I was at a meeting of the EE Program Advisory Committee at Conestoga College Friday morning, and talk turned to certifications.

I voiced the (possibly radical) idea that certifications are almost useless unless it's to appease an HR person ("Each candidate must have A, C, B, D, E, F and G.") I was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone at the meeting agreed with me -- certifications generally mean that you're book smart and that you passed an exam. They don't provide much support for how smart you are or what cool problems you've solved recently.

For me, the best interview process is one that's part closed questions, perhaps to expand more on their resume .. and part open-ended questions, where you ask them to go up to the white board and do a presentation on some problems they've solved lately. If they've got what it takes, that presentation should be a pleasure to listen to -- if not, then they're not cooked yet. Thanks, and we'll be in touch.