I is an arborist!

[xander9727]

Got my test results today. I'm an official ISA certified arborist. I really enjoy tree care much more than land clearing and removals. This will allow me to do more tree care and that makes me happy......and money. Now I can hang out with Tom Dunlap and JPS .

 

[xtremetrees]

How tuff was the test xander?
Right on! Congrats brother. !!

 

[topnotchtree]

Congradulations! I have been thinking about doing that myself lately. I hear the test is pretty tough!

 

[Menchhofer]

Congratulations. Good job.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Kudos, bro! I guess I need to eventually do something like that. I think we MAY have one CA around here, and he only works outta an office.

 

[xander9727]

I won't say the test was easy but it is definately passable the first try. I read through the study guide and did the the study questions and the sample test questions. I have read a couple of Shigo's books and the ANSI publications. I had to read the questions carefully but with almost all of them I was able to immediately discard two of the four answers. The anxiety of taking the test was WAY worse than actually taking it. I encourage everyone that is serious about tree care to take it. If you really want to pass the test you will. Even if a couple sections give you trouble you can retake those sections within a couple of months for free.
It gives you a great deal of credibility when dealing with the public. I know there are a lot of people in our industry that aren't CA that have forgotten more about tree care than I will ever know. However, try and convince a client of that. It gives you an edge over a lot of your competition. I know, I've lost jobs simply because I wasn't a certified arborist. I can't even get in the door of several country clubs and golf courses in the area because I wasn't a CA. I'll let you know how I feel it benefits me in over the next few months.
Thanks for the congratulations, hopefully I can return them soon.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Originally posted by xander9727
Now I can hang out with Tom Dunlap and JPS .

No I'll have to knock for permission to enter

I've not taken it yet, because my clientel are people like you. Once I step on my soap box, you know I'm not as dumb as I look.:angel:

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'ld like to do it, just to be done with it. A little book learning, and some check writing...

Hmmmmm....

 

[xander9727]

Re: Re: I is an arborist!

Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
I've not taken it yet, because my clientel are people like you. .:angel:

JPS,
I'm not quite sure how to take this?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I sub contract to small tree companies, so all I have to do is talk a little to prove my knowledge.

Hence the People Like You statement.

 

[MasterBlaster]

 

[xander9727]

I didn't think you were breaking my shoes but I wanted to be sure before I went Rocky on you. Your 100% correct. Someone can have 15 years of climbing experience and I'll still toss them a rope and have them tie a few knot before I even think of offering a job. I realize that the reality is being a CA just shows how good of a test taker you are. What you do on the job decides what kind of an arborist you are. I really felt I needed it to get my foot in the door to some of the more lucrative business prospects.

 

[MasterBlaster]

You've invented a new AS catch-phrase there, Xander!

 

[begleytree]

Congrats!!
I'm up for my 2nd renewal this year, already have enough credits so thats taken care of.
Now it's time to start working toward a degree if you haven't already.
BTW good test taker? Get real and give yourself some credit, you earned it. That test has a fail rate of 85% last time I looked. (I passed first time out too) If you don't know the material all the test taking skills in the world aren't going to save you. When I tested all my co's supervisors (I was bucket operator then) had just attended a weekend class where the speaker had them hi-lite all the answers in their study guides.
I wasn't invited . Funny thing is all of them failed the test, not just a domain or two. I was the only one who passed . (made supervisor 2 months later BTW)
Again, good job!
-Ralph

 

[xtremetrees]

How about the tree ID section ?
Did you have to tell the difference between a Acer rubra and a Acer saccurium? From the twiggs.(Sorry spelling).

What was the tuffest part to you do you think?

 

[OutOnaLimb]

Right on dude!!! Hopefully I will be following your lead here in a few months.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Great Going!


Ummmmmmm what does JP look like on top of one of them big soap boxes??

 

[seanlarkin]

Congrats!!!

 

[Lumberjack]

Congrats.... I was suppose to be goin Sat to take mine, but i messed up with the paper work.


Congrats!!

 

[rumination]

Congratulations!

I'm taking the exam April 17. I've been reading the study guide, Shigo, and Harris's Arboriculture. Hopefully I'll be a CA too soon. We'll see if that translates into a higher salary or not. Seeing as how I work for a huge beauracracy (University of Hawaii) I kind of doubt it.

By the way, I've heard that the folks that go to test prep classes actually do worse on the exam cause they figure now they know it all and they don't need to study.