Do qualifications matter?

[Flutter]

Is self-taught skills in the here and now accepted as part of your skill set?
If I sing karaoke on Wednesday nights can I call myself a singer?
If I have a couple of blogs does that make me a blogger or even better a programmer?
How good does my cooking have to be to be considered a chef?
If I sell virtual goods once in a video game am I a professional gamer?
If I spent a month with no income other than my poker winnings am I a professional poker player?

I see people giving themselves titles. What is required for these titles.
If I eat in restaurants and run a blog and talk about how good or bad the food was am I a food critic?
I had a poem published once. Am I an author?

 

[Speranza]

Yes
How drunk are you?
Blogger, not programmer
If someone can eat it and not die, cook
No
Yes
The ability to live up to the title
Yes
Technically Yes

 

[Captn Norrington]

Personally, I only consider a person's title "real" if one of two things happen. #1 they have an official degree or certificate saying they have been trained in that subject, or #2 if they have been doing it for a really long time, 5+ years in most cases.

For internet stuff like blogs it's hard to judge it....but if they do it often I would consider them a blogger. Once a week often doesn't count, I mean like once a day or more often.

 

[Viquire]

If we aren't in UHall does that mean that politics can come into play in this discussion as long as I don't become some frothing at the mouth obsessive?

 

[Captn Norrington]

If we aren't in UHall does that mean that politics can come into play in this discussion as long as I don't become some frothing at the mouth obsessive?

Usually yes, if we go overboard someone eventually shows up to lock the thread, but usually the mods leave the off-topic area alone.

 

[Flutter]

Just seems like everyone is calling themselves things they aren't lately.

 

[kelmo]

I am a devilishly handsome man with a quick wit and natural charm. *winks*

 

[Vexxed]

If your not sure you deserve the title then you don't deserve it.........

 

[kelmo]

I am pretty sure. *nods*

 

[Dag Nabbit]

Is self-taught skills in the here and now accepted as part of your skill set?

If I can demonstrate the ability to undertake a task that requires knowledge that isn't typically innate, and I would have had to study for in a classroom setting, or self-taught at home, then I would want to consider it a part of my skill set. Would I put it on an application or resume? Not likely because I'd only add educational degrees or certifications that can be proven with documentation. Rule number one in medical billing work can be applied here. If it's not documented, it didn't happen.

If I sing karaoke on Wednesday nights can I call myself a singer?

Can you carry a tune and stay on key through out the entire song? Congrats, you're a singer. You don't have to earn cash to sing to call yourself a singer.

If I have a couple of blogs does that make me a blogger or even better a programmer?

I would say it would make you a blogger, but not a programmer, unless you have programming skills that you use to create your own web/blog pages.

How good does my cooking have to be to be considered a chef?

Depends on what you mean by 'chef'. Sous chef? Line Chef? Executive Chef? Or someone that only cooks for their family and friends? To hold the actual title requires a degree or certification at a culinary school.

If I sell virtual goods once in a video game am I a professional gamer?

I have always considered a 'professional gamer' as someone that is credited as a tester in the ending credits of a game. Not someone that runs a bot farming program to sell virtual goods.

If I spent a month with no income other than my poker winnings am I a professional poker player?

I would say...maybe? I would say yes only if you are planning to make a living on poker playing beyond the first month.

If I eat in restaurants and run a blog and talk about how good or bad the food was am I a food critic?

Yeah, I think so. If those that follow you call you a food critic, that's good enough.

I had a poem published once. Am I an author?

Technically yes. Not everyone is Stephen King.

 

[Viquire]

It all depends. I think we have come to rely on certifications and degrees entirely too much here in the good old US of A. In a lot of cases these assurances, ratings, technical certifications do more to protect the labor force in place than they allow for quality help and innovative thinking, and, there are some potential pitfalls there. But that is just in the very general sense.

If, on the other hand, as I am now thinking, you are working from within the world of HR, and you have people mislabeling themselves or inflating their expertise beyond reasonable levels, those are definitely things that should be addressed in an interview. If you don't get answers to your satisfaction, I would move on to the next candidate without explanation.

 

[Dodger]

I considered myself a student at the university of life until I realised it was almost as pretentious as going to university, so I dropped out.

 

[old gypsy]

Is self-taught skills in the here and now accepted as part of your skill set?
If I sing karaoke on Wednesday nights can I call myself a singer?
If I have a couple of blogs does that make me a blogger or even better a programmer?
How good does my cooking have to be to be considered a chef?
If I sell virtual goods once in a video game am I a professional gamer?
If I spent a month with no income other than my poker winnings am I a professional poker player?

I see people giving themselves titles. What is required for these titles.
If I eat in restaurants and run a blog and talk about how good or bad the food was am I a food critic?
I had a poem published once. Am I an author?

To most of those questions I might reply, "Maybe" or "It depends..." Then I might recall a few certified Professional Educators I've known who left me wondering, "How in Hades did this person ever end up with a university degree?" Oh well...

 

[Flutter]

If your not sure you deserve the title then you don't deserve it.........

What if you're not sure someone else deserves the title?

 

[Diomedes Artega]

Just seems like everyone is calling themselves things they aren't lately.

Anything to get ahead in this world. Because...don'tcha know? The recession has ended (pun intended).