I passed the SQL Analysis and Design exam. This test, unlike the Architecture exam, let’s you know exactly how you did on the test. Not only does it give you your full score, but it’s breaks it down into how well (or not so well) you did in each category.

My plan to take two tests this week and one next week might have to be flip-flopped (one this week, two next week) on account of scheduling problems. This week has filled up with meetings, seminars and tonight’s Bulls game.

Software Developers Group Netherlands was kind enough to send me an invite to submit proposals for Conference to the Max 2004. It would be very exciting to travel over to the land of wooden shoes and windmills to present some great technical topics. When I first graduated from NIU back in 1993, I took a job as a UNIX/C developer customizing BAAN/Triton implementations. We were put through our BAAN training with two of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life, Jaap Vonk and his beautiful wife, Hetty. They were from The Netherlands and represented their country well – great people. I would like to meet more of the friendly Dutch.

Now the hard part…What topics should I focus on for my proposal. It’s always hard to think of a different topic from somebody else. You want to stand out during the speaker selection. If you’re not a well known person, like myself, you need to put together some intriguing and compelling topics. My previous talks have ranged from discussing Visual Studio .NET tool to developing enterprise applications with the .NET Framework. I need to find an area of specialty to focus on and become dedicated to learning that area inside and out and be a sounding board for that subject. Data grid Girl and Ingo have found their niche, now it’s time to find mine. Any ideas?

I’m sorry I haven’t posted anything meaningful in a while (like anyone reads this drivel), but my certification goal coupled with the holidays has taken away my research time. The idea is to take the SQL test this Wednesday followed by the Web Forms and WinForms test next week, finishing off the certification (hopefully) with XML Web Services exam the week of the 15^th. If I get overly ambitious, I’ll try to knock out all 3 exams next week. That might be pushing it though. I am, of course, setting these deadlines based on me passing each exam the first time. Maybe I’m being overly optimistic. I just figure that if I can’t pass a test based on a technology that I’ve been working with for the past 3 years there’s something wrong. I’ll just blame it on my inept ability to take tests. I’ve never been a good test taker. I think I read too much into the questions and over analyze the possibilities.

Anyhow, check back the week of the 15^th to see how the certification experiment turned out.