Credentialing: The Process of Realizing It's a Problem - UPDATED

               I have come to the realization that the way people approach and think about credentialing in 2015 needs to change. This call for change, that I have a great desire to see fulfilled, has come a long way since my initial feelings about those who create certification process for actuaries. I initially was a little mad about how hard they make the credentialing process, but later realized that it wasn't that they thought they were too smart, but rather it was from the wrong perspective. Eventually I realized that the way we think about credentialing, or gaining certifications in general, in 2015 is way far off of where the focus should be, and that this was the real problem that I was trying to address. More and more evidence became clear to me that inappropriate stigmas, dogmas, and ways of approaching credentialing existed when I started to do some research to historical time periods and ideologies which we discussed during our rhetoric and civilization class at BYU. After receiving feedback from classmates on my blog posts as well as in class I was able to come up with a presentation that I think anyone can relate to in some way, and feel a little bit of the need for the change that I see.

                I think with clear communication and applications to important lessons from history, others will see the need to make some changes to the world of certifications and credentialing. This is not just a needed change within the actuarial world, but in the world as a whole. 

My response to the comments after my presentation today on this topic:

Madison really asked some of the questions that I have been asking myself as I have been thinking about my topic, and what the next steps are. She asked:

• What would you suggest be the call to action after we change our perspectives [on credentialing]? 
• What is it going to take to help institutions understand that there is more to a person than his or her resume or credentials?

The first is a tough one. Credentialing has been around for so long that a drastic change now might throw everything off and result in more bad than good. I say it has to start with those demanding or putting the credentials in place. They have to adjust the way they present them to those seeking certifications and help them to understand that they are not meant to be stepping stones, but indicators of ability. I think the latter question is a two way responsibility to change. People have to learn to get over their own resume and be able to show their own uniqueness and skills, without conforming to the world around them. The institutions have to be willing to put in the time to look past a bad GPA or not enough service hours on a resume and really give someone a shot, that would fit otherwise with the position they are trying to fill. These are some of my initial thoughts on how to change the current problem with credentialing.