Every instructor has been a student at some point and every good instructor remains a perpetual student. In a time where many people favor form over function and perception over reality, we are reminded of something that an instructor passed on during a course.
"A certification does not ensure competence or ability. Just a place on the wall far from the field where truth dwells."
We don't know the source of the quote or if it was something that the instructor came up with himself but we do know it lays down some nice truth.
The only way to excel at anything is to do the work. Any course of training is just the start of the learning experience, not the pinnacle. A good course can give you a good grounding in the fundamentals of any activity and a solid baseline for future learning but there are no shortcuts. True skill takes time and effort.
We are sure many of you have met people with an impressive collection of paper qualifications showing skills and abilities that the holder is unable to demonstrate in the real world. Don't be that person. Be like the guys in the picture. Learn the skills, do the work and strive to always be 'a bit better', so that when the time comes you can perform on demand.
