--- Felicia Moss <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I have to agree it is a lack of understanding about RM.  My position 
> requires a degree, a GED.  Yet, the position is required to act as
> the 
> central Records Manger for a State Wide agency.

At the risk of coming off as elitist or critical to Felicia (and I do
not mean to be either), I'd like to point out that a GED is not
generally considered a "degree". There are a variety of understandings
of the term, but the GED is the equivalent of a high school diploma.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GED

While some may refer to the GED as a "degree", I think that the common
understanding is that a "degree" is conferred by completion of a
Bachelor's program at a college or university. While the Wikipedia
entry for "academic degree" also references associate degrees, my
personal understanding has always been that a job posting that requires
a "degree" generally requires at least a four year (Bachelor's) degree.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_degree

With regard to Sharon's original question, the previous answers have
been correct. I would add that in our profession, so many people have
come up through the ranks, as it were, that degrees generally are not
as required as in other professions. And where degrees are required,
they are seldom required to be in a particular field of study.

You will find that academic institutions and many consultancies will
require at least a four year degree and likely an advanced degree. For
the former, it is generally because the records program is aligned to
the archives or library; for the latter, it is a matter of credibility
for clients (although I know many very good consultants who possess no
degree beyond the battle scars gained by many consulting assignments).

In general, I think you will find that most organizations are setting
the educational requirements bar higher across the board. If you look
at executive ranks, the MBA is something of the base hurdle to clear to
get into upper management. For many financial roles, it is what the BBA
and/or CPA were twenty or thirty years ago.

I would suggest that an academic degree is always something to strive
for. The rigor of the process and the exposure to critical thinking are
valuable tools as you advance up the career ladder. An advanced degree
is even better, in order to compete with less experienced folks with
better credentials. At the end of the day, these credentials (including
the CRM) will get you in the door for the interview. They don't
guarantee your success in the job or your ability to do the work. The
lack of a required credential, however, may disqualify you from
consideration for a job, regardless of how good your skills across the
board might be.

For the right organization, the right person with the right skillsets
is what the organization wants and needs, not a piece of paper. I know
a number colleagues from prior jobs whose business sense and people
management abilities are superior, yet they hold no more than a high
school diploma. These same folks are extremely articulate verbally and
in writing, yet I suspect that many of them would never get in the door
anywhere else. And I know Ph.D.s who are so far up the ivory tower that
they have little grasp on reality and cannot communicate effectively to
any level of the organization. Brilliant theorists, but no management
or communications skills.


Patrick Cunningham, CRM
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"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

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