Getting Certified?

OK so we all know you can be a certified carpet cleaner without EVER having pushed a wand or kicked the switch on a Ninja.

In other words without ever having cleaned a carpet, vacuumed a carpet, seen a carpet being cleaned you can be a FULLY CERTIFIED IICRC Carpet Cleaning Technician.

So I'm racking my brain trying to figure out what other professions can one be certified in without ever having done it or seen it done???

Honestly this is not another bash the iicrc thread.

What other professional can come into your home, tell you and show you he is certified then do the work and then tell you "Sir this was the first time I have ever done this service in my life"..."In fact this is the first time I have ever used this machine"..."Would you like to pay by cash, cheque, Visa or MasterCard?"

I would rather have one with the understanding and ambition to invest in formal training than have one who watched a get-rich video and purchased a swirly machine and a portable package from a 1-800 number.

Does the industry need more professionalism? - yes. Can you get it through other current certification agencies yes.   

Is there a better way to learn? Yes; go work for someone who does know what they are doing. They will in all likelihood for their own interests have you attend IICRC courses even more specialized courses and certification or ASCR or Wools of New Zealand or some others.

If you don't think this is the only profession let me list a few that all can be certified with no experience.
Locksmiths
Small Appliance Repairmen
Alarm Installers
Gardeners
Home Inspectors   

Which one of these professions has the most competitive marketplace?

Certification is a good start - the rest is up to the person who dares call him or herself a professional and truly live up to the meaning of the word.

By the way, if you want to know the difference in IICRC it would be a Journeyman or a Master who has more than the papers.

    

Edited by pilediver - 18/February/2007 at 10:28pm

You can become a journeyman or master without ever doing a job. Just take the required courses and wait the three years. No one from the IICRC will check to see if you've ever done any cleaning

Not around here.

cmaster wrote: You can become a journeyman or master without ever doing a job. Just take the required courses and wait the three years. No one from the IICRC will check to see if you've ever done any cleaning

If my memory serves me correct are you not required to have two letters of recommendation from someone related in the industry before receiving you journymen or master cleaning cert?
    

BC

    I have a "so called competitor" in my city, he advertizes he and his techs are "master cleaners" he gets new techs every spring and I would bet the farm they dont even know what IICRC stands for.I realize that if one person is certified the whole firm is ..or so I was told, but the guy that owns this company is clueless when it comes to cleaning carpet and uphol.
I have never taken to much stock in being or needing to be IICRC certified.