[c-nsp] Cheapening the value of a CCIE

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sridhar Ayengar [mailto:ploopster at gmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 10:47 PM
> To: Ted Mittelstaedt
> Cc: Hank Nussbacher; cisco-nsp at puck.nether.net
> Subject: Re: [c-nsp] Cheapening the value of a CCIE
> 
> 
> Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
> >> Does Cisco do anything to stop these kind of antics:
> >> http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cpg/536118581.html
> > 
> > I think Cisco probably figures anyone smart enough to get
> > a CCIE would not be dumb enough to respond to this ad.  I
> > particularly loved the line:
> > 
> > "I am prepared to offer you some, although not a lot of
> > compensation in the form of computer training (if someone
> > on your staff needs training) or perhaps eReferenceware"
> > 
> > In short, "you give me something worth a pile of money to
> > my company and I'll give you nothing in return"
> > 
> > Keep in mind if they actually offered money to a CCIE that
> > would essentially mean the CCIE was on the payroll - in which
> > case the setup becomes exactly the same as every other Cisco
> > Partners that employs CCIE's.
> 
> How does it work when a company hires a CCIE as an "outside consultant"? 
>   (In the US, being on a 1099 instead of a W-2 is basically what I mean.)
> 

According to the department of labor, if an outside consultant
is treated like an employee, he's an employee.  Several high tech
firms have been fined large amounts for tax evasion by attempting
to hire consultants and treat them like employees.  One of the litmus
tests is length of time worked.  A consultant is supposed to be brought
in for a specific job, that lasts a certain length of time, then
when the job is complete the consultant is finished.  There are
other litmus tests.  Hiring a consultant for a defined period of
6 months - like this advert is doing - without a defined job is
a big red flag.  Having the company use a consultants certification to
qualify for something they normally wouldn't qualify for is IMHO
definitely over the line, and the income tax people would be knocking
at their door if they pulled this stunt and anyone found out about it and
reported it.  Of course, this assumes that FINANCIAL renumeration
was happening.  Since this advert isn't offering anything other than
worthless "training"  (ie: training the person on what they already
have to know to have the CCIE in the first place) what they claim
they would be doing wouldn't apply here.

Ted