Who is really qualified?

Sometimes I just feel like getting things off my chest, and today is one of those days. Do you ever compete against those who sincerely believe that they are qualified to do IT? I mean, they’re not arrogant, but they really do believe that somehow their hobby around technology makes them qualified to be an IT professional and do the work.

To me, this leads to all sorts of silliness around our industry. Here’s just a few examples:

• A company hires an internal IT person for the first time. They have no idea who to hire, so get someone with a nice personality. He proceeds to speak over the heads of the executve and convince them to completely change everything to suit his personal biases. Relationships with existing service providers suffer, and the company often spends money in the wrong areas and less than ideal solutions.
• A company grows an internal IT person from a non IT position. Gradually this person assumes more control over the technology while allowing their real job to suffer. Often this person gains enough skill to think they no longer need any outsourcing and the company begins to get tunnel vision. Usually it takes a major train wreck for anyone to even see the downside of this.
• An IT pro gets an “entreprenuerial seizure” as Michael Gerber of eMyth fame would tell it. They assume that their technical abilities qualify them to run the business of IT. They undercharge for their services, and often recommend lowest cost solutions. Also, they often come from a background of internal IT, so now they apply their personal biases to a number of companies.

What do all of the above have in common? These are individuals who are often not operating from a solid foundation of training, certification and experience. More importantly, there is no way for the companies involved to know if the person they hire to do the work is really qualified. I blame the IT industry for this problem. After all, what qualifies an individual to be an IT professional? Further, what criteria can a company use to judge whether the person is qualified to run their entire IT budget? Or, what regulations guide who can or cannot start a business and even call themself an IT professional?

Other industries don’t struggle with this. If I was a handyman, could I convince my boss that I should draw up the architectural plans and be the contractor for the new office building? If I was a bookkeeper, could I convince my boss that we don’t need a tax accountant anymore, because I’ve got Turbo Tax and can spit out the company return for less cost? In both examples, regulations are very clear as to who is and who is not qualified. Try and start an engineering firm if you are not hiring a PEng! So, why do we in IT keep having to deal with these types of conversations??

I think it’s past due to have some real change around who is really qualified to call themselves an IT professional. Governments aren’t the answer, so where will the change come from? I’d love to hear your comments – what do you think?

Bradk