August 9, 2006
Dear Everyone:
The really big news this week concerns the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM).
As you may remember, when the Information Management (IM) function was moved to the Information Technology Company (ITC), the Powers That Be (PTB) decided that IM analysts should become Certified Records Managers (CRM). To that end, a group of us have been studying for over a year now.
There are two deadlines for applying to take the CRM Examination: July 1st and January 1st. So, back in June, we were all pulling together our lists of experiences in IM, with our supervisor rewriting the wording (“supervised” became “oversaw”, etc.) Then I double-checked the exact wording on the ICRM website and realized the deadline was postmarked by July 1st.
So on June 29th, after work, I went to
the post office and used the
Automated Postal Service (APS) to determine the exact postage needed
and printed out a stamp postmarked 6/29/06.
Then I put the envelope in the mail slot.
Some of the others actually mailed their applications in earlier, as they were going on vacation or business trips. By July 11th, everyone had received an email acknowledging that the ICRM had received their applications and they would hear more in about a month.
Everyone except me. I had one of my co-workers forward the email to me and sent it on to the official contact person, asking only for confirmation that they had received my application. Then I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Finally, on July 31st, I received the email “form letter” informing me that my application had been received. A few hours later, I received another email from the “contact person”, telling me that they didn’t get my envelope until 7/12/06, but because it was postmarked before July 1st, I was OK. It would be forwarded to the appropriate committee and I could expect to hear from them by the middle of the following month.
Four days later, I got a form letter in the mail at home. It began, “Congratulations!” More importantly, it did not say that I was pre-approved for a $20,000 credit card. It said that my application had been accepted and that I could sit for the test in November.
Yeah!!!
I am now, officially, a “CRM Applicant”.
So far, I’m the only one who has heard back from the ICRM. I figure, since mine was the last one they received, it was the last one put on the pile of applications. Thus, it was the first to be picked up from the pile. I have no doubt the others will be getting their own “Congratulations!” in the mail in the next few weeks.
Now that we, as a group, have finished the Records and Information Management (RIM) textbook, we’re going back to the textbook on general Management. There’s just a few months before the big test.
You’ll be hearing more about this in the future.
Love, as always,
Pete
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