The purpose behind the certification is to validate "functional competencies across select business-critical knowledge areas," according to the Aug. 28 announcement. To that end, the first certification to become available will be on project management, with more expected to follow soon.

More information about ICCKE and its certifications can be found at http://www.iccke.org.

How Do You Show Your Skills Are Valid?
I recently wrote in this column that lifetime certifications aren't meaningful in this industry. That entry got me a number of letters from individuals holding A+, and while none of them had a convincing argument in favor of lifetime certifications, most e-mails shared a common theme: "I'm as qualified as anyone for jobs that are available, but employers are telling me that my certification is too old."

The mere fact that employers are saying this substantiates my argument: If the employers don't value it, then the ancient certification is NOT meaningful.

That said, however, I'm intrigued by the e-mails. If you are, indeed, talking to employers (in other words, they're telling you this in person), then at least you're getting in front of them. If you meet them face-to-face and your skills truly are up-to-date, then don't be afraid to prove it. When an interviewer tells you that the skills on the paper don't match what you tell them, offer to take apart their desktop machine and put it back together before their very eyes in under five minutes. There's nothing like a demonstration -- or even the offer of one -- to let someone know that you're serious.

Don't be surprised if the interviewer tells you that there's no way you're taking their machine apart -- but don't stop there, either. Offer to take apart a machine they're no longer using, or even bring one of your own if it would make them more comfortable. The absolute last thing you want to do is agree with the interviewer, or say something like, "I've been hearing that a lot."

Just because your certification isn't valued, doesn't mean your skills won't be. Don't be afraid to go out on a limb when you have to.

Book of the Week: 'Novell NetWare 6.5 CNA Exam Cram 2'
Like it or not, there are still a lot of companies out there running NetWare and are in need of someone to support them. Given Novell's attempts to migrate to Linux, I'd be careful of recommending anyone to pursue a full-blown engineer certification in NetWare. However, an administrator certification can be a very helpful resume-builder.

Those pursuing the CNA certification will find no better resource than Warren E. Wyrostek's Novell NetWare 6.5 CNA Exam Cram 2. It's written by an expert in the field who knows how to make the material presentable -- to the point that you'll have no other questions left to ask.