All My Gettings

You know on job applications where it asks you to list any licenses or certifications relevant to the position you're applying for? Well, at some point in my life, I'd like to be able to fill in that field. Of course, this might mean a taking a step down from "professional" to "tradesman", but I think that's a change I'm willing to make. Of course, I'm only willing to make such a statement because I get the sense, most likely from community college promotional material, that possession of a certificate in something useful leads to immediate employment. None of this cobbling together a real job and having your mom freak out about not having benefits for them! Oh no, they get hired quickly and, what's more impressive, in the very thing they are certified to do.

Part of me thinks these tests couldn't possibly be that hard. I mean, how much do you really need to know to be an air traffic controller? I feel like I would hardly need to study for some of these. However, there are some that I am seriously considering. Not necessarily because I want a job in the field, but because I want someone to tell me, point blank, that I am qualified to do some work. So, here are the major options. Tell what you think:

• Accredited Genealogist, as designated by ICAPGEN. I'm about half-way through coursework gearing up for this one, but I'm not sure I'd ever be able to hack the test, which is spread out over two days and involves an oral defense of a pedigree
  
• Pharmacy Tech, a job that, as far as I can tell, requires you know math and some basic drug information
  
• Travel Agent. until today I didn't realize these were certified, but they are. The best is this sample question: If the cruise ship is departing at 1530, what time is this?
  
• Actuary, to put my math skills to good use.
  

And some non-serious options:

• Midwifery. Anything that predates the internal combustion engine can't be that difficult can it?
  
• Master of Wine, just for the irony