CSWP - Are you Certified?

[uGlay]

If so, how long have you been using SW and when did you get certified in relation to your learning curve of the program.

How much time and $ did it take for you to be CSWP. Do you feel like it was worth the time and effort?

 

[BARM]

Ha, ha... I can't see anyone getting a raise if they pass the CSWP exam. It just doesn't jive. Great for you if you do. Perhaps you could explain to us how you did it.

---SolidWorks 2008 SP3.0---

 

[DLTguy]

I am now looking to hire 2 new design engineers in my team (no no please dont send resumes). Of the 33 resumes we got, only 7 have the solidworks certification. I am calling these 7 for interview. Will let you know if the certification means anything about expertise in solidworks.

Regards,
DLT

 

[ShaggyPE]

The fact that you are calling those seven already means something.

For that reason alone, I recommend getting the certification. At the very least, the certification helped them get the interview.

-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Certified SolidWorks Professional

 

[TheTick]

All it really means is he didn't the resumes in depth. Sad but simple fact of the hiring process.

 

[RawheadRex]

I passed the "old" test a couple of years ago not long after I started out in my current job. I'm an AE for a SW VAR so the cost was free. At the time, I already had 8 years on SW and in the end I found that the anticipation was far worse than the actual experience of taking the test which was really "fish in a barrel" for me so to speak. I think I was finished in half-a-day or so.

Being that I work for a VAR it is a requirement (at my place of employment at least) that all AE's have to pass this certification along with the tech support test as well (a longer version of the old written test). We have to pass a bunch of other certs as well but that's another story. Anyhow, a small percentage of my salary is actually tied in with the certifications that I hold (first among those being CSWP). I don't know how "in demand" the certification actually is but can tell you before it went all on-line we were running the test probably on a quarterly basis and never filled our class to capacity.

Cheers,


Chris Gervais
Application Engineer
CSWP, CSWST

 

[AnnaWood]

Tick,

That is exactly what I was thinking. He didn't bother to even review the resumes in any great depth. Went the easy way and looked at the CSWP. Unfortunately there are probably very skilled candidates that will not get an interview that in all likely hood are as talented or better then the CSWP's.

Over the years I have been given expert help, in whatever CAD system we were using at the time. Sadly, they couldn't design their way out of a paperbag. Certificates are a small portion of a person's skillset and talents.

For our company it is a very minor factor in hiring.

FWIW,

Anna Wood
SW2008 SP3.0, Windows Vista SP1
IBM ThinkPad T61p, T7800, FX570M, 4 gigs of RAM

http://designsmarter.typepad.com/solidmuse

http://www.phxswug.com

 

[Cheeseburger]

Anna ...

I couldn't agree more ... the certification should not be the basis of an interview. But don't get me wrong, it is something to be looked at.

If I had to interview two people who had similar career paths and skills and one of them was a CSWP ... I'd pick the CSWP.

But that's just my opinion ...

Brian

 

[ShaggyPE]

Tick, Anna, and Cheeseburger,

I can't agree with your comments more, but the fact is, those users with the CSWP got that interview, whereas some users (probably more skilled at SolidWorks and design in general) missed out. The CSWP may not do a great job of demonstrating competence in design (or even the software package) but it is something that can make a difference and is worth the $100.

-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Certified SolidWorks Professional

 

[dgowans]

Let's not be too quick to condemn DLTguy for his hiring practices. When hiring someone myself, I also would prefer someone with solid mechanical design/engineering skills over a "CAD rat". That, however, is what I need in a new hire. It just may be the case that DLT has a whole team of skilled, experienced mechanical design people who don't know $hit about Solidworks and need help in getting their expertise translated into a digital medium. To each his/her own, it seems.

In any case, looking for a job is all about marketing yourself correctly and the 7 people who listed CSWP on their resumes did it better than the other 26 in this particular instance.

 

[Theophilus]

Gotta have a lot of faith in certification of that sort to make hiring decisions (one way or the other) with that as a basis. I don't--mostly because I've not taken it and cannot put any personal insight behind it.

To me, it's sort of like a degree. In my case, I've never even been asked about my degree. Neither have I ever been asked about the CSWP. And I doubt it much matters to any client of mine. I get gigs based on trusted word of mouth or demonstrated capacity to design stuff--not on impersonal authorities such as SolidWorks or Arizona State University. I think some jobs can make use of those things fairly well--industrial design gigs cannot.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

What did you dream? It's all right--we told you what to dream.
--Pink Floyd, Welcome to the Machine

 

[TheTick]

This might be enough to get me off my butt and get the CSWP.

Really, it just reinforces something I learned a long time ago: no one reads resumes. Hiring managers are busy, HR and recruiters are sloppy. This leaves hiring managers time for skimming through a pile.

I restructured my resume some time ago so that all relevant info is in the first section that I call "Key Skills". Hiring manager sees everything he needs to know without even unfolding the first page. Details about education, employment history, etc. come after.

 

[dgowans]

I agree with you Jeff, but I don't recall DLT saying that any hiring decision would be based on the applicants having a CSWP. Using the CSWP as an initial screen doesn't seem unreasonable by any means.

I'm not saying that I would use the (lack of) CSWP as a filter if I were looking to hire someone; I'm just trying to point out that everyone's hiring needs are unique, or at least have the potential to be.

For the record (not that anyone cares), I'm not a CSWP and have no plans to become one for the simple reason that I don't see any personal value in having the certification, all evidence to the contrary.

 

[Theophilus]

Well, I've got perhaps a little different scenario than most here in that:
1. I'm an industrial designer
2. I'm a consultant/contractor

As such, I rely heavily on a good portfolio--what I've actually designed--to get design gigs. Being a consultant also means I've got lots of exposure to lots of companies and the way they do things. Seeing the way so many businesses are run--using a cheap indication such as the CSWP as a filter of almost any sort--means you don't know what you're really getting. You either filter in the CSWP people or filter out the non-CSWP people (whether it's an initial screening or not)--and you do so without really considering additional information. Regardless, the limited scope of qualifications of candidates will ultimately bite the hiring company.

However, if the primary duty of the candidate is to drive SolidWorks (and not necessarily to creatively solve problems through design), the CSWP might be a useful hiring tool. Certainly such jobs would exist.

Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

What did you dream? It's all right--we told you what to dream.
--Pink Floyd, Welcome to the Machine

 

[dgowans]

That was my only point - that the position DLT is hiring for might very well be a CAD jockey where a CSWP could be important. Just giving him the benefit of the doubt, that's all. I happen to agree with the opinions that were voiced about the practicality of using the CSWP as a screen but I don't have anywhere near the required amount of information to comment on DLT's situation...

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

I am now looking to hire 2 new design engineers in my team"

In my book a "design engineer" and a "CAD jockey" (although often symbiotic) are very different animals.

 

[dgowans]

CBL,

My book reads the same as yours, but my whole point in entering this discussion was to point out the fact that only DLT knows for sure - in this particular instance.

Out.

 

[roguewrench]

I started using SW back in 98 and certified last year. I find that companies are more likely to judging candidates on the years of experience more than there certifications.Saying that, I have found that being certified has help me get more contract work outside of my 9 to 5.

As far as the test, I do not believe the test really gives a good indication of expertise in the program but it’s more about efficiency with the program


CJ Goodrich
Product Design Engineer
Leatherman Tool Group
Portland, Oregon

 

[BARM]

And naturally "...efficiency with the program." is a good thing. Unfortunately the current CSWP test doesn't go too deep.


---SolidWorks 2008 SP3.0---

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Just to expose a potential flaw in the value of the CSWP-CORE as selection criteria, a recent thread in forum.solidworks.com posted by a CSWA, CSWP holder posed the question; (paraphrased because I can't find it now)

"What is the difference between "Save as" and "Save as copy"?

 

[ShaggyPE]

Ouch!

I still maintain that it is better to have it than not. The person doing the hiring (resume filtering) may not be aware that the certification isn't all that solid.

-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Certified SolidWorks Professional