Dwight Wallis wrote:

If the answer to the above is "no, the person will not be qualified", then
that raises questions about the exam as a test of professional
qualifications. If the answer is "yes, the person will be qualified", then
it strikes me that the entry level experience is somewhat irrelevant: If you
can pass the test, you are qualified to practice.

Rob Seibolt wrote in response:

As a fairly new CRM, I have been hesitant to jump into the fray. I think the last line from Dwight is correct- if you can pass the exam you are qualified to practice. Yes, I studied for the tests. However, what I studied didn't help me split hairs to find the right solutions for sections 2, 5, and 6 of the examination. I have no doubt the knowledge I needed and used to pass those sections came directly from my experience especially for the essays. If it wasn't for those experiences, I wouldn't have passed the exams.

I agree with the board's decision. What worried me from the beginning when I first applied to take the CRM was its rarity and lack of recognition. I think streamlining the professional qualification process will increase the CRM's visibility and encourage qualified applicants to pursue it.

It's the gold standard and that's great. It takes hard work and you have to know your stuff to get it. Here in the Midwest it so rare to the point where no one has ever heard of it and it's an oddity. Yes, I know. Save your Midwest/Midwesterner jokes for the conference.

I know employers advertise "CRM desired" but then they don't get any applicants with a CRM. Yes, there are valid reasons that happen such as the pay being too low for the level of the professional required and so forth but rarity is another factor. At a certain point, organizations stop searching for CRMs because it's so rare and it becomes the "Unicorn" of certifications. Just about everyone recognizes what the letters "CPA" means and the profession associated with it. The same is not true of the CRM.

I was thankful my employer put a piece in the organization newsletter congratulating me for passing the CRM and also giving a description of what the CRM means in the profession. My organization has a plethora of degree designations and certifications from a vast multitude of fields. However, most people outside my division were/are still puzzled by it. Even the herds of auditors we have come through never blink when my certification is mentioned because it is so obscure.

This MUST change for the certification to continue to be relevant.

Rob Seibolt, CRM
Senior Records Analyst
816-753-7600
http://www.mriglobal.org



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