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Comment by 988747 | Hacker News Reader

Credentials are not the same as license. For example, software engineers do not need to pass any certification exams to practice software engineering, but companies still look at their education, years of experience, etc... Yes, it would make a recruitment process for doctors longer, as you would have to interview them, ask them questions to verify their medical knowledge, etc., but it is not impossible.

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And yet, in your software example those companies overwhelming rely on degrees to credentialize candidates regardless of actual skill.

Licensing is merely a subset of the larger credentialing world. Even in your doctor example, the license is not the issue - board certification of a specialty would be the issue.

You misunderstand licensing. Licensing ensures a minimum of conduct and creates a standard for liability for falling below that level of conduct.

I know that perfectly well. That doesn't change what I've said as it applies to the examples above.

It does. Licensing has nothing to do with your credentials past having them. The state bar doesn't care which lawschool you went to, your LSAT score, your GPA, etc.

"It does"

How?

"Licensing has nothing to do with your credentials past having them."

The way that most credentialing is used for employment.

That's separate from having your license. You don't need to be employed by a law firm to be a licensed atty

What's your point here? You still need a license.

My point? That credentials are separate from the license and aren't part of the same thing. That's why many professions don't have licensing. They serve completely different purposes.

A license is a credential.

Not all credentials are licenses, but all licenses are credentials.

You can look up some definitions if you want. I'm done with this conversation as you are so set on arguing a tangent without an open mind.

I did look up the definitions and they don't support your argument

License: a permit from an authority to own or use something, do a particular thing, or carry on a trade

Credential: a qualification, achievement, personal quality, or aspect of a person's background, typically when used to indicate that they are suitable for something.

Sure, you can characterize the license as an achievement. But it's really just a license.

> Sure, you can characterize the license as an achievemen

Maybe, maybe not, but its 100% a qualification, so its definitely a credential.

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