AIRS Certifications: PCR or CIR?

Who went through these classes and how much utility do you get out of the training? I consider myself a 'power user' on LinkedIN Recruiter - just curious what these certification classes will teach other than how to write a one page boolean search?

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Permalink Reply by Daren J. Mongello on December 14, 2012 at 9:59am

I am sure someone from AIRS will jump on this, but from a student's point of view: if you have time to dedicate to training over the course of a year....think about "AIRS Academy". It gives you unlimited training over 12 months, so you dont have to pick or choose....you can take them ALL. And repeat classes if needed. (MHO)

AIRS is good with ferreting out new technologies and giving you a solid sourcing foundation.
If you dig into the AIRS site, the syllabus for each course should be available.
And yes...you will come away with more than being able to build Boolean search strings.
PCR - more foundational
CIR - more internet sourcing related.

http://www.airsdirectory.com/mc/first_impressions_lasting_decisions...

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Permalink Reply by Daylon Walton on December 14, 2012 at 10:09am

Daren -

Thanks for the heads up! I was planning on pitching this to my manager (take 2-3 certification courses this year) - but this seems like a lot more bang for your buck over the long term.

How long are the online classes? is doing 1 class every month feasible? 2 months? At $1000 a pop, you'd only need 3 in a year to save some decent $$$ - after that it's all gravy.

Daren J. Mongello said:

I am sure someone from AIRS will jump on this, but from a student's point of view: if you have time to dedicate to training over the course of a year....think about "AIRS Academy". It gives you unlimited training over 12 months, so you dont have to pick or choose....you can take them ALL. And repeat classes if needed. (MHO)

AIRS is good with ferreting out new technologies and giving you a solid sourcing foundation.
If you dig into the AIRS site, the syllabus for each course should be available.
And yes...you will come away with more than being able to build Boolean search strings.
PCR - more foundational
CIR - more internet sourcing related.

http://www.airsdirectory.com/mc/first_impressions_lasting_decisions...

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Permalink Reply by Daren J. Mongello on December 14, 2012 at 10:31am

Some are a day long....others are half that. And then there are some add-ons that are not certifications but topical specific classes that may be an hour or 3.

I did 4 certs in 5 weeks. A lot of it depends on when the online classes are offered.
Keep in mind...I had a 15 yrs of sourcing before the first class...so very little of it was new to me.
They can blow through the lessons very quickly. Easy to get lost.

If you're not running a full desk and are primarily sourcing...this is not a bad way to go.

Note: it will give you tools to find candidates but it will not teach you how to manage them.
Ex: How to close a candidate...how to overcome objections.

All of THAT (IMHO) is more important than Internet sourcing.
For that type of education.....EVERY RECRUITER should own two books:

1. Breakthrough! by Finkel

2. Search and Placement by Nobles and Finkel
Both will cost you $90 all in. The best investment you will ever make as a recruiter.

AIRS pricing may be $2495 per person for 12 months. Double check.
Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Daylon Walton on December 14, 2012 at 11:15am

Again, thanks for the heads up - just ordered the first Finkel book - should make for some nice holiday reading as I prepare for 2013.

Also pitching the AIRS academy to my higher-ups - hopefully can get a lot of recruiting and placement education next year.

Daren J. Mongello said:

Some are a day long....others are half that. And then there are some add-ons that are not certifications but topical specific classes that may be an hour or 3.

I did 4 certs in 5 weeks. A lot of it depends on when the online classes are offered.
Keep in mind...I had a 15 yrs of sourcing before the first class...so very little of it was new to me.
They can blow through the lessons very quickly. Easy to get lost.

If you're not running a full desk and are primarily sourcing...this is not a bad way to go.

Note: it will give you tools to find candidates but it will not teach you how to manage them.
Ex: How to close a candidate...how to overcome objections.

All of THAT (IMHO) is more important than Internet sourcing.
For that type of education.....EVERY RECRUITER should own two books:

1. Breakthrough! by Finkel

2. Search and Placement by Nobles and Finkel
Both will cost you $90 all in. The best investment you will ever make as a recruiter.

AIRS pricing may be $2495 per person for 12 months. Double check.
Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Irina Shamaeva on January 28, 2013 at 9:37pm

sourcingcertification.com lasts 5 weeks (part-time), costs a fraction of AIRS, and I am sure, based on experience, that even a sourcer with 15 years of experience will learn some useful hands-on techniques. Boolean is only a small part of it.