mind that HFI certification, as relevant as the name sounds 
> (they did a good marketing job there), is not a recognized 
> academic certification. HFI is just another usability 
> consultancy that also happens to offer training, not an 
> institution. Here's an idea, why wouldn't the HFI courses be 
> evaluated by the academia and veteran practitioners?
> 
> Although I'm sure the course is interesting and it might just 
> teach you a few things that you don't know already. But 
> probably nothing you can't find in a few good books and by 
> searching the ACM library. Of course their 2-day course will 
> summarize much of the usability litterature out there and 
> save you days of reading. But how much of an expert can 
> someone expect to become in a couple of days seminar?
> 
> In the end, practice is the most valuable. I would hire 
> someone with a year's experience any time before someone with 
> one or more HFI "certifications", or that of any other consultancy.
> 
> Just a thought,
> 
> dj
> 
>     --------------------------------------------------------------
>     Tip of the Day: Suspend your subscription if using auto replies
>      CHI-WEB: www.sigchi.org/web POSTINGS: mailto:[log in to unmask]
>               MODERATORS: mailto:[log in to unmask]
>        SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES & FAQ:  www.sigchi.org/web/faq.html
>     --------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 

    --------------------------------------------------------------
        Tip of the Day: Email mailto:[log in to unmask]
               with any comments, questions or problems
     CHI-WEB: www.sigchi.org/web POSTINGS: mailto:[log in to unmask]
              MODERATORS: mailto:[log in to unmask]
       SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES & FAQ:  www.sigchi.org/web/faq.html
    --------------------------------------------------------------