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I collect a lot of certs for fun, but most have not been helpful. I still like to collect them anyway. I think OSCP was the most legitimately useful in tech ht

I collect a lot of certs for fun, but most have not been helpful. I still like to collect them anyway. I think OSCP was the most legitimately useful in tech https://www.offensive-security.com/pwk-oscp/ https://www.offensive-security.com/pwk-oscp/ PMP has been useful to take on Project Manager roles, but really PrM roles aren't all that exciting to begin with. Still helps when you want to run your own projects. I'm currently studying to be a certified parliamentarian from the National Association of Parliamentarians. I'm interested in corporate governance and learning Roberts Rules of Order definitely helps. I'm also a certified farmer (yeah its a thing), I have 5 sailing certs, 3 scuba certs, Wilderness Emergency Medical Responder cert, working on my pilots license, getting my real estate sales license, ham radio operator general class, almost done with my CDL, there's lots more I'd have to check my notes on. I do want to get a Kubernetes cert done this year. Long term I want to knock out my CPA/CFA exams, but those are a huge commitment so we will see if it pans out. Most of this response hasn't answered your question at all, because certs really are mostly useless. Still fun to collect. I'd imagine financial certs would be the most useful (CFA in particular). If anyone knows any other fun certs let me know.

typhonic 4y ago
A co-worker once told me he had two of three certifications for fireworks. I forget what they were exactly, maybe one for manufacturing, one for transportation, and one for operations.
- jcims 4y ago
  I believe these can vary by state in the US but there’s some ATF requirements as well. ‘Operations’ are called ’exhibitor license’ and there are two of them. I’m getting my assistant exhibitors license now, which is the entry point. Once I have demonstrated sufficient proficiency, a lead exhibitor will sign off on my application to become a lead exhibitor. This will likely take a few years. There is a separate certification for anything involving open flames. Including things like Dave Chapelle using a lighter to light a cigarette. Storage, transport and manufacturing certs are independent of these and and all involve the ATF in the US (starting with Form 54). It’s actually pretty complex trying to figure out alone, I had to get plugged into the local pyrotechnics guild for them to lay it out for me.
  - robcohen 4y ago
    Thanks for sharing the info. Super helpful!
    - jcims 4y ago
      My number one tip for anybody interested in this would be to contact the Pyrotechnics Guild International any locate in-state guilds that can take you under their wing and help you along the way. There are two in my state and they’ve both been remarkably receptive and helpful.
wolfv 4y ago
Nutrition Certificate program is interesting and personally useful: https://ecornell.cornell.edu/certificates/nutrition/plant-based-nutrition/ https://ecornell.cornell.edu/certificates/nutrition/plant-ba...
LurkinGrue 4y ago
How do you keep up with CPE requirements across all of the carts? Just the CPA cert alone requires a minimum of 40 hours per year.
- prepend 4y ago
  Many times CPE can count toward multiple certificates. For example the same activity that give hours for PMP also count toward CSM.
- robcohen 4y ago
  Webinars usually get CPEs in most prof orgs, so it's easy to just put on a webinar during lunch. Also once or twice a year you can attend a conference and rack up all your CPEs.
arinlen 4y ago
Oh god your CV must be a headhunter's wet dream.
- weinzierl 4y ago
  It's not. Fit trumps quantity and quality any time. I'm not OP, but I also have quite a bouquet of certifications. Why? Mostly because I love to learn and I also love to work towards goals. Also most certifications[1] are not that hard once you've figured out how to deal with scenario based multiple choice questions. It's a low effort way to focus my learning. When it comes to hiring - and as someone who sat at both sides of the table - any certificate outside of what is expected in your industry does more harm than good. [1] OSCP is the exception to the rule
  - scubbo 4y ago
    > When it comes to hiring [...] any certificate outside of what is expected in your industry does more harm than good Huh - this is surprising to hear. I would have thought that random extra certifications would act as indicators that a) you're a naturally focused and capable person (rather than just cosplaying one for salary), and b) you have interests outside of work (so will be a more well-rounded and pleasant person to work around). Can you elaborate on the ways in which you find non-standard certifications to be harmful?
    - ksala_ 4y ago
      I cannot reply for that person, but to me a certification would mean that you know a given subject, so I could ask more in-depth questions and expect better answers than the average candidate. Sometimes this is the case (and if so then getting a certification is not harmful in my opinion), but often it just gives you a very high level, very passing understanding of the subject so candidates just end up being judged against a higher bar without the tools/skills to match it.
    - jrumbut 4y ago
      I agree with you and would be excited to see a resume like what some of these cert masters could present. However, I understand that some people shut down when they see a lot of extraneous detail. Think of it like reading a news article. You'd get confused if you started reading "Ferry sinks, injuring 11" and halfway through it starts talking about cricket, then a fire, then congress, then...
devoutsalsa 4y ago
Study almond growing to become certifiably nuts.
- pilsetnieks 4y ago
  Though almonds are technically seeds, not nuts.
  - W0lf 4y ago
    Well, actually… :-)
  - Jenz 4y ago
    A rare actually tasteful “technically…,” thank you.
  - hpcjoe 4y ago
    "You are technically correct. The best kind of correct" -- Administrator who chaired the committee that selected the cover of the book of rules.
  - devoutsalsa 4y ago
    I reckon you are the kind of person that would put tomatoes in a fruit salad XD
    - happytiger 4y ago
      Sounds seedy.
- btown 4y ago
  Study the history of obscure German counties to become certifiably in Sayn!
- magicalhippo 4y ago
  Or get a masters degree in cosmology so you can put "Master of the Universe" on your CV.
creakingstairs 4y ago
Just curious, how are you going to get CPA? Don't you need work experience as well as exams for that?
- booleandilemma 4y ago
  Yeah a CPA isn’t just something you can go out and get like a Microsoft cert.
  - robcohen 4y ago
    Actually you can, you just need to experience to get the charter. You can go pass the exam so long as you have the educational background.
    - happytiger 4y ago
      Here are the requirements: https://www.calcpa.org/cpa-career-center/cpa-requirements https://www.calcpa.org/cpa-career-center/cpa-requirements The test is administered by aicpa, but this is a helpful starting point.
      - robcohen 4y ago
        Yes to get the charter, you must have work experience. To take the exam, you do not. https://www.reddit.com/r/Accounting/comments/306fu3/how_stupidworthless_is_studying_for_cpa_w_no_work/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf https://www.reddit.com/r/Accounting/comments/306fu3/how_stup...
akudha 4y ago
Wow, that is quite a collection. What kind of work do you do? One thing I am wondering is how much these certificates cost. For example, quickly glancing through your OSCP link says the minimum is $1499, it is not cheap! Thank you for mentioning NAP, I didn't know this was a thing (I suspect most people don't) Fun certs - I did this last year https://www.pearsonpte.com/ https://www.pearsonpte.com/ and thoroughly enjoyed it. Unlike many tech certs, to pass language exams one has to really know the language. This exam is 100% computerized, so we don't have to deal with biases of examiners, which is what happened to me with IELTS.
- robcohen 4y ago
  I worked as a product manager in crypto for awhile, but now I just hack on my own projects.
- gurchik 4y ago
  A pilot's license can easily cost over $10k. I can't afford it right now but flying is a dream for me that I'm working towards.
fat_cantor 4y ago
no teaching certificates?
- robcohen 4y ago
  I've thought about it, but teaching is such a long commitment. I almost signed up to be a teacher at my local community college in CS, but I just don't want to commit my schedule to something like that. Maybe someday.
paktor132 4y ago
https://www.nmra.org/education/achievement-program https://www.nmra.org/education/achievement-program offers 11 levels of certification for people like us who have a profound need for external validation. My certification list overlaps with yours about 60% but Certified Parliamentarian is next level, my hat is off to you
- robcohen 4y ago
  Oh please share your list. I'd love to hear it.
  - paktor132 4y ago
    Aviation - private pilot airplane single engine land; instrument rating airplane; complex, high performance, and tailwheel endorsements; part 107 remote pilot; DC flight restricted zone; instrument ground instructor (this might be a good one for you, just take the FOI and then AGI or IGI written tests and visit your local FSDO to get the cert issued). Considering getting my commercial, multiengine, and CFI certs Maritime - master 100 tons inland / mate near coastal plus a bunch of random crap the USCG throws on there if you get those (need to renew these this year); American Sailing Association 101, 103, 104 Scuba - just the useful ones here cause I have a whole wallet memorializing money flushed down the drain: rescue diver, ice diver, solo diver, drysuit, open circuit advanced nitrox/deco procedures, 45m helitrox closed circuit rebreather w/deco, certified Poseidon regulator+rebreather repair technician (though the big thing I learned was just to send my gear to pros working with this stuff every day). Currently my big focus is training up to take the 60m normoxic trimix rebreather course in the fall Radio - general class ham (failed the extra by like two questions, in my defense I had only studied for general), restricted radiotelephone operator (literally just a cash payment, needed this once for a flight I had planned to Canada) Other - authorized to perform marriages, motorcycle endorsement on driver's license, certified analytics professional (took the test on a whim and passed, it's since lapsed but I might see if they'll let me re-up it), notary public (lapsed), have thought about doing PMP since I'd be good to go on experience reqs I started an EMT course a while back but I dropped out after realizing I was never going to be able to remain at all proficient. I'm like this with my aviation instrument rating as well, I keep legally current with it but I am pretty cautious about relying on proficiency since I'm not flying multiple times a week Probably some others I'm forgetting but these are the big ones! I remain really impressed with your list, you've come up with some good ones...will have to think on whether I need to pursue some of them myself :-)
lupire 4y ago
> certified parliamentarian Is the specific parliament you want to work in?
- robcohen 4y ago
  I do the role of Secretary for various policy groups, so knowing Roberts Rules and being efficient and knowing correct procedures is helpful for me.
kvirani 4y ago
Good call on PPL. It's a lot of fun and opens up alot more cert opportunities (mountain rating, float planes, IFR, multi engine, CPL, etc) so you will be in heaven.
mdaverde 4y ago
Why do you think cert collecting is fun? I can see this being the case just for the fact that certs are usually paired a structured curriculum for learning a new skill. This takes a huge mental burden off and decreases time wasted in deadend exploration.
- ncpa-cpl 4y ago
  > Why do you think cert collecting is fun? My work requires me to take certifications and keep them renewed. What I appreciate from certifications is actually taking a well-made test. (Instead of a carelessly made normal school or university test.) For well made certification tests, the question writing process is interesting and a whole specialization by itself. Each question is beta tested. And metrics are collected as to how a question is correlated or predicts that someone will pass the test. Tests should avoid mixing question pairs that hint the answer of another question. And writing multiple choice answers in which the answer is not possible to guess. Also writing questions so they are well written and easily understood. So that the question measures knowing or not knowing the topic, rather than affecting the test taker due to unclear wording.
- robcohen 4y ago
  Honestly, I enjoy learning but I don't like having nothing to show for it. Unstructured learning like going to a library and picking out a random book drives me nuts, I quickly feel overwhelmed. A cert at least gives me some goal to shoot for -- where I can prove some basic competency in the subject by virtue of having the cert. I need something to "show" for my efforts. Project-based learning can work for me as well, but it takes extra work to figure it out for a given skill. I'm learning photography and I have a goal of doing 1 portrait session per week for a few months. That kind of thing helps me feel like I'm making measurable progress.
- xeromal 4y ago
  It's probably fun for OP in the same way leveling up a character in an RPG is.
netaustin 4y ago
As far as I know, CPA in most states requires 150 hours of college credit, of which many must be in accounting. My CPA friends largely joined the big four firm on the strength of their CPA, spent a little time in audit, then promptly switched to consulting. What you get from that certification is the ability to sign corporate audits, own an accounting firm, and the right to prepare and defend tax returns. Unless you are preparing for a second career in accounting, CPA seems like a lot to bite off, but good on you! I don’t envy you all the cost accounting headaches and audit rules. CFA requires that you have work experience making investment decisions and can get references to that effect, but in all it would be easier than CPA.
- robcohen 4y ago
  Correct. I'll need to take classes. I found an online masters in accounting that's AACSB accredited https://onlinemsa.illinois.edu/ https://onlinemsa.illinois.edu/ I'll knock that out then take the charter exam, if I pass then I'll consider doing part time work as an accountant for two years to get the hours.
- camjohnson26 4y ago
  Can confirm, plus there’s a 1 year requirement to work in the industry to get the certification after passing the test, and a continuing education requirement to maintain it. I studied accounting and passed the test, but immediately started working in tech so technically I’m not certified. The test was a beast and took about a year and a half to pass all 4 parts, and if you don’t pass all 4 within a window of time the old ones expire.
amelius 4y ago
driver's license?
jinto36 4y ago
The National Association of Rocketry which supports model rocketry clubs and such has a tiered certification for High Power Rocketry (HPR) which is where you get into building very large models and packing your own motors. These certifications involve the usual written exam, but you also have to design a rocket in your target class- and get the design reviewed, and then build it- and get the build reviewed for safety, and then fly it. Since it's more than a book -> test certification and involves an actual hands-on engineering project, I'd consider it a fun one. https://www.nar.org/high-power-rocketry-certifications/ https://www.nar.org/high-power-rocketry-certifications/
landemva 4y ago
Commercial driver and pilot could maybe be better described as licenses. Those have recurring medical requirements, and CDL holders can be picked for drug testing at any time. Strangely most of the flight docs are ignoring the FAA disqualification item of taking a medicine within two years of it being released. At this point, most commercial and military pilots should be grounded for taking the new virus shots. The two year requirement is reasonable to protect flying public from things not found in rushed medical studies, like heart attacks. MSHA part 48, or others, is useful to be allowed to be unattended on a mine site. The scope and size of some mines, and the operations and equipment, are something to experience. Of course, the mine owner must want you to be there.
- tylermenezes 4y ago
  > At this point, most commercial and military pilots should be grounded for taking the new virus shots. FAA explicitly allows after 48hr observation, see https://www.faa.gov/coronavirus/guidance_resources#useOfVaccines https://www.faa.gov/coronavirus/guidance_resources#useOfVacc...
  - landemva 4y ago
    I hadn't seen that. That explicitly grounds the pilot for 48 hours after procedure. It does not appear to change the requirements for the yearly flight Dr. recertification regarding new medicines.
EwanG 4y ago
Can personally recommend a Part 107 cert for flying drones. Particularly since you mention your pilots license. It's nice to fly and not worry someone is going to say you're posting might be commercial - because that's ok with the cert. The FAA card is actually pretty nice, and whipping it out can stop some (though not all) of the folks who want to complain about any drone they see.
NoOneNew 4y ago
Past CDL holder here. Fyi, you are then a "professional driver" even in a normal car driving to the grocery. If you get a ticket, many states will instantly double the fine because as a pro, "you know better". Plus there's the medical aspect and other bullshit. Unless you're going to actually use it, dont get it. Learn to drive an 18 speed with air brakes etc, sure. Just dont get the actual cdl.
- leeoniya 4y ago
  to add to this, if you dont actually use your SCUBA or first responder or pilot skills on a regular basis, those certs are worthless at best, and dangerous at worst.
  - robcohen 4y ago
    This is true, but I do try to keep the training up. I'm certainly not doing it every weekend, but I train a minimum of 3-4 times per year for W-EMR. Scuba, honestly so long as you do it once or twice a year you're fine, it's really not terribly hard.
    - leeoniya 4y ago
      i have an open water cert and dive 4-6 times a year. it's fine for just myself, but if you have a higher level cert like rescue, then you may be asked or expected to assist others in emergencies. thankfully, most places are very careful not to take cert cards from unfamiliar faces at face value.
      - shkkmo 4y ago
        I thank that is a crappy attitude. If I am on a dive and there is a lost diver or some other incident in the area, I want to have the skills to be able to help. I would note that "asked or expected" is different than "required", so there really is no downside to doing a rescue diver class or a divemaster program. In fact, I highly recommend it and it was a lot of fun.
Hellbanevil 4y ago
If you had a four year degree you used to be able to sit for the Realestate Broker's Exam. That ended a few years ago with yearly lobbing by brokers. Now the easiest white collar profession (8 courses that are easy) require we work for a broker for years. Usually a broker who got their licence without becoming a salesperson first. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill because he wanted competition. Gov. Brown eventually signed it.
BbzzbB 4y ago
If you don't intend working in finance, but rather want that knowledge for your own investing, it's possible to just follow the CFA books on your own. AFAIK, level 3 is useless for the non-professional that won't be managing a portfolio worth millions. I had started learning level 1, but realized I'm kind of wasting my time allocating much brain juice to it before growing my income/net worth.
- robcohen 4y ago
  That's true, but I'd still like to give it a shot. It's a massive commitment as you know, so we'll see if it pans out. If I do it I'll probably be committing to 2 hours per day for the next three years.
eddyschai 4y ago
I read this and thought, damn he sounds a lot like a PM I used to work with at IO. Then I saw the username ;) Hope you're doing well man - Ed
- robcohen 4y ago
  Hi Ed! Hope you're still kicking ass! I'll reach out!
dev_tty01 4y ago
I got irritated with the size of a quote for my heat pump repair, so I got an HVAC certification and did the repair myself. A little time, $300 worth of equipment from Amazon and it is still running great after several years. I needed the HVAC certification to buy the refrigerant. Saved several thousand dollars.
- robcohen 4y ago
  That's awesome. I want to get HVAC certified. First I'll knock out welding though.
  - R0b0t1 4y ago
    You can do it without the cert, it's just the recyclers usually won't take your reclaimed refrigerant. I'd feel worse about it, but generally the HVAC companies in an area are extremely predatory and only quote out new systems when a simple repair would suffice.
- hattmall 4y ago
  How long did the certification take and how did you go about getting it?
  - MerelyMortal 4y ago
    I got the cert 10 years ago (EPA 608, not automotive EPA 609). 60 minutes of studying two different study packets I found online. Found a local test-giver, and called them up to schedule the test.
    - wonderwonder 4y ago
      And after that you felt competent to do your own repairs? If so I know what I am doing the next few weekends.
      - SoftTalker 4y ago
DicIfTEx 4y ago
If you have a few hours to spare, you can become a certified rat tickler for free here: https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/3rs-resources/rat-tickling/rat-tickling-certification https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/3rs-resources/rat-tickling/rat-tick...
- watmough 4y ago
  Can recommend! The rats dig it.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
dorchadas 4y ago
Look at some CEFR ones next!
- robcohen 4y ago
  Sadly I simply am not capable of learning languages. I've tried, really hard. I did 4 years of french, 2 years of spanish, 4 semesters of Arabic, 2 semesters of german, 1 Berlitz tutor session for 3 months in Russian and 3 months of tutoring in Farsi. Most of my grades were AWFUL and I barely qualified for anything. I really tried, but I just don't have the medium/long term memory for language. It also doesn't help that I live in the US.
  - zdragnar 4y ago
    I'm in a similar boat. I absorbed German really easily, but when I moved on to picking up another language, my brain constantly switched between the two, even during an intensive study course that was basically several hours a day exclusively in one. I tried beating my brain into the right shape, but no amount of effort made me anything but embarrassing in anything other than my native tongue.
  - timr 4y ago
    FWIW, I felt the same way. Studied French for years, through middle school, high school and college, and never gained any real degree of fluency. Then I moved to Japan and took language classes for 4 hours a day for a year. It worked. There were people who still raced around me -- I'm not gifted at languages, by any means -- but for the first time in my life I'm actually modestly capable in a second language. I continue to study now, and it's still accumulating, however slowly. After this experience, I believe that most people can learn a second language, but they don't because the barriers to entry are insanely high. If you really want to learn a language to a conversational level of fluency, you either have to be truly gifted (5% of people) have to want it so much that you'll immerse yourself in it 24/7 (the rest of us). > I did 4 years of french, 2 years of spanish, 4 semesters of Arabic, 2 semesters of german, 1 Berlitz tutor session for 3 months in Russian and 3 months of tutoring in Farsi It took me about 3 months of daily immersion in Japanese life (plus the 4 hours of daily school, of course) just to get to a point where my ears could hear words reliably. If you translate this to coursework...it's got to be 1+ years of college-level study.
MichaelMoser123 4y ago
just out of interest, what do you do with the offensive security knowledge?
- robcohen 4y ago
  I used to be a pentester, so it was pretty applicable... Pentesting really requires "full stack" systems knowledge, from networking, to OS, to API analysis, malware analysis, binary reverse engineering. OSCP is an applied cert, so it really forces you to be able to leverage knowledge in a practical way. However my favorite benefit of offsec is really being able to see things from an attacker's perspective. This has been super valuable in many situations and I've found I'm many times the only person in the room with an awareness of an adversarial mindset.
  - meristem 4y ago
    It does make risk analysis more interesting. It surprises me how people will think only of the positive or accidental case, leaving adversarial ones off the table (and risk mitigation)
  - markoman 4y ago
    I'm thinking about getting into pen-testing and eventually getting an OSCP. Would you mind offering a few words about why you left the pen-testing field? Also, do you have a CEH or do you recommend bypassing it in favor of the OSCP?
    - robcohen 4y ago
      CEH is literally useless, I used to have it because I did DoD. That’s the only reason to do it. I got out of pentesting because no one follows your recommendations. I could give 40 recommendations after doing a pentest, come back a year later and none of them would have been implemented. People don’t care about security—-it’s why everything is broken and it’s getting worse. I moved into Distributed Ledger Technology because I think it could help solve security issues people face daily in a way where they cannot mess up. That’s the idea anyway.
skrebbel 4y ago
I warmly recommend the UML certifications. They test whether you know UML syntax rules by heart, not whether you can model software decently. It's absolutely useless, great fun!
- SecurityLagoon 4y ago
  Oh no.... I think we have very different definitions of fun. I haven't touched UML since uni and I'm glad to keep it that way.
tacon 4y ago
I perked up recently when I learned that one can now become an accredited investor via a Series 7, Series 65, or Series 82 license, bypassing the income/net worth requirements[0]. [0] https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/092815/how-become-accredited-investor.asp https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/092815/how-b...
- ketzo 4y ago
  Woah! That seems like a big deal! Cool find, thank you.
- pacarvalho 4y ago
  Unfortunately, the Series 65 is the only one that you can do without working for a financial company. Moreover, you need to not only pass the exam but we registered with the state and pay an anual fee. I believe.
- tfehring 4y ago
  Related article and HN discussion from last year: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28855330 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28855330
300bps 4y ago
I'd imagine financial certs would be the most useful (CFA in particular). I’m similar to you - have a ton of certifications and I’m an insanely good test taker. Several years ago I signed up for the Level 1 CFA exam in late August to take it on December 5th. So I had a little over 3 months to study for it. My first inclination that I made a horrible mistake was when one of my portfolio manager coworkers said to me, “I got my bachelor’s in finance, got my master’s in economics, studied for that test for 6 months, failed it and gave up. It’s just too hard.” 350 hours of studying later, I was the only one from my company that passed Level 1 that year. 33% pass rate. I’m in software engineering. It has provided no discernible career benefit even though I work at an investment bank. I’m happy that I proved I could do it but the CFA program is not a certification to collect on a whim. It’s literally a 3+ year commitment and you will come close to killing yourself studying.
- robcohen 4y ago
  Thanks for the feedback, yeah that matches what I thought about the exam. I don’t think it’s likely I’ll pass but I’ll give it a go.
mmaunder 4y ago
Pilot license is great because it gets you into thinking about how we make data driven decisions under pressure. And actual flying solo after you get your license helps because you do a kind of self analysis every time you screw up - even the minor stuff. There’s a lot of study and focus on human factors which is the primary cause of accidents. So it’s great to build self awareness. Congrats on your OSCP - I run a cybersec biz and some of my colleagues have that cert and I’m always impressed when I hear someone has it. I’m a CISSP but I think an OSCP is more practical. Ham radio extra which is elec eng focused rather than just rules of the airwaves is a good one. (I’m callsign WT1J) In our biz I really appreciate it when folks have a Network+ or Security+ or a Linux admin cert because you can’t argue with the value of knowing networking fundamentals and the Linux command line. In fact knowledge of Linux command line is my leading indicator of competency for a QA role we have open. I look at answers to this question first every time. Next thing I look at is SQL knowledge- because I think both of these are strong predictors of deeper technical capability. Certs are underrated IMHO because most of them provide practical knowledge that is immediately applicable in a work setting or other pastime. They give you real skills. Lastly AWS certs are also super practical and very valuable IMO. Great question OP!
- smitty1e 4y ago
  > Lastly AWS certs are also super practical and very valuable IMO. And then they roll out new services almost weekly. Quite a moving target.
  - astral303 4y ago
    Au contraire, AWS has a stable of foundational services that have not moved in a long time and a worthwhile knowing, no matter what service-du-jour gets rolled out. Not a moving target at all.
    - deepzn 4y ago
      The cert expires in a couple years, and you have to get it again, with some new stuff added though.
t_mann 4y ago
CFA and CPA are not really comparable (even though they're both 'finance'). A CPA charter is closer to a JD degree / bar exam in that it is the necessary entry requirement for a legally defined profession (with quite steady demand). A CFA is more like a Master's in that it can help you get an interview for financial analyst jobs, but it is neither necessary nor sufficient to work as one. But it can help a great deal, that's true, especially when you're transitioning. Also, those are some pretty serious things to do as a hobby.
- robcohen 4y ago
  Well I’m a serious guy.
ketzo 4y ago
Where did you learn the material for your PMP cert? There are so, so many courses out there advertising PM training; not sure how to filter.
kart23 4y ago
motorcycle license?
myself248 4y ago
What's it take to be a locksmith? In some states, carrying lockpicks is presumptive guilt unless you're a locksmith, but I never figured out whether that's a certification or just a business license or what.
- ARandomerDude 4y ago
  A JD and a YouTube channel.
- SecurityLagoon 4y ago
  Also very interested in this one. I do some casual locksport but would love to be able to legitimately carry tools and help out friends and colleagues.

typhonic 4y ago

A co-worker once told me he had two of three certifications for fireworks. I forget what they were exactly, maybe one for manufacturing, one for transportation, and one for operations.

jcims 4y ago
I believe these can vary by state in the US but there’s some ATF requirements as well. ‘Operations’ are called ’exhibitor license’ and there are two of them. I’m getting my assistant exhibitors license now, which is the entry point. Once I have demonstrated sufficient proficiency, a lead exhibitor will sign off on my application to become a lead exhibitor. This will likely take a few years. There is a separate certification for anything involving open flames. Including things like Dave Chapelle using a lighter to light a cigarette. Storage, transport and manufacturing certs are independent of these and and all involve the ATF in the US (starting with Form 54). It’s actually pretty complex trying to figure out alone, I had to get plugged into the local pyrotechnics guild for them to lay it out for me.
- robcohen 4y ago
  Thanks for sharing the info. Super helpful!
  - jcims 4y ago
    My number one tip for anybody interested in this would be to contact the Pyrotechnics Guild International any locate in-state guilds that can take you under their wing and help you along the way. There are two in my state and they’ve both been remarkably receptive and helpful.

wolfv 4y ago

Nutrition Certificate program is interesting and personally useful: https://ecornell.cornell.edu/certificates/nutrition/plant-based-nutrition/ https://ecornell.cornell.edu/certificates/nutrition/plant-ba...

LurkinGrue 4y ago

How do you keep up with CPE requirements across all of the carts? Just the CPA cert alone requires a minimum of 40 hours per year.

prepend 4y ago
Many times CPE can count toward multiple certificates. For example the same activity that give hours for PMP also count toward CSM.
robcohen 4y ago
Webinars usually get CPEs in most prof orgs, so it's easy to just put on a webinar during lunch. Also once or twice a year you can attend a conference and rack up all your CPEs.

arinlen 4y ago

Oh god your CV must be a headhunter's wet dream.

weinzierl 4y ago
It's not. Fit trumps quantity and quality any time. I'm not OP, but I also have quite a bouquet of certifications. Why? Mostly because I love to learn and I also love to work towards goals. Also most certifications[1] are not that hard once you've figured out how to deal with scenario based multiple choice questions. It's a low effort way to focus my learning. When it comes to hiring - and as someone who sat at both sides of the table - any certificate outside of what is expected in your industry does more harm than good. [1] OSCP is the exception to the rule
- scubbo 4y ago
  > When it comes to hiring [...] any certificate outside of what is expected in your industry does more harm than good Huh - this is surprising to hear. I would have thought that random extra certifications would act as indicators that a) you're a naturally focused and capable person (rather than just cosplaying one for salary), and b) you have interests outside of work (so will be a more well-rounded and pleasant person to work around). Can you elaborate on the ways in which you find non-standard certifications to be harmful?
  - ksala_ 4y ago
    I cannot reply for that person, but to me a certification would mean that you know a given subject, so I could ask more in-depth questions and expect better answers than the average candidate. Sometimes this is the case (and if so then getting a certification is not harmful in my opinion), but often it just gives you a very high level, very passing understanding of the subject so candidates just end up being judged against a higher bar without the tools/skills to match it.
  - jrumbut 4y ago
    I agree with you and would be excited to see a resume like what some of these cert masters could present. However, I understand that some people shut down when they see a lot of extraneous detail. Think of it like reading a news article. You'd get confused if you started reading "Ferry sinks, injuring 11" and halfway through it starts talking about cricket, then a fire, then congress, then...

devoutsalsa 4y ago

Study almond growing to become certifiably nuts.

pilsetnieks 4y ago
Though almonds are technically seeds, not nuts.
- W0lf 4y ago
  Well, actually… :-)
- Jenz 4y ago
  A rare actually tasteful “technically…,” thank you.
- hpcjoe 4y ago
  "You are technically correct. The best kind of correct" -- Administrator who chaired the committee that selected the cover of the book of rules.
- devoutsalsa 4y ago
  I reckon you are the kind of person that would put tomatoes in a fruit salad XD
  - happytiger 4y ago
    Sounds seedy.
btown 4y ago
Study the history of obscure German counties to become certifiably in Sayn!
magicalhippo 4y ago
Or get a masters degree in cosmology so you can put "Master of the Universe" on your CV.

creakingstairs 4y ago

Just curious, how are you going to get CPA? Don't you need work experience as well as exams for that?

booleandilemma 4y ago
Yeah a CPA isn’t just something you can go out and get like a Microsoft cert.
- robcohen 4y ago
  Actually you can, you just need to experience to get the charter. You can go pass the exam so long as you have the educational background.
  - happytiger 4y ago
    Here are the requirements: https://www.calcpa.org/cpa-career-center/cpa-requirements https://www.calcpa.org/cpa-career-center/cpa-requirements The test is administered by aicpa, but this is a helpful starting point.
    - robcohen 4y ago
      Yes to get the charter, you must have work experience. To take the exam, you do not. https://www.reddit.com/r/Accounting/comments/306fu3/how_stupidworthless_is_studying_for_cpa_w_no_work/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf https://www.reddit.com/r/Accounting/comments/306fu3/how_stup...

akudha 4y ago

Wow, that is quite a collection. What kind of work do you do? One thing I am wondering is how much these certificates cost. For example, quickly glancing through your OSCP link says the minimum is $1499, it is not cheap! Thank you for mentioning NAP, I didn't know this was a thing (I suspect most people don't) Fun certs - I did this last year https://www.pearsonpte.com/ https://www.pearsonpte.com/ and thoroughly enjoyed it. Unlike many tech certs, to pass language exams one has to really know the language. This exam is 100% computerized, so we don't have to deal with biases of examiners, which is what happened to me with IELTS.

robcohen 4y ago
I worked as a product manager in crypto for awhile, but now I just hack on my own projects.
gurchik 4y ago
A pilot's license can easily cost over $10k. I can't afford it right now but flying is a dream for me that I'm working towards.

fat_cantor 4y ago

no teaching certificates?

robcohen 4y ago
I've thought about it, but teaching is such a long commitment. I almost signed up to be a teacher at my local community college in CS, but I just don't want to commit my schedule to something like that. Maybe someday.

paktor132 4y ago

https://www.nmra.org/education/achievement-program https://www.nmra.org/education/achievement-program offers 11 levels of certification for people like us who have a profound need for external validation. My certification list overlaps with yours about 60% but Certified Parliamentarian is next level, my hat is off to you

robcohen 4y ago
Oh please share your list. I'd love to hear it.
- paktor132 4y ago
  Aviation - private pilot airplane single engine land; instrument rating airplane; complex, high performance, and tailwheel endorsements; part 107 remote pilot; DC flight restricted zone; instrument ground instructor (this might be a good one for you, just take the FOI and then AGI or IGI written tests and visit your local FSDO to get the cert issued). Considering getting my commercial, multiengine, and CFI certs Maritime - master 100 tons inland / mate near coastal plus a bunch of random crap the USCG throws on there if you get those (need to renew these this year); American Sailing Association 101, 103, 104 Scuba - just the useful ones here cause I have a whole wallet memorializing money flushed down the drain: rescue diver, ice diver, solo diver, drysuit, open circuit advanced nitrox/deco procedures, 45m helitrox closed circuit rebreather w/deco, certified Poseidon regulator+rebreather repair technician (though the big thing I learned was just to send my gear to pros working with this stuff every day). Currently my big focus is training up to take the 60m normoxic trimix rebreather course in the fall Radio - general class ham (failed the extra by like two questions, in my defense I had only studied for general), restricted radiotelephone operator (literally just a cash payment, needed this once for a flight I had planned to Canada) Other - authorized to perform marriages, motorcycle endorsement on driver's license, certified analytics professional (took the test on a whim and passed, it's since lapsed but I might see if they'll let me re-up it), notary public (lapsed), have thought about doing PMP since I'd be good to go on experience reqs I started an EMT course a while back but I dropped out after realizing I was never going to be able to remain at all proficient. I'm like this with my aviation instrument rating as well, I keep legally current with it but I am pretty cautious about relying on proficiency since I'm not flying multiple times a week Probably some others I'm forgetting but these are the big ones! I remain really impressed with your list, you've come up with some good ones...will have to think on whether I need to pursue some of them myself :-)

lupire 4y ago

> certified parliamentarian Is the specific parliament you want to work in?

robcohen 4y ago
I do the role of Secretary for various policy groups, so knowing Roberts Rules and being efficient and knowing correct procedures is helpful for me.

kvirani 4y ago

Good call on PPL. It's a lot of fun and opens up alot more cert opportunities (mountain rating, float planes, IFR, multi engine, CPL, etc) so you will be in heaven.

mdaverde 4y ago

Why do you think cert collecting is fun? I can see this being the case just for the fact that certs are usually paired a structured curriculum for learning a new skill. This takes a huge mental burden off and decreases time wasted in deadend exploration.

ncpa-cpl 4y ago
> Why do you think cert collecting is fun? My work requires me to take certifications and keep them renewed. What I appreciate from certifications is actually taking a well-made test. (Instead of a carelessly made normal school or university test.) For well made certification tests, the question writing process is interesting and a whole specialization by itself. Each question is beta tested. And metrics are collected as to how a question is correlated or predicts that someone will pass the test. Tests should avoid mixing question pairs that hint the answer of another question. And writing multiple choice answers in which the answer is not possible to guess. Also writing questions so they are well written and easily understood. So that the question measures knowing or not knowing the topic, rather than affecting the test taker due to unclear wording.
robcohen 4y ago
Honestly, I enjoy learning but I don't like having nothing to show for it. Unstructured learning like going to a library and picking out a random book drives me nuts, I quickly feel overwhelmed. A cert at least gives me some goal to shoot for -- where I can prove some basic competency in the subject by virtue of having the cert. I need something to "show" for my efforts. Project-based learning can work for me as well, but it takes extra work to figure it out for a given skill. I'm learning photography and I have a goal of doing 1 portrait session per week for a few months. That kind of thing helps me feel like I'm making measurable progress.
xeromal 4y ago
It's probably fun for OP in the same way leveling up a character in an RPG is.

netaustin 4y ago

As far as I know, CPA in most states requires 150 hours of college credit, of which many must be in accounting. My CPA friends largely joined the big four firm on the strength of their CPA, spent a little time in audit, then promptly switched to consulting. What you get from that certification is the ability to sign corporate audits, own an accounting firm, and the right to prepare and defend tax returns. Unless you are preparing for a second career in accounting, CPA seems like a lot to bite off, but good on you! I don’t envy you all the cost accounting headaches and audit rules. CFA requires that you have work experience making investment decisions and can get references to that effect, but in all it would be easier than CPA.

robcohen 4y ago
Correct. I'll need to take classes. I found an online masters in accounting that's AACSB accredited https://onlinemsa.illinois.edu/ https://onlinemsa.illinois.edu/ I'll knock that out then take the charter exam, if I pass then I'll consider doing part time work as an accountant for two years to get the hours.
camjohnson26 4y ago
Can confirm, plus there’s a 1 year requirement to work in the industry to get the certification after passing the test, and a continuing education requirement to maintain it. I studied accounting and passed the test, but immediately started working in tech so technically I’m not certified. The test was a beast and took about a year and a half to pass all 4 parts, and if you don’t pass all 4 within a window of time the old ones expire.

amelius 4y ago

driver's license?

jinto36 4y ago

The National Association of Rocketry which supports model rocketry clubs and such has a tiered certification for High Power Rocketry (HPR) which is where you get into building very large models and packing your own motors. These certifications involve the usual written exam, but you also have to design a rocket in your target class- and get the design reviewed, and then build it- and get the build reviewed for safety, and then fly it. Since it's more than a book -> test certification and involves an actual hands-on engineering project, I'd consider it a fun one. https://www.nar.org/high-power-rocketry-certifications/ https://www.nar.org/high-power-rocketry-certifications/

landemva 4y ago

Commercial driver and pilot could maybe be better described as licenses. Those have recurring medical requirements, and CDL holders can be picked for drug testing at any time. Strangely most of the flight docs are ignoring the FAA disqualification item of taking a medicine within two years of it being released. At this point, most commercial and military pilots should be grounded for taking the new virus shots. The two year requirement is reasonable to protect flying public from things not found in rushed medical studies, like heart attacks. MSHA part 48, or others, is useful to be allowed to be unattended on a mine site. The scope and size of some mines, and the operations and equipment, are something to experience. Of course, the mine owner must want you to be there.

tylermenezes 4y ago
> At this point, most commercial and military pilots should be grounded for taking the new virus shots. FAA explicitly allows after 48hr observation, see https://www.faa.gov/coronavirus/guidance_resources#useOfVaccines https://www.faa.gov/coronavirus/guidance_resources#useOfVacc...
- landemva 4y ago
  I hadn't seen that. That explicitly grounds the pilot for 48 hours after procedure. It does not appear to change the requirements for the yearly flight Dr. recertification regarding new medicines.

EwanG 4y ago

Can personally recommend a Part 107 cert for flying drones. Particularly since you mention your pilots license. It's nice to fly and not worry someone is going to say you're posting might be commercial - because that's ok with the cert. The FAA card is actually pretty nice, and whipping it out can stop some (though not all) of the folks who want to complain about any drone they see.

NoOneNew 4y ago

Past CDL holder here. Fyi, you are then a "professional driver" even in a normal car driving to the grocery. If you get a ticket, many states will instantly double the fine because as a pro, "you know better". Plus there's the medical aspect and other bullshit. Unless you're going to actually use it, dont get it. Learn to drive an 18 speed with air brakes etc, sure. Just dont get the actual cdl.

leeoniya 4y ago
to add to this, if you dont actually use your SCUBA or first responder or pilot skills on a regular basis, those certs are worthless at best, and dangerous at worst.
- robcohen 4y ago
  This is true, but I do try to keep the training up. I'm certainly not doing it every weekend, but I train a minimum of 3-4 times per year for W-EMR. Scuba, honestly so long as you do it once or twice a year you're fine, it's really not terribly hard.
  - leeoniya 4y ago
    i have an open water cert and dive 4-6 times a year. it's fine for just myself, but if you have a higher level cert like rescue, then you may be asked or expected to assist others in emergencies. thankfully, most places are very careful not to take cert cards from unfamiliar faces at face value.
    - shkkmo 4y ago
      I thank that is a crappy attitude. If I am on a dive and there is a lost diver or some other incident in the area, I want to have the skills to be able to help. I would note that "asked or expected" is different than "required", so there really is no downside to doing a rescue diver class or a divemaster program. In fact, I highly recommend it and it was a lot of fun.

Hellbanevil 4y ago

If you had a four year degree you used to be able to sit for the Realestate Broker's Exam. That ended a few years ago with yearly lobbing by brokers. Now the easiest white collar profession (8 courses that are easy) require we work for a broker for years. Usually a broker who got their licence without becoming a salesperson first. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill because he wanted competition. Gov. Brown eventually signed it.

BbzzbB 4y ago

If you don't intend working in finance, but rather want that knowledge for your own investing, it's possible to just follow the CFA books on your own. AFAIK, level 3 is useless for the non-professional that won't be managing a portfolio worth millions. I had started learning level 1, but realized I'm kind of wasting my time allocating much brain juice to it before growing my income/net worth.

robcohen 4y ago
That's true, but I'd still like to give it a shot. It's a massive commitment as you know, so we'll see if it pans out. If I do it I'll probably be committing to 2 hours per day for the next three years.

eddyschai 4y ago

I read this and thought, damn he sounds a lot like a PM I used to work with at IO. Then I saw the username ;) Hope you're doing well man - Ed

robcohen 4y ago
Hi Ed! Hope you're still kicking ass! I'll reach out!

dev_tty01 4y ago

I got irritated with the size of a quote for my heat pump repair, so I got an HVAC certification and did the repair myself. A little time, $300 worth of equipment from Amazon and it is still running great after several years. I needed the HVAC certification to buy the refrigerant. Saved several thousand dollars.

robcohen 4y ago
That's awesome. I want to get HVAC certified. First I'll knock out welding though.
- R0b0t1 4y ago
  You can do it without the cert, it's just the recyclers usually won't take your reclaimed refrigerant. I'd feel worse about it, but generally the HVAC companies in an area are extremely predatory and only quote out new systems when a simple repair would suffice.
hattmall 4y ago
How long did the certification take and how did you go about getting it?
- MerelyMortal 4y ago
  I got the cert 10 years ago (EPA 608, not automotive EPA 609). 60 minutes of studying two different study packets I found online. Found a local test-giver, and called them up to schedule the test.
  - wonderwonder 4y ago
    And after that you felt competent to do your own repairs? If so I know what I am doing the next few weekends.
    - SoftTalker 4y ago

DicIfTEx 4y ago

If you have a few hours to spare, you can become a certified rat tickler for free here: https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/3rs-resources/rat-tickling/rat-tickling-certification https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/3rs-resources/rat-tickling/rat-tick...

watmough 4y ago
Can recommend! The rats dig it.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

dorchadas 4y ago

Look at some CEFR ones next!

robcohen 4y ago
Sadly I simply am not capable of learning languages. I've tried, really hard. I did 4 years of french, 2 years of spanish, 4 semesters of Arabic, 2 semesters of german, 1 Berlitz tutor session for 3 months in Russian and 3 months of tutoring in Farsi. Most of my grades were AWFUL and I barely qualified for anything. I really tried, but I just don't have the medium/long term memory for language. It also doesn't help that I live in the US.
- zdragnar 4y ago
  I'm in a similar boat. I absorbed German really easily, but when I moved on to picking up another language, my brain constantly switched between the two, even during an intensive study course that was basically several hours a day exclusively in one. I tried beating my brain into the right shape, but no amount of effort made me anything but embarrassing in anything other than my native tongue.
- timr 4y ago
  FWIW, I felt the same way. Studied French for years, through middle school, high school and college, and never gained any real degree of fluency. Then I moved to Japan and took language classes for 4 hours a day for a year. It worked. There were people who still raced around me -- I'm not gifted at languages, by any means -- but for the first time in my life I'm actually modestly capable in a second language. I continue to study now, and it's still accumulating, however slowly. After this experience, I believe that most people can learn a second language, but they don't because the barriers to entry are insanely high. If you really want to learn a language to a conversational level of fluency, you either have to be truly gifted (5% of people) have to want it so much that you'll immerse yourself in it 24/7 (the rest of us). > I did 4 years of french, 2 years of spanish, 4 semesters of Arabic, 2 semesters of german, 1 Berlitz tutor session for 3 months in Russian and 3 months of tutoring in Farsi It took me about 3 months of daily immersion in Japanese life (plus the 4 hours of daily school, of course) just to get to a point where my ears could hear words reliably. If you translate this to coursework...it's got to be 1+ years of college-level study.

MichaelMoser123 4y ago

just out of interest, what do you do with the offensive security knowledge?

robcohen 4y ago
I used to be a pentester, so it was pretty applicable... Pentesting really requires "full stack" systems knowledge, from networking, to OS, to API analysis, malware analysis, binary reverse engineering. OSCP is an applied cert, so it really forces you to be able to leverage knowledge in a practical way. However my favorite benefit of offsec is really being able to see things from an attacker's perspective. This has been super valuable in many situations and I've found I'm many times the only person in the room with an awareness of an adversarial mindset.
- meristem 4y ago
  It does make risk analysis more interesting. It surprises me how people will think only of the positive or accidental case, leaving adversarial ones off the table (and risk mitigation)
- markoman 4y ago
  I'm thinking about getting into pen-testing and eventually getting an OSCP. Would you mind offering a few words about why you left the pen-testing field? Also, do you have a CEH or do you recommend bypassing it in favor of the OSCP?
  - robcohen 4y ago
    CEH is literally useless, I used to have it because I did DoD. That’s the only reason to do it. I got out of pentesting because no one follows your recommendations. I could give 40 recommendations after doing a pentest, come back a year later and none of them would have been implemented. People don’t care about security—-it’s why everything is broken and it’s getting worse. I moved into Distributed Ledger Technology because I think it could help solve security issues people face daily in a way where they cannot mess up. That’s the idea anyway.

skrebbel 4y ago

I warmly recommend the UML certifications. They test whether you know UML syntax rules by heart, not whether you can model software decently. It's absolutely useless, great fun!

SecurityLagoon 4y ago
Oh no.... I think we have very different definitions of fun. I haven't touched UML since uni and I'm glad to keep it that way.

tacon 4y ago

I perked up recently when I learned that one can now become an accredited investor via a Series 7, Series 65, or Series 82 license, bypassing the income/net worth requirements[0]. [0] https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/092815/how-become-accredited-investor.asp https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/092815/how-b...

ketzo 4y ago
Woah! That seems like a big deal! Cool find, thank you.
pacarvalho 4y ago
Unfortunately, the Series 65 is the only one that you can do without working for a financial company. Moreover, you need to not only pass the exam but we registered with the state and pay an anual fee. I believe.
tfehring 4y ago
Related article and HN discussion from last year: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28855330 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28855330

300bps 4y ago

I'd imagine financial certs would be the most useful (CFA in particular). I’m similar to you - have a ton of certifications and I’m an insanely good test taker. Several years ago I signed up for the Level 1 CFA exam in late August to take it on December 5th. So I had a little over 3 months to study for it. My first inclination that I made a horrible mistake was when one of my portfolio manager coworkers said to me, “I got my bachelor’s in finance, got my master’s in economics, studied for that test for 6 months, failed it and gave up. It’s just too hard.” 350 hours of studying later, I was the only one from my company that passed Level 1 that year. 33% pass rate. I’m in software engineering. It has provided no discernible career benefit even though I work at an investment bank. I’m happy that I proved I could do it but the CFA program is not a certification to collect on a whim. It’s literally a 3+ year commitment and you will come close to killing yourself studying.

robcohen 4y ago
Thanks for the feedback, yeah that matches what I thought about the exam. I don’t think it’s likely I’ll pass but I’ll give it a go.

mmaunder 4y ago

Pilot license is great because it gets you into thinking about how we make data driven decisions under pressure. And actual flying solo after you get your license helps because you do a kind of self analysis every time you screw up - even the minor stuff. There’s a lot of study and focus on human factors which is the primary cause of accidents. So it’s great to build self awareness. Congrats on your OSCP - I run a cybersec biz and some of my colleagues have that cert and I’m always impressed when I hear someone has it. I’m a CISSP but I think an OSCP is more practical. Ham radio extra which is elec eng focused rather than just rules of the airwaves is a good one. (I’m callsign WT1J) In our biz I really appreciate it when folks have a Network+ or Security+ or a Linux admin cert because you can’t argue with the value of knowing networking fundamentals and the Linux command line. In fact knowledge of Linux command line is my leading indicator of competency for a QA role we have open. I look at answers to this question first every time. Next thing I look at is SQL knowledge- because I think both of these are strong predictors of deeper technical capability. Certs are underrated IMHO because most of them provide practical knowledge that is immediately applicable in a work setting or other pastime. They give you real skills. Lastly AWS certs are also super practical and very valuable IMO. Great question OP!

smitty1e 4y ago
> Lastly AWS certs are also super practical and very valuable IMO. And then they roll out new services almost weekly. Quite a moving target.
- astral303 4y ago
  Au contraire, AWS has a stable of foundational services that have not moved in a long time and a worthwhile knowing, no matter what service-du-jour gets rolled out. Not a moving target at all.
  - deepzn 4y ago
    The cert expires in a couple years, and you have to get it again, with some new stuff added though.

t_mann 4y ago

CFA and CPA are not really comparable (even though they're both 'finance'). A CPA charter is closer to a JD degree / bar exam in that it is the necessary entry requirement for a legally defined profession (with quite steady demand). A CFA is more like a Master's in that it can help you get an interview for financial analyst jobs, but it is neither necessary nor sufficient to work as one. But it can help a great deal, that's true, especially when you're transitioning. Also, those are some pretty serious things to do as a hobby.

robcohen 4y ago
Well I’m a serious guy.

ketzo 4y ago

Where did you learn the material for your PMP cert? There are so, so many courses out there advertising PM training; not sure how to filter.

kart23 4y ago

motorcycle license?

myself248 4y ago

What's it take to be a locksmith? In some states, carrying lockpicks is presumptive guilt unless you're a locksmith, but I never figured out whether that's a certification or just a business license or what.

ARandomerDude 4y ago
A JD and a YouTube channel.
SecurityLagoon 4y ago
Also very interested in this one. I do some casual locksport but would love to be able to legitimately carry tools and help out friends and colleagues.