Reading – Will this be on the test?


“The test, of course, offers nothing but downside. No extra credit, just points marked off. The test is the moment where you must conform to standards, to say what is expected of you.
Perhaps a better question is, “Will this be in the Playbill?”
The Playbill is the little program they hand out before the Broadway musical. The Playbill is all about extra credit, about putting on a show, surprising, elevating, doing something more than people hoped for.”
You know, as a trainer who is responsible for getting people ready for a software certification exam, this is something I struggle to balance. Yes, when you’re talking about offering a software certification, the training should make sure that passing the exam and getting the certification displays a knowledge of the tool, how it’s used, and why.
But the value add for a training course should be the playbill stuff that Seth talks about. Sure, we’ll make sure you are competent with the tool, that’s what a certification represents, but I also want to challenge students to rethink the way they do things, and the value they bring to their customers, whoever they are. Those are the things that turn a certified, competent, technician, into a rock star employee.