Comments on: Social Media Certification? – Says who!? http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/ TechBurgh - Relevant Tech. News. Reviews. Views. PodCasts Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:36:35 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: James Crook http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/comment-page-1/#comment-2486 James Crook Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:42:31 +0000 http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/#comment-2486 Thank you for this article.. People throw certifications around like they are police badges. I was curious and luckily my google search brought up your article! Thank you for this article.. People throw certifications around like they are police badges. I was curious and luckily my google search brought up your article!

]]> By: Certified Social Media Expert, What? :: 3 Green Angels http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/comment-page-1/#comment-2420 Certified Social Media Expert, What? :: 3 Green Angels Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:44:45 +0000 http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/#comment-2420 [...] not alone in my skeptic thinking but I’m joined by others in the field like Beth Harte, Andy Quayle and Olivier Blanchard. All of which talk about the dollar amount spent on the programs, the [...] [...] not alone in my skeptic thinking but I’m joined by others in the field like Beth Harte, Andy Quayle and Olivier Blanchard. All of which talk about the dollar amount spent on the programs, the [...]

]]> By: axelschultze http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/comment-page-1/#comment-2200 axelschultze Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:06:02 +0000 http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/#comment-2200 This post is now almost one year old and still as current as it can get. The question is out and we are one of those who conquer the above question.<br>A certification is as good as the details describing their content. The Social Media Academy describes in detail what we teach and certify through exercises and tests that a student learned and understood what we teach. Not more and not less. We don't claim we are the ultimate authority, nor do we claim that what we teach is the only way to go. But we wholeheartedly trust that what we teach is literally best known practice. Yes, social media is new but not THAT new. I started to use LinkedIn in 2003 and blogging in 2004 - that is almost 7 years ago.<br><br>Here is why we believe a certification is VERY important:<br>1) We (practitioner of the field) know too well that there are thousands of self proclaimed experts who ruin the reputation of this industry every day.<br>2) Who ever puts a certification together, at the very least defines and states the methods, models and frameworks they teach, certify that the people who learned what they learned went through that process and can go out and practice the content they learn.<br>3) We may not agree with the certificates of one or the other institute - but at least we have some defined curriculum we can argue about<br>4) With no certification we all continue to run around with ideas and hopes to do thongs right - and that is wrong (in MHO)<br>5) At the end - the customers and hiring managers will decide whether they prefer a certified social media manager, strategist or what ever title is out there or just hire somebody where they "hope" it's right. My bet is - they hire a certified person, and if it is only because they can double check and see what their background is.<br><br>Axel<br><a href="http://xeesm.com/AxelS" rel="nofollow">http://xeesm.com/AxelS</a> This post is now almost one year old and still as current as it can get. The question is out and we are one of those who conquer the above question.
A certification is as good as the details describing their content. The Social Media Academy describes in detail what we teach and certify through exercises and tests that a student learned and understood what we teach. Not more and not less. We don't claim we are the ultimate authority, nor do we claim that what we teach is the only way to go. But we wholeheartedly trust that what we teach is literally best known practice. Yes, social media is new but not THAT new. I started to use LinkedIn in 2003 and blogging in 2004 – that is almost 7 years ago.

Here is why we believe a certification is VERY important:
1) We (practitioner of the field) know too well that there are thousands of self proclaimed experts who ruin the reputation of this industry every day.
2) Who ever puts a certification together, at the very least defines and states the methods, models and frameworks they teach, certify that the people who learned what they learned went through that process and can go out and practice the content they learn.
3) We may not agree with the certificates of one or the other institute – but at least we have some defined curriculum we can argue about
4) With no certification we all continue to run around with ideas and hopes to do thongs right – and that is wrong (in MHO)
5) At the end – the customers and hiring managers will decide whether they prefer a certified social media manager, strategist or what ever title is out there or just hire somebody where they “hope” it's right. My bet is – they hire a certified person, and if it is only because they can double check and see what their background is.

Axel
http://xeesm.com/AxelS

]]> By: Mike Wagner http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/comment-page-1/#comment-856 Mike Wagner Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:49:17 +0000 http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/#comment-856 Andy - Great post!!! As I was saying to Seth Godin & Clay Shirky over dinner last night, the whole industry has to grow up if we're going to be taken seriously. Check out my site for more information!!! Andy – Great post!!! As I was saying to Seth Godin & Clay Shirky over dinner last night, the whole industry has to grow up if we're going to be taken seriously. Check out my site for more information!!!

]]> By: Scott Mahler http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/comment-page-1/#comment-852 Scott Mahler Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:30:59 +0000 http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/#comment-852 The sad thing is that there will inevitablly be people that fall for this. Social Media is so new, and although there are being college classes offered in it, there is nobody out there, as of yet, that can claim to "certify" you as an expert. As a matter of fact, I believe one of the draws to this medium is the fact that anybody can do it, and do it well. <br><br>I too am into the technical aspect of things, and I can't for the life of me see how anybody can make these cliams. I say "buyer beware" The sad thing is that there will inevitablly be people that fall for this. Social Media is so new, and although there are being college classes offered in it, there is nobody out there, as of yet, that can claim to “certify” you as an expert. As a matter of fact, I believe one of the draws to this medium is the fact that anybody can do it, and do it well.

I too am into the technical aspect of things, and I can't for the life of me see how anybody can make these cliams. I say “buyer beware”

]]> By: Chris Brogan... http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/comment-page-1/#comment-849 Chris Brogan... Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:58:44 +0000 http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/#comment-849 Dopey. Just dopey. But hey, if someone pays for it, have a ball. If that makes someone feel more put together, I'm excited. Keep thinking that way. Dopey. Just dopey. But hey, if someone pays for it, have a ball. If that makes someone feel more put together, I'm excited. Keep thinking that way.

]]> By: Susan/Second Income Business http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/comment-page-1/#comment-842 Susan/Second Income Business Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:21:19 +0000 http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/#comment-842 I've never been one to spend money on being certified, especially when the person who is doing the certifying cannot show me how they got certified. Wow, that was a mouthful. This certification makes about as much sense to me as my first sentence. I've never been one to spend money on being certified, especially when the person who is doing the certifying cannot show me how they got certified. Wow, that was a mouthful. This certification makes about as much sense to me as my first sentence.

]]> By: Beth Harte http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/comment-page-1/#comment-838 Beth Harte Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:46:28 +0000 http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/#comment-838 Andy, thanks for taking up the cause here and adding a different rationale to the situation. Social media is still so new I am not sure how anyone can be in a position to certify anyone else. And don't you think that technology certificates are a lot different than a certificate on how to use social tools that can be used in any number of ways depending on who's using them? The whole concept of training people to go out and coach others (all without having any real experience) is just amazing to me. Andy, thanks for taking up the cause here and adding a different rationale to the situation. Social media is still so new I am not sure how anyone can be in a position to certify anyone else. And don't you think that technology certificates are a lot different than a certificate on how to use social tools that can be used in any number of ways depending on who's using them? The whole concept of training people to go out and coach others (all without having any real experience) is just amazing to me.

]]> By: OwenC http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/comment-page-1/#comment-837 OwenC Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:00:51 +0000 http://techburgh.com/blog/2009/01/30/social-media-certification-says-who/#comment-837 The market itself is still too immature for there to be any reliable certifications in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, offering some sort of structured grounding into the subject may be valuable, but unless a certification is backed by an academic institution, or has proven it's worth through practice, I wouldn't be betting that something like this would help you get a better job. The market itself is still too immature for there to be any reliable certifications in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, offering some sort of structured grounding into the subject may be valuable, but unless a certification is backed by an academic institution, or has proven it's worth through practice, I wouldn't be betting that something like this would help you get a better job.

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