ISA certification benefits

[Adkpk]

What are the benefits of becoming certified? Took the online sample (safety version) test for ISA certificate got %100. So I did some further looking into the situation and see it cost some money to apply and all that. I am a weekend warrior type of arborist but am finding myself getting into a tree almost everyday of the week now. I wonder if I should buy the book, study and take the exam? Are there any other benefits than to claim you passed. I will call during the week to inquire with The ISA but would like to get your guys input while I wait.

ps. hope you all noticed I slightly changed my user name to Adkpk from Adrpk.

 

[Ekka]

 

[Adkpk]

I see. :monkey:

I like cereal but it really isn't much good unless you need it to take a dump.

After reading on the ISA website for hours I realized they sell a lot of books. I got to thinking after all the investment, seeing I am a weekend warrior type, what will being certified do for me. Are there insurance benefits?

I would like to have something to show to my customers that I am seriously looking to care for their trees not just monkey around up there. Also in some towns that I work one needs a permit to do tree work or at least take them down. Will they be asking for certification?

Also would like to ask about membership from a critical crowd not the ISA. If you pay in to become a member you get a discount on some of the merchandise is there any other benefits to becoming a member?

I suppose I could wear my Arboristsite t-shirt on estimates that will buy me some clout. :kilt:

 

[Dadatwins]

Cute box Ekka. The discounts for merchandise are for being an ISA member, you do not have to be certified to be a member. As for benefits being certified does get me some work from people that are specifically looking for a certified arborist. Some towns and cities require a certified arborist be on a job site at all times, some will not allow a bid unless the company has a certified arborist. If you have home developments with tree covenants they will seek certified opinions on trees first. The bigger companies like Davey and Bartlett pay some folks $1.00 an hour more to be certified. It is not a magic bullet that will get you more work, and price shoppers could care less how many certificates you have. It will open you up to more high end $$$$ clients that only want certified folks working on their trees. It is an investment and a commitment, but it has paid for itself in my opinion. There are some problems with the system but it does offer your clients something else to consider beside the lowest price.

 

[Rftreeman]

so what do they teach you in those cert classes anyways???

 

[Tree Machine]

Membership in the ISA is allowed, even if you're not certified. Membership gets you all the benefits, like the catalogs, mailings, updates. You receive the International Society of Arboriculture Arborist News magazine, and the Journal of Arboriculture. Their catalog of books and information is quite possibly the most extensive and current anywhere. Membership is a funnel to all this, and much more.

Certification is a detail, and unfortunately a lot of rather unqualified dudes can get this certification and they're still unqualified, but certified. Likewise, there are a lot of really excellent, educated, dedicated Arborists who are not certified, or have let their certification lapse and are no longer certified

Certification doesn't make you the Arborist that you are. You make you the Arborist that you are, deemed by how much you choose to learn and expand you knowledge and practice. Certification could be one facet of your career. ISA and TCIA membership really should be part. IMO.

 

[treeseer]

so what do they teach you in those cert classes anyways???

slight derail here, but...the cert class in greensboro in december has some good info for beginners, but when i went in 2006 much of the info was poor. Climbing was demonstrated by a fat guy who never climbed, risk mgt was taught by a non-arborist who did not understand tree care options to removal, and pruning was based on 10+ year old info that was flat out wrong.

I don't think it has changed much--the ext agent who runs it picks other ext agents as teachers instead of folks with more field experience. i think the course at wilkesboro cc may be better.

Weekend warriors should look at the $ they make or want to make at tree work per year, and invest accordingly. Dada and TM know what they are talking about.

 

[Adkpk]

Weekend warriors should look at the $ they make or want to make at tree work per year, and invest accordingly.

Ha, ha no tiki no shirtie. Like if I had money to waist.

Dada and TM know what they are talking about.

I agree, thanks guys. You to Ekka for the critique, helps me to look deeper into the situation.

I called, certainly are nice and offered more help than I could handle at the time. But in the mean time I will move ahead with certification The education will be an asset in any case. In my business I work with trees every day just never climbed up into them. Now I do and I have many questions about what I see.

 

[B-Edwards]

so what do they teach you in those cert classes anyways???

I'm certified with ISA and would do it again.If you are going to do tree work why not learn all you can? Why not be the best you can be?You are not God when you become certified but that is one more level you have achieved. Maybe you can estimate correctly how much fertilizer you need or what a branch collar is or how to install hardware in trees.There are alot of tree guys who cant do that and there are customers who want that. If I planned on doing tree work I would become certified.You can find negatives about ISA but once you are certified I'm pretty sure you will keep it!

 

[B-Edwards]

I forgot to mention all the hot chicks you get after becoming certified.

 

[Rftreeman]

or what a branch collar is or how to install hardware in trees.There are alot of tree guys who cant do that and there are customers who want that. If I planned on doing tree work I would become certified.You can find negatives about ISA but once you are certified I'm pretty sure you will keep it!

I know what a branch collar is, I've been trained how to properly trim a tree also, I come from the power company ROW crews and believe it or not we where trained on how to do it right.

 

[B-Edwards]

I cant tell if you are insulted by what I said. That wasn't what i was trying to do. But here is what I hear since I became certified by alot of guys I know who do tree work. "He thinks he knows everything " A certification doesn't mean anything" it's all common sense" "a piece of paper doesn't mean anything". You usually hear this kind of stuff from guys who think they cant do it (pass the test). Those guys think I think I am better than them at tree work( they are correct on certain areas) that's why you get certified, to have more knowledge than you had before. Like I said before why not be the best you can be? If you think you know it all you don't and never will. The sooner people learn that the smarter they become. It's not being arrogant to learn. If you are offended by what I've said I'm sorry it wasn't meant to be that way .

 

[Rftreeman]

I cant tell if you are insulted by what I said. That wasn't what i was trying to do. But here is what I hear since I became certified by alot of guys I know who do tree work. "He thinks he knows everything " A certification doesn't mean anything" it's all common sense" "a piece of paper doesn't mean anything". You usually hear this kind of stuff from guys who think they cant do it (pass the test). Those guys think I think I am better than them at tree work( they are correct on certain areas) that's why you get certified, to have more knowledge than you had before. Like I said before why not be the best you can be? If you think you know it all you don't and never will. The sooner people learn that the smarter they become. It's not being arrogant to learn. If you are offended by what I've said I'm sorry it wasn't meant to be that way .

you didn't insult me at all, I was just letting you know that there are people out here who know the proper way but have never seen the inside of a class room, as for passing the test, I can't say if I could or could not, never seen one, I most likely couldn't, thought about trying once and even asked about it here but never went, that's why I asked what they teach you.

 

[Adkpk]

you didn't insult me at all, I was just letting you know that there are people out here who know the proper way but have never seen the inside of a class room, as for passing the test, I can't say if I could or could not, never seen one, I most likely couldn't, thought about trying once and even asked about it here but never went, that's why I asked what they teach you.

Rf you know there is no actual class, correct? As far as I know you need three years experience in the an arbor related field. You can buy material from the ISA to study from if you think you need it. But you can take the test if you never read a thing from them. Correct me if I am wrong.

I got 100% on the test in these categories from what I have learned reading on this site exclusively. Of coarse the actual test would be harder as I was told over the phone today from the ISA.
http://www.isa-arbor.com/publications/TreeWorkerSafety/Tree_Worker_Safety_content.html

Now if you guys would only start threading about the other 9 categories I won't have to buy the books.

 

[treeseer]

Rf you know there is no actual class, correct?

There are a lot of classes, often 3-day affairs, some semester-long evening sessions. check your local isa chapter for info.

 

[lxt]

Look,.. I dogged the cert. but studied & took the test, I passed what I thought I might fail & missed the biology part by 1, so I have to re-take the biology part of the test when I get time.

The test wasnt as bad as I thought & you can use only the study guide & pass, I just didnt devote enough time to the biology section!! But I will.

whats funny is the way they ask the questions & the answers they give you to choose from......can be tricky so read them thoroughly!!


LXT...........

 

[Adkpk]

There are a lot of classes, often 3-day affairs, some semester-long evening sessions. check your local isa chapter for info.

I see. Wow, it's worst than I could imagine. Ha ha, when I was 20 I followed my fathers footsteps to become a salesman. I used to go to office furniture seminars. Hence the landscape gig. I see it is costly if your not making a (tree) surgeons income. Still it looks like interesting stuff for us outdoor types. Gonna still look into it.

Interesting sig treeseer, marching to the beat of your own drum.

 

[Adkpk]

Read the "Arborist Certification Study Guide" cover to cover. Learned a lot. Now I'll get a notebook and start to really try to absorb some of the more difficult sections. I am no longer worried about the cost. I was thinking I would need to buy much more study material to pass. I'll take the test when I feel smart and what sections I fail will determine what other study material to buy.

 

[777ER]

I forgot to mention all the hot chicks you get after becoming certified.

yeah where did that come from?

someone mentioned it in the thread I started a while ago and I still don't get where they come from?