CERTIFICATE OVER KNOWLEDGE OR KNOWLEDGE OVER CERTIFICATE?

I think around this time last year, I shared an experience I got from an interview and funnily enough I have another.
The thing is, I used to be a firm believer of knowledge over certificate. I mean, these days someone can issued a certificate with no deep knowledge of his/her skill or haven't you seen them? But with knowledge nko? No shaking.

That's why when people ask me where's your certificate of writing? I tell them I have none. I discovered the talent of writing at a tender age but because I understood that talent is not enough, I started with self education and youtube videos to help hone it into a skill and here I am today. Though I took a lot of courses last year, I literally paid for everything I knew I needed and they helped a lot.

But there's this dream organization I've wanted to work in for a while now. Part of the interview was online and that was good. I answered all I could till they demanded for certificates, that was where I had a problem.

Not just certificates to show what you have learned or where you learned but awards too. But I had none. I stopped participating in competitions 2019, that time there was no writing competition I didn't join, local or international.
In fact the first time I came across the word "synopsis" was through an international competition I joined. Sadly, I didn't make first 10. Not to mention my other dozens of not making it but that's by the way.

Most of this competitions come with certificates or awards and I was thinking, maybe if I continued I would have emerged one of the winners or gathered enough certificates but it was a bit late for that.

Away from competitions. This happened like a month or two ago but I've been reflecting on it and I gathered that certificates are important too, that's if you have deep knowledge already on whatever skill you do.

These certificates have a voice of their own. People want to know how polished up you are, that's why certificates are demanded.

If you say you are really good, where's you proof? I mean it's logical enough. If you are as good as you claim, you should have something to show for it and that's where these certificates come in.

Now, it's no longer knowledge over certificate for me or certificate over knowledge, it's the both of them because they work hand in hand.

If you think like I use to, it's time for a change. You do not need either of them, you need both.
I'm sharing this here so you don't make similar mistakes(I love to call it a mistake).

Do not think the certificate you have gathered or neglected do not matter. E go shock you because e shock me. I know I'm good but I didn't get selected.

Also, when next you go for an interview, take your certifications with you, it's not by answering the questions well alone. Forget the "if any" that's added to the certificate section. Take yours with you, it will make your "mild bragging" louder and more potent🤗.

Remember in our country now, you cannot have certificates and be stupid, personally I'd ask you where you got them. Your knowledge is the proof for the certificates you show.

If you can, get enough of the two. Let him that has ears hear.