Category: Career

Preparing for the SolidWorks Certification exams (version 2)

This entry is part 2 of 5 in the series SOLIDWORKS Certification

Certificate on the shelfThere continues to be a lot of interest in getting certified as SolidWorks Expert (CSWE).  Through there are no official accolades that go long with passing the CSWE, the certificate can garner employer and industry recognition of your established skills.  Even as the number of Certified SolidWorks Professional grows (CSWP), the number of those with the higher CSWE certification is still small by comparison.  Right now, there’s just over 1500 CSWEs.  To earn your opportunity to take the CSWE exam, you have to pass the CSWP and also pass four advanced exam modules from a selection including topics like Weldments, Surfacing, FEA, etc.

Applian Way Technologies has a blog with several articles that are brief preparation guides for various exam modules. A Very Swell Idea, Inc has some good advice for taking the modules in their discussion of CSWP Weldment exam. 3D Dimensional Engineer also has a great series on CSWP Preparation.

SolidWorks website itself has great information for each exam, including the core, advanced and the expert exams.

  • CSWA – Certified SolidWorks Associate
  • CSWA – Acedemic – Certified SolidWorks Academic Associate
  • CSWP – Certified SolidWorks Professional
  • CEPA – Certified Enterprise PDM Administrator
  • CSDA – Certified Sustainable Design Associate
  • CSWSA-FEA – Certified SolidWorks Simulation Associate – Finite Element Analysis Advanced Exam
  • CSWSP-FEA – Certified SolidWorks Simulation Professional – Finite Element Analysis Advanced Exam
  • CSWP-Sheet Metal – Certified SolidWorks Professional – Sheet Metal Advanced Exam
  • CSWP-Weldments – Certified SolidWorks Professional – Weldments Advanced Exam
  • CSWP-Surfacing – Certified SolidWorks Professional – Surfacing Advanced Exam
  • CSWP-Mold Tools – Certified SolidWorks Professional – Mold Tools Advanced Exam
  • CSWP-DRWT – Certified SolidWorks Professional – Drawing Tools Advanced Exam
  • CSWE – Certified SolidWorks Expert

Once you’ve earned your certificate, you can exhibit it in a number of ways.  The certificate with a unique code is provided to you in the form of a PDF file, which can be printed out or shown on your mobile device.  You can use your unique code number to allow others to verify your acheivement.  Banner images are also provided so that you can add a certificate badge to your emails or website.  You can also add your certification information to your Linkedin account.  Don’t forget to notify your employer and colleagues.

3DEXPERIENCE Customer Forum 2013

Dassault Systemes has a conference called 3DEXPERIENCE Customer Forum each year specifically geared for “senior-level” members of industry.  This is a conference meant for a wider range of individuals, including Engineers, Contractors, Department Managers, Program Managers, Directors and even chief executives (aka, “c-level” or “Csuite”).  This year, the conference will be at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV on November 12 and 13 (at the awesome and chic CITYCENTER).

Breakout sessions include high-level discussions and examples on such topics as how to leverage 3DEXPERIENCE technology for Aerospace & Defence, Life Sciences, Consumer Products, Energy, etc.  From the site:

  • Learn new best practices from 3DS customers who are using our solutions to stay ahead of the competition
  • Experience live demos of industry solutions, demonstrating innovative ways to capture opportunities in a competitive business environment
  • Hear leading 3DS experts discuss current business trends and the new solutions available to address the challenges facing your industry
  • Network with other industry, business and technology leaders

Register to attend

 

 

How to show off your CSWP on Linkedin

This entry is part 4 of 5 in the series SOLIDWORKS Certification

CSWA, CSWP, CSWP advanced modules, and CSWE are all important certifications that demonstrate a person’s skill level with SolidWorks.  One of the easiest ways to let others know that you’ve successfully passed a SolidWorks certification exam is to list the certificate on Linkedin.com.  There are several ways to do this.

A very common method right now is to simply add “, CSWP” to your last name, as in “Smith, CSWP”.  This will show your certification to anyone searching people on Linkedin.  However, this method is very limited since it’s impractical to show multiple certifications, such as  “Smith, CSWA, CSWP, CSWP-WELDMENTS, CSWP-FEA”.  My recommendation for this method is to simply show the highest tier of certification you’ve earned (CSWA, CSWP or CSWE).

In addition to that method, you can list all of your certifications on Linkedin.  Linkedin gives you the ability to add Certifications as a heading on your profile.  To do this:

  1. Logon to Linkedin.com with your account.
  2. Goto Profile>Edit Profile.
  3. Linkedin HeadingsIf you haven’t already added Certifications to your profile, Certifications should appear in a list of unused headings to the right of your profile. (Please note that Linkedin has been changing its interface a lot recently, so current location of this area may change at some point.)
  4. Click on the plus symbol in the Certifications box.  This will take you to a new heading area under your profile.
  5. In Certification Name field, type in the name of the SolidWorks Certification.  For example, “Certified SolidWorks Professional”
  6. In Certification Authority field, type in “Dassault Systèmes”. As you type “Dass”, Linkedin will likely provide an autofill option Dassault Systèmes that includes the “è” so that you don’t have to work out how to create that character if you do not have a European keyboard.
  7. Under License Number, type in the validation code associated with your certification.  This code is used to verify that your cerification exists and that it belongs to you.
  8. In Dates, enter the month and year in which you earned your certification.
  9. Choose Save.
  10. Repeat for each certification you earn.
  11. You can use the reposition icon under the heading (upper right corner) to move your Certifications higher up on your profile to call attention to them quicker for visitors.
  12. Save and Exit the edit profile mode and view your profile to ensure your information is correct.
  13. You can use Linkedin to spammishly notify your contacts that you’ve updated your profile to include your certificates.  It might be a good idea for someone looking for employment, but otherwise, I would shy away from this functionality.

Example

SolidWorks World officially starts today (unofficially, two days ago)

SolidWorks World 2013 officially starts today.  The General Session promises to be great.  Yet, somehow, I’ve been busy since Saturday.  That’s because there is a significant amount of interaction with customers before the official start.  As mentioned by Matthew West on the SolidWorks Blog, the Product Definition and User Experience groups were conducting Alpha Testing for future releases.  Even more interaction with customers occurs on Sunday.  Some formal events occur on Sunday, like the CAD Managers Bootcamp.  Some informal events like the Tweepup were also scheduled.

Now it’s Monday morning.   Monday is usually a very busy day of the conference.  I’m looking forward to the day.  Last year, the experience of being employed by SolidWorks lead me to posting almost nothing during SolidWorks World.  I hope to be able to buck that trend this year, and post at least a few times on SolidWorks Legion.   If you are at the show, please pop by the Product Definition booth in the Northern Foyer.  You can find me there this afternoon.  Now, it’s time for me to go eat breakfast and prepare for the day!  And, keep an eye out for tweets from everyone at #sww13.

Free Certified SolidWorks Associate or Profession exam when you attend SolidWorks World 2013

There are a lot of extra benefits to attendees of SolidWorks World 2013.  One benefit is that when you sign up to attend, you are given the option to take a free SolidWorks certification exam at SolidWorks World.  My advice is that if you do not yet have certification, take the exam!  It’s free with your full conference pass!

There are two entry points for certification on SolidWorks:

  • SolidWorks Certified Associate (CSWA) which covers basic SolidWorks skills.
  • SolidWorks Certified Professional (CSWP) which covers deeper understanding of SolidWorks skills.  This certificate is required to qualify for advanced exam modules as you work your way to earning CSWE.

I’ve heard that some people shy away from taking the exam because they are not confident in their skills.   I’ve heard this from some well experienced individuals.  If you have neither certification and are nervous about the exam, then attempt the CSWA exam.  If you are already a CSWA or have been in industry for awhile, than take the CSWP-CORE exam.   Preparation is still very important in either case.  There are plenty of materials that are available to help get yourself read for the exam.  There’s even a sample exam with which you can practice!

The exams are held on Sunday, January 20, 2013, the afternoon prior to the official start of SolidWorks World 2013 at Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort.