INVESTIGATIVE SPOTLIGHT each credential, I would update my CV (curriculum vitae, an enhanced resume) and potential clients would read it and contact me about cases. It boosted my retirement income by $10K average each year. So, for expert witnessing, the more credentials the better! I didn’t go to college as a full-time The Magic Of Credentials IAIL President Tom Demont explains how credentials can boost your career and income. C an you believe we’re finishing one quarter of the year already? Where has the time gone? I spent the winter getting ready for this year’s educational classes. Updating books and manuals is very time consuming, and if it wasn’t for a crackling fire and a glass of “Mark Millers” Special Reserve bourbon or a single-malt scotch, I don’t think I could have made it through this crazy winter. Well, here spring is upon us, and I am raring to go out and mold some young and old minds. Whether I’m teaching building and fire codes, forensic locksmithing or shop man- agement for the small- to medium-size business, I am always on my phone helping a locksmith with a question about any of the above. There are so many ways we can help out our industry. Jim Hancock wrote a great article in this issue of Keynotes about giving back via our veterans scholarship program. What a great subject we should all get involved in as a way of saying thank you to the locksmith profession! Some locksmiths make fun of all of the credentials I have, and the basic ones (AHC, CAI, CML, CMIL and CFL) were all achieved before I retired. Since I retired, I picked up CFDI, CMST, ICML, IFDI and LSFDI. Why would I bother testing for creden- tials aſter I retired? Well, I’m part of that new breed of retired locksmiths who use the term “working retired!” Aſter retirement, I decided to roll up my sleeves and get more involved with ALOA and teaching. This led to a lot of studying and credential achievement in order to teach. Did I need them to teach? No, but the students like to know the person teaching them can show accomplishments and accreditation. Another interesting thing happened as I was achieving more credentials: My expert witness business started picking up through the referral agencies. With WWW.ALOA.ORG student until I was 42 and had already sold four companies. I felt that because I didn’t complete high school that a college diploma would be a cool thing to have, so off I went. After I figured out the system, I graduated in three years with honors and two diplomas — a Bachelor of Science in Labor Ne- gotiations and one in Women’s Studies — and then started my factory repre- sentative agency, Technical Sales, Inc. I took my AHC and CML exams while I was in college. So, any time is a good time to take your exams! Forensic locksmithing as an expert wit- ness is a great retirement profession. It draws on all those years of knowledge you have locked up in your mind that will go to waste unless you put it to work doing less physical work (just exercising your brain). Contact me for more information on this exciting new career. Tom Resciniti Demont, AHC, CAI, CFDI, CFL, CMIL, CML, CMST, ICML, IFDI, LSFDI, ARL, President, In- ternational Association of Investigative Locksmiths. [email protected] Get Published! IAIL members: Submi t your ar t icles for the Invest igat ive Spotlight department. Send your informat ion to Ross Squire at [email protected]. APRIL 2017 KEYNOTES 13
