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Dear Richard:

I recently applied for a new job here in Chicago and I received a letter back from the company notifying me they could not consider my application for an IS audit position because I don't have a professional certification. I wrote back immediately expressing my anger with their policy. I've been in the IS audit field for fourteen years and know much more than a lot of these young people with two year's experience who have just passed the CISA exam. Is this kind of discrimination against non-certified people becoming more prevalent? If so, what can I do about it? I'm certainly not going to sit down and take a test designed for junior computer auditors!

Non-Certified and Angry,
Chicago

Dear Angry Chicagoan:

In answer to your first question, the answer is unequivocally "Yes!" We live in a competitive world and companies want to hire the best, most qualified people they can. One of the barometers of the IS audit profession is the CISA designation. It is not unusual now for organizations to insist on candidates having advanced degrees and/or certifications. For example, in reviewing current listings of open job orders from around the nation, there are over thirty companies this moment which will not interview a person who does not possess at least one certification. Some companies are even trying to insist on only interviewing people who are CPA's, have their CISA certification AND possess an MBA.

Your use of the word "discrimination" is a bit strong. Your tone implies that you think it's illegal to have discriminating tastes. If I had to choose five candidates to interview out of 100 resumes, I would probably also first choose to interview the people who are achievement-oriented, and passing the CISA exam is no little achievement. In a competitive market place where competition for the best positions is keen, employers can be more discriminating in their selection process.

As for what you can do about the situation, the CISA exam is given each June, so you have plenty of time to dust off your books and start studying. Incidentally it sounds to me as if you need to revise your opinion of the CISA exam. If you talk to people who have recently taken the exam, you will hear that the CISA is a demanding examination requiring knowledge of many technical areas. While the passing rate for people with 2-4 years experience is higher than the passing rate for people with fourteen years experience, I think the reason is because the less experienced people are able to remember their college studying habits better.

I also recommend taking an IS audit related class to freshen your exam-taking skills and perhaps expose you to some newer concepts in the field. Although job hunting without a certification is difficult, many employers will be impressed that you are interested in continuing your education and personal growth.