brunomassa.com has been always an international site. Almost all posts were written in English. But now that I will venture into politics (more about this in a later post), it’s worth separating Brazilian Portuguese content apart. Mixing posts about programming, gaming, and movies will only confuse followers and voters.

Instead of removing non-related content, I decided to split languages. The Brazilian Portuguese edition will show up more posts about the Brazilian scene. Curiously, most of the old posts written in pt-br were already about politics or football, so they are already fit for the job!

I do not know how to create a hybrid model using Hugo, with most language-independent content intertwined. If I find it, I will enable it in the future. It will be especially useful for hot-pages, those pages that serve as an entry for promotions and special situations. It would not be good to create a hot-page for brunomassa.com/pt-br/hot-page, because it would defeat its purpose of being easy to remember and share. To help even further, I’ve just bought the brmassa.com domain, aligning with other social media usernames.

So, I’m going to start to work towards generating more content about politics and the Brazilian context. This week I plan to make the now-not-much-a-surprise announcement.

This very post is multi-language. Click on the small flags to switch.

Can you prove what you claim?

Do you fully trust the media, banks, or advertisements? I bet you don’t. And you shouldn’t. Not blindly. Trusting is a very delicate matter.

By living in a society you are required to trust other people. That’s the way to share the responsibilities. Each individual does a thing for another. You simply have to give a bit of trust in others. If not if we should trust, the problem lies in how.

Source of Trust

The primary source of trust is the individuals themselves. You gain trust by living and presenting reliable results. It takes time.

Governments, on the other hand, use the power of law to reinforce what they want to be believed. They issue money, and certificates, documents and they all MUST be accepted as they were the truth. What makes you believe that a $100 bill is worth the $100? Simple: the law says it so!

If you need to be trusted but do not have the time to gain it organically nor cannot “fabricate” the trust? The solution lies on an already trusted third party vouching, a…

Certification

Someone that you trust can vouch, and give their word, for another one. That works like a web of trust. I trust my mom, that trusts her old friend. So, I might trust her too.

Language and professional certifications are the most common form. Several institutes, for a very diverse range of fields, can issue a certificate saying that you are good as you claim. Proficiency in Mandarin? Project management? Someone can certify that you master it.

Double Agent

Certification agents must be impartial, and indifferent to your success derived from the certification, otherwise, they might be incentivized to lie for you. It breaks the whole point of the certification as source of the trust.

• Accounting firms hired to validate a client company’s financial health might be interested in lying. The at-the-time famous Arthur Andersen participated in a giant fraud stating that its client’s, Enron, finances were ok. Enron bankrupted months later and AA was suited and had to split into two companies.
• The 2008 financial crisis also can be attributed to rating companies, which stated that several risky bonds were good and risk-free. They help clients to sell them to others, profiting from lying.
• Some colleges graduate their students even when they have really bad grades. Flooding the market with awful professionals, it becomes impossible to assert which one is good and which one is bad.

There are several good certification institutes. But these authorities have to be constantly monitored. Also, their processes have to be constantly certified, creating a big process of checks and balances.

It’s a worthwhile initiative for the whole of society.

This post was originally written on 2015-11-05. But was in draft mode by mistake for all these years.

While university diplomas are still highly valued in many professions, their limitations are becoming increasingly apparent. A diploma may indicate that an individual has completed a particular course of study, but it does not necessarily certify that they possess the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a particular field.

Additionally, university programs can vary widely in terms of quality, curriculum, and rigor. This can make it challenging for employers to evaluate the capabilities of job candidates who have graduated from different programs.

An example of the market perspective is the Information Technology (IT) industry. With the rise of technology, there is a high demand for IT professionals with specific knowledge and skills. Employers are increasingly looking for individuals who possess certifications, as a way to evaluate their capabilities, instead of looking for a diploma.

Third-Party Certification

One potential solution to the limitations of university diplomas is the implementation of national or international certification processes. These processes would involve standardized exams or assessments that would certify an individual’s knowledge and skills in a particular field.

One example of this is Brazil’s national exam for law students, which requires individuals to pass an assessment before being allowed to practice as lawyers. This type of certification process assures employers and clients that the individual has the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their job duties.

The Importance of Expiration Dates

While national or international certification processes can provide greater assurance of an individual’s knowledge and skills, it is also important to ensure that certifications remain relevant and up-to-date. This is where expiration dates come in.

Expiration dates ensure that certified individuals are continually updating their knowledge and skills to remain current with developments in their field.

Medical professionals are required to complete continuing education courses and renew their licenses periodically to ensure that they are up-to-date with the latest developments in medicine. Neglecting this can potentially compromise patient health. This ensures that they can provide the best possible care to their patients and remain competitive in the job market.

Revamping Careers

The limitations of university diplomas and the need for national or international certification processes also highlight the need to revamp careers. Many professions are changing rapidly, and it is becoming increasingly important for individuals to stay current with the latest developments and trends.

One way to address this is through continuing education programs. These programs would provide ongoing training and development opportunities for professionals, allowing them to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in their field.

Consider the legal profession. With the rise of technology and globalization, the legal profession is changing rapidly. As a result, law firms are now offering continuing education programs and opportunities for lawyers to specialize in specific areas, such as technology law or international law. This allows lawyers to stay current with the latest developments and provide the best possible advice and representation to their clients.

The Client Perspective and National Policy

The use of national or international certification processes and continuing education programs can also benefit the market as a whole. With standardized certifications, employers would have measurable indicators to properly select the best professionals for their organizations. This would lead to increased productivity and efficiency, which would ultimately benefit the economy as a whole.

Additionally, the implementation of these programs would inevitably lead to a raise in the national educational level. As individuals are required to continually update their knowledge and skills, the overall educational level of the workforce would rise. This would benefit not only the individuals themselves but also society as a whole.

Furthermore, the use of national or international certification processes would also provide greater transparency in the job market. Employers would be able to evaluate candidates based on their certifications and knowledge, rather than relying solely on educational credentials. This would help to level the playing field for individuals who may not have had access to high-quality educational programs.

In conclusion, the limitations of university diplomas and the need for national or international certification processes highlight the need for ongoing training and development opportunities for professionals. Through the use of continuing education programs and the implementation of standardized certification processes, professionals can stay up-to-date with the latest developments and trends in their respective fields.

These changes would also benefit the market as a whole by providing measurable indicators to properly select the best professionals for organizations. Additionally, the implementation of these programs would lead to a raise in the national educational level and provide greater transparency in the job market.

As the world continues to evolve and change, individuals and organizations need to adapt to these changes to remain competitive. The use of standardized certifications and continuing education programs is one way to ensure that professionals can keep up with the pace of change and remain relevant in their respective fields.

Note: This text was written in 2012 only in my personal notes and only now I revised and published.