BICSI Credentialing Institute: Unlocking the Benefits of Credentialing

Unlock the secrets behind the prestigious Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD) credential with our special guest, Joy Andis, the Credentialing Operations Manager at the BICSI Certification Institute. Discover the fascinating journey of the RCDD, from its inception in 1984 to its evolution into a benchmark of excellence in the industry. Joy sheds light on the meticulous three to five-year process of updating and developing new exams, involving essential steps like Job Task Analysis, item writing, standard setting, and scheme alignment. Learn about the invaluable contributions of subject matter experts and how you can play a role in shaping the future of this critical credential.

Experience the electrifying atmosphere of the BICSI Conference, where even the most introverted attendees find themselves fully immersed in networking and learning. Our discussion dives into the significance of earning Continuing Education Credits (CECs) and how BICSI has made the process more accessible with online options and automatic grace periods. We also explore the numerous benefits of maintaining certifications and the rewarding opportunities of volunteering in the certification process. With a fun interactive segment hosted by Julie and a heartfelt reminder to subscribe and rate our podcast, this episode is a treasure trove of insights and opportunities for telecommunications professionals.

Chapters

• 0:00 Bixie Certification Institute and RCDD
• 12:52 Bixie Certification and Volunteer Benefits

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey Wiremonkeys, welcome to another episode of let's Talk A-Wing. Today, we're talking about the Bixby Certification Institute and the RCDD. Welcome to the show where we tackle the tough questions submitted by installers, technicians, project managers, estimators, even customers. We're connecting at the human level so that we can connect the world. If you're watching this show on YouTube, would you mind hitting the subscribe button and the bell button to be notified when new content is being produced? If you're listening to us on one of the audio podcast platforms, would you mind leaving us a five-star rating? Those simple little steps helps us take on the algorithm so we can educate, encourage and enrich the lives of people in the ICT industry.

Speaker 1: 0:55

Thursday nights, 6 pm Eastern Standard Time. What are you doing? I do a live stream on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, everywhere where you get to ask your favorite RCDD and you know that's me your favorite RCDD Questions about installation, certification, design, even career path questions. But I can hear you now. But, Chuck, I'm dropping my truck at 6 pm on Thursdays. I don't want to get into an accident. It's okay, they're recorded. You can watch them at your convenience when it's safe to do so. And finally, while this show is free and will always remain free. If you find value in this content, would you click on that QR code right there? You can be a Patreon member. You can even buy a T-shirt all kinds of merch gear you can do. We even look for corporate sponsorship. So again, I'm back here at Bixie headquarters. I'm starting to become a regular here now, here at Big C headquarters. That's, I'm starting to become a regular here now and we're here to talk to joy and us about big certification Institute in the RCD program. Joy, welcome to the show.

Speaker 1: 1:51

how you doing today thanks so, before we get started, the questions who you and what's your job here?

Speaker 2: 1:58

big I'm joy and this I've been here at Big C for almost 15 years and I am the credentialing operations manager.

Speaker 1: 2:05

Very good, and do you like working here? Do you like making an impact in the industry, like I do?

Speaker 2: 2:11

I do, I do, otherwise I wouldn't be here for 15 years, right.

Speaker 1: 2:14

Well, there you go. You know it's funny. You say that because it's rare nowadays that people stay with a company for 15 years. That used to be the norm but now it's like three years, five years, stuff like that. So you know we're coming up on the 40th anniversary of the RCDD.

Speaker 2: 2:30

Yes, it's amazing.

Speaker 1: 2:32

So what prompted Bixie to create that RCD credential? How?

Speaker 2: 2:36

did it all come about.

Speaker 2: 2:38

I always think it's such an interesting story how Bixie came to be and the RCDD. Back in the early 1970s there was a small group of guys who worked in the telephone industry locally and they would meet once a year at the USF campus and that's how it got started. And then in 1977, bixie was created and incorporated and then in 1984, they saw a need to start the RCDD, which was the first of our credentialing programs at that time, and it really was just to let employers know, consumers know, that if you held the RCDD you had the knowledge to do your design job to the best of the highest of the industry standards and you're absolutely right, because once you get your RCD credential, my biggest fear after I passed the test.

Speaker 1: 3:34

actually, when they called me and said you know you passed, I was like are you sure you're the right Charles Bowser, because it took me two times to pass. Then, after I came to the realization that happened, I'm thinking oh no, people are going to be asking me questions now they're going to expect me to know, the answer. I didn't think about the after effects after it as well, too, right. So what is the process for updating an exam for the new processes and stuff like that?

Speaker 2: 3:59

So to develop a new exam or to update an exam, it's a three to five-year process, which I don't think a lot of people realize it's such a long process.

Speaker 2: 4:10

The first step is the job task analysis, or the JTA, which is where we get a group of subject matter experts together and really hone down on what they do in their day-to-day jobs. And out of that JTA that's where we are able to develop the exam content outline or the exam blueprint. After that we do the item writing. So we have a different group of subject matter experts come in and they either update old items that are still relevant or they write completely new exam items. And then, after the exam items are written and scrubbed, we move on to a standard setting study, which is where the forms are created and the passing score is determined, and after that we do a scheme alignment, which is where we decide on the eligibility requirements as well as the recertification requirements, and then after that, the exam goes live. And once the exam goes live, and once the exam goes live, we continue item analysis as the exam is live and as exams are completed, to make sure that all the questions are performing as they should.

Speaker 1: 5:13

And this all takes place after the new edition manual whichever one you're talking about gets published.

Speaker 2: 5:19

Yes, yep. Well, the JTA is before that and then everything else is after that.

Speaker 1: 5:24

Gotcha, that's a lot of work and how many people do you have?

Speaker 2: 5:26

How?

Speaker 1: 5:26

many subject matter experts do you have?

Speaker 2: 5:29

Well, each step takes a different number of subject matter experts, but we need a lot of volunteers for that.

Speaker 1: 5:38

And there are a lot of people out there willing to help fix you. Yes, so what are the requirements for volunteering through the Bixby Certification Institute?

Speaker 2: 5:45

The requirements are for anything in exam development you have to be a current credential holder of the designated credentials. So if it's a DCDC exam, you have to be current DCDC. You have to be working full-time in the field of you know DCDC. Would have to be working full-time for data center design and then you just need to be an effective team, a communicator and team player and be able to commit to whatever the different time meeting. The time requirements are.

Speaker 1: 6:14

Well, I see an issue here already. Because we work in the communications industry, we're not so good at communicating.

Speaker 2: 6:22

You'd be surprised. You would be surprised. Maybe it's different when they're volunteering for something like this.

Speaker 1: 6:26

but I'm telling you, when you talk to tax or project managers or estimators, I'm telling you we don't communicate very well, we just don't. So you talk about the volunteers. What new initiatives are coming out at the Bixie Institute that somebody could volunteer for?

Speaker 2: 6:43

Currently, we are actually right now in the middle of recruiting for DCDC subject matter experts. Sorry for the standard-setting study. Those applications are open now and they close on June 28th, so that's the next volunteer opportunity that we have.

Speaker 1: 7:01

I didn't notice I was doing some research over the weekend. Because I don, because my mind never shuts off. You guys did publish the RCD study handbook V15.

Speaker 3: 7:11

I saw that.

Speaker 1: 7:12

I saw that because I get asked a lot, chuck, what should I do for a study from RCD? And I look up RCD study handbook V14. And then somebody says, wait, we're in your 15th.

Speaker 2: 7:22

Well, hey, yep.

Speaker 1: 7:25

So what advice could you give somebody who'd be interested in volunteering for the work on?

Speaker 2: 7:32

to volunteer. The best advice is to get your certification first, whichever one you're interested in getting, and to do that we recommend studying the certification handbook, starting there, and all of our certification handbooks. We have the exam blueprint, so it gives you a good guide of what to study, how much of each core competencies on the exam. And then, especially for our design certifications, we always recommend studying and then applying, so don't apply and then study once. I want you to study, be ready to take the exam and then apply, because it gives you that full one year exam authorization eligibility, just in case you're not able to.

Speaker 1: 8:14

So that's Bixie's recommendation. Yes, my recommendation is because I know technicians and project managers in the field. I always tell them apply first and pay for the exam, because now they've got skin in the game. They've got skin in the game. I can see the merit. Because if they don't do that, what's going to happen is they're going to push it off.

Speaker 1: 8:34

A lot of people have high inspirations of becoming an RCDD. Until A they go look at the three different ways you can qualify for an RCDD and then they apply for it and then they start reading the TDMM and then they apply for it and then they start reading the TDMM and the first chapter. I tell this to everybody that first chapter is a weed out chapter principles of transmission and people are like, oh my gosh, see, if you pay for it first, now you're like I'm roped into this, my spouse is going to kill me if I spend X amount of dollars for all this stuff, and now I'm not going to do this yeah, I can see the merit, but I see your method as well, too and we do try to give you lots of reminders when your exam authorization expiring, so you'll at least know hey, it's coming up that's actually great, because you do the same thing with the, with the renewals too.

Speaker 1: 9:20

Yes, because that saved me a lot of time when I realized, oops, oops, I forgot to get my CECs, so I'm glad that you did that during the credentialing exam process. That's actually a great idea.

Speaker 2: 9:33

And we do it for the recertification because no one wants to take the exam again. I don't understand it. They only want to do that one time.

Speaker 1: 9:39

I told my wife. I told my wife after I passed my test. I said look, if I crash my motorcycle and I'm a vegetable in the hospital, keep paying my dues until you put me in the ground.

Speaker 2: 9:50

We hear that a lot.

Speaker 1: 9:52

I don't want to take that test again.

Speaker 2: 9:54

Especially the RCDD.

Speaker 1: 9:54

we hear that a lot and many people won't pass that test on the first try. What advice would you give somebody we were just talking about how hard it is and how people keep it. What advice would you give somebody who's looking to get their certification and ways and overcoming the fear of all the hard work that's going to be ahead of?

Speaker 2: 10:14

them? That's a good question. I just I think, prepare, Study, prepare, know what you're going into. And then I just this study is the biggest thing and I really think we always refer people to the exam blueprint it just gives you a little bit of a guide on how many, how much you need to really and he tells you how many hours you should study. You recommend classes absolutely, and so I really think preparedness is the key for that somebody asked me just just last week.

Speaker 1: 10:44

They said, when you give me someone, give me some tips on for doing my RCD study, I was like, okay, well, first off, stop all social life. When the guys want to go out and go drinking, stay home and study. When you want to go kayaking that weekend, stay home and study your lifestyle, except for family. Your social life stops until you get past that exam, because I call it immersion. It's like when someone wants to learn a new language and what happens a lot of times too is people when they read through.

Speaker 1: 11:15

I saw somebody post in the Big C Telecom group on Facebook that they just finished the technician class and they said man, that bonding and grounding section, those were all brand new terms and all that stuff. I'm like that's par for the course. It's par for the course. You have to learn the correct acronym so that way everybody's on the same page and a lot of technicians out in the field they're taught by old school guys who have been doing stuff for years and years and years and they might call it an acronym. That's like three versions old, yes.

Speaker 2: 11:44

Makes it hard for everybody. It's very true.

Speaker 4: 11:50

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Speaker 1: 12:28

Once you go through all that hard work and I know some people that take six months, nine months, even a couple of years to get the RCD. They put a lot of work into it. Now they got the RCD. Now comes the hamster wheel. The CDCs got to get those continuing education credits. You got to stay current because our industry moves at the speed of light. So how do those CDCs and conferences help somebody who just got their BICSI credential?

Speaker 2: 12:52

Well, for the RCDD, you have to have 45 CECs to recertify, as well as a full conference credit, and it really the most important thing for CECs, in my opinion, is that they show that you're continuing your education. Especially in this field, things are changing all the time Acronyms, everything changes all the time. So we really want you and that's why we require the CECs is to know that you're continuing your education, you're staying up to date on all the topics. Anything that you need in the field and that's really what we try to promote as well for the conferences it's not only do we have great education sessions, but the networking alone, and it's the global networking too.

Speaker 2: 13:31

I don't think a lot of people know that People come from all over the world and so the global networking opportunities you get to go on the exhibit floor see all the new stuff and all of those things which is for us, it's instrumental in continuing to be in our CDB.

Speaker 1: 13:48

Yeah, the exhibit hall is my favorite part of the mixing conference Conference. I do Because I see the new products and all that stuff. And then my second favorite part is meeting people. And you know, the funny thing was that it took me. I've been going to Bixby Conference since 1999, 2000, something like that, and it took me a long time because a lot of people don't believe this about me. I'm actually an introvert. I'm the person who usually sits in the back of the room and doesn't talk to anybody. But, chuck, you're all good. No, I'm an introvert and 10 years I would go to this conference and wouldn't talk to anybody. I'd just go sit in the learning stuff. And now I talk to anybody and everybody. If you stop in front of me for more than 13 seconds, there's a pretty good chance I'm going to engage in a conversation with you.

Speaker 2: 14:33

I going to engage in the conversation with. I think that's great, though that really is. You know, we encourage people to come to the credential holders lounge because then it's credential holders and everybody can. You know the topics?

Speaker 1: 14:38

of conversation. So the riffraff who don't have certifications can't?

Speaker 2: 14:40

come in our rations.

Speaker 1: 14:41

I like. I like to get.

Speaker 3: 14:42

I mean.

Speaker 2: 14:43

I'll edit that out. No, but we would like people to it would encourage people to get one. That's where the super secret RC-80 handshake takes place. I wouldn't be surprised.

Speaker 1: 14:56

Yeah, that's fun. And CECs it's not as hard as a lot of people think. It used to be super hard to get CECs, but now all the manufacturers there's so many people doing different CECs and you guys made the process for getting CECs relatively easy. I mean, you still got to jump ahead of time maps and the outlines and all that stuff.

Speaker 1: 15:17

But I understand why you do that. But because of that that's opened up the door for a lot Somebody asked me just last week about. They said they're short on CECs and I just sent them an email with like 20 of them off the top of my head that I knew I could just quote and they go. How do you know that?

Speaker 3: 15:31

Because I need them myself.

Speaker 2: 15:32

Exactly, I need them myself and we try to keep them. You know, they're not all expensive. We have a lot of low-cost options, even Bixi our. Bixi webinars. I always recommend people to take the Bixi Connects courses or Bixi webinars, because your CECs are automatically added so you don't have to jump through any hoops. We just put them on there.

Speaker 1: 15:50

And every once in a while you guys will do a free CEC, and when you guys do that, I rebroadcast that to every social network that I know. I'm like hey guys, bixie has a free class.

Speaker 2: 16:02

You heard that right, bixie Free class and we send it out in all of our recertification reminders just to get people to know.

Speaker 1: 16:16

We're it out in all of our recertification reminders just to get people to know we're trying to help. Yes, because I don't. I don't want people to lose their. I hear a lot of people oh, I let my thing expire. My heart breaks when I hear that because I know the amount of work that went into it, whatever level it is you know the technician install a copper cell, fiber rcdc. You don't get those from just sitting in a room exchanging oxygen and carbon monoxide.

Speaker 2: 16:31

Right.

Speaker 1: 16:32

There's a lot of effort that goes into those and it breaks my heart when someone says, oh, why let it go?

Speaker 2: 16:36

We're trying to find ways to make it easier to get.

Speaker 1: 16:39

CSPs and get the word out.

Speaker 1: 16:41

Yes, you guys have done, because now you actually do it online. That was the biggest problem, right? Because before you had to send everything in and and now you can actually go online and if you don't remember the exact name of the course, you can put it in the first. You know it comes up, yeah, it pops right up in the field, unless you're doing like Cable Installation and Maintenance Magazine, because then, like, 20 of them pop up and you have to have which one. That's very true, but you've made the process a lot easier for keeping those CECs so realistically there, unless somebody should should age out of a credential because they didn't have no CCCs, unless unless you do something like you know, january 3rd, like oh, I forgot to get my 45 CCCs we do have that occasionally.

Speaker 2: 17:19

We do. A lot of people don't know that all of our certifications have a an automatic 90 day grace period afterwards yep, so you have 90 days where you can. You know you think you're busy. You had a huge project workload. You've got 90 days to be can you know you think you're busy. You had a huge project workload. You've got 90 days to be able to catch up on those CECs and recertify with no penalties.

Speaker 1: 17:36

Did they show you like time sheets and send you the firstborn male child and all that stuff to qualify for that? Nope.

Speaker 2: 17:42

Everybody gets it automatically.

Speaker 1: 17:44

Oh okay, so you just everyone can do it.

Speaker 2: 17:46

That's good, that's good enough yeah.

Speaker 1: 17:48

That's good enough. So what are some of the benefits If somebody decides they want to volunteer for the Big C certification? What are some of the benefits, especially when it comes to writing the exams?

Speaker 2: 17:57

I think the number one, most important benefit is you get to have, say, you have a thumbprint on the future of the industry, and I think that that is huge. Your name's on the lead, it's in the book.

Speaker 1: 18:10

It's in the book.

Speaker 2: 18:11

So I just think that's the biggest one. But we are in the certification institute trying to um, we're creating subject matter expert toolkits that we send out afterwards so they can help.

Speaker 2: 18:25

It can help promote that they were a subject matter expert with linkedin posts, social media posts and a post they can give their employer to post and say, hey, my staff member was a subject matter expert. Letters of recognition. We put them in the Bixie brief, and so we're always trying to expand how much we can promote our volunteers, because we really do. It takes a lot of time. It is a volunteer effort, so it's. We're always trying to find ways that we can make it more beneficial and get the word out, because we really do appreciate our volunteers.

Speaker 1: 19:00

When I got my RCD about a year. So after that does kind of settle, I started to volunteer work as well. So I did some help with the project management chapter and the team a couple versions back. And the funny thing was I was an estimator at the time and we were doing bid responses and stuff like that. They always had me. The work has to meet and exceed the team and blah, blah, blah. And my boss would say more than once he goes, he helped write it, you don't get any more qualified than that, you're just done. I'm like it was the project management chapter, it wasn't the fire chapter. Shh, I don't know that it doesn't matter.

Speaker 1: 19:36

You helped, but put your names in the book and there's a great sense of accomplishment there. Yeah, and on the flip side of that too, technicians being technicians, they like to complain. Oh well, you know, that's the mixing way blah, blah, blah. So have you volunteered to put your word in to maybe have a change? No, then you can't complain, can't complain. That's part of the whole process. Get more people to volunteer.

Speaker 2: 20:01

We're always trying.

Speaker 4: 20:02

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Speaker 1: 21:16

So what does a new Big C credential member have to be excited about being part of the whole Big C credential family.

Speaker 2: 21:23

I think it's just so much the networking opportunities that come. It opens doors for networking, for career growth, career opportunities and then, of course, then you get the opportunity to be a subject matter expert in exam development and be able to really get your foot in the door to be able to shape the future of the ICT industry. So I think there's lots to be excited about.

Speaker 1: 21:48

There is, and when you start doing that kind of stuff, one of the benefits that I've found is you meet a whole bunch of other subject matter experts and so you get asked a question. Like I told you, my biggest fear was somebody asked me a question Because there's 2200 pages in the TDM. I can't recite every single word. I try to remember what I have to remember to get past the exam. But when you start doing the volunteer work now, somebody says, hey, you know how far can I send you, know thousand base to you on single bit fiber? I was like I, you know, I'm volunteer with a guy who boom, and just it just deepens your, your, all, your, your network, your networking, your networking network say that twice, right, and that just helps, again helps, and once you ask that question you want to run for the next time.

Speaker 1: 22:31

It sharpens your skills. There's an old saying iron sharpens iron. Same thing there. When you're doing volunteer work and stuff like that, you're with other people and a lot of people shy away from doing volunteer work because they feel like, well, I just got my RCD. These people in the industry, they've been doing it for 47 years years, you know.

Speaker 2: 22:47

So what exactly you got a fresh perspective and we hear that all the time, and we, when we're doing any exam development, we like the full range. So we want someone who's more seasoned than doing it for 45 years. But we are also looking for people who are just starting out, just earned their credential, and so it's. We like the full gamut because it really does give you all the different perspectives joy, what a pleasure.

Speaker 1: 23:11

A pleasure and what a great, what a great environment For those of Washington. If you can name this block, I'll send you a sticker. I'll send you a sticker. You can name that block right there. Thanks for coming out, thank you.

Speaker 3: 23:24

That's it for this episode of today's podcast. We hope you were able to learn something. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on future content. Also, leave a rating so we can help even more people learn about telecommunications. Until next time, be safe.