*  The individual has, in most cases, taken a 1-4 day course of intense instruction, but may have prepared through self-study if they have learned the material through their work or course work at another organization.

*  The individual has passed a comprehensive and difficult examination and demonstrated that they retained enough of the knowledge to pass the certification examination.

*  The individual is expected to provide value to their current or prospective employer, over and above what employees would provide if they had not been through this experience.

*  The individual has demonstrated the ability to learn quickly and retain that knowledge for a period of time, which should indicate that they would do the same on the job.

*  The individual is expecting that these certifications might be a factor in determining hiring, job placement and pay scales, in conjunction with the other requirements for the job such as experience in general or in the employers specific industry segment.

*  That the individual is guaranteed to be an outstanding employee or manager, any more than we would say that if you graduate from college you are guaranteed to be good at your job. 

*  That a person with no experience in the industry, but with a good mind and academic background, should be made the GM of a large operation.  We would expect them to start in a lower level job or as an assistant until they achieve the required hands-on experience that would blend with their educational accomplishments.