The assumption that people have referees and the requirement for same underpins a lot of society and employment. Somebody, whether paid to or otherwise, is supposed to vouch for you. It is a part of the itchy back game.

A while back I contacted the membership secretariats of The Royal Society of Chemistry and The Institute of Physics both UK organisations which offer professional qualifications. My membership of these had long since lapsed and I inquired if I might bring that membership back from the dead or if I would need to apply anew. I was told that I needed to apply again and that I needed referees in order to be accepted as a member. I had to have someone vouch that I was a professional chemist or a professional physicist in order to be a chartered, C.Chem. or C.Phys..

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As I am out of practise so to speak, it seemed apt to me. It made sense. In order to claim professional ability in and with subject I would need evidence of practice and/or someone to bear witness on my ability on my behalf. There is nobody who can do this who has any currency of knowledge relating to me. I am therefore not acceptable as a member to either august body.

I am most certainly not a jolly good fellow thereof.

Were I to claim professional experience I could not use the postnominals above indicating charter. My degree is over forty years old and I don’t think people think of luminiferous aether and dephlogisticated air any more…

I could however set myself up to tutor privately at science “A” level in the UK or for those taking UK exams.

I could go to the local vet and have the length of my teeth measured a fact I could put in the blurb advertising my services. I would have to build up a happy customer review basis. Which would mean attracting students would be better in the second and third year of business.

It is kind of funny that I am no longer considered professionally qualified…I could not claim to be a qualified teacher. I do not have qualified teacher status, QTS.

I can however make patent applications even though the intellectual property office advises strongly that I do not do this on my own without expensive professional advice.

There are a lot of things which seem to need permission…

I wonder what I am qualified in and thereby allowed to do these days…