u/Knrstz64

BEI advanced Interpreter here with an EIPA 4.5. I’ve passed the casli written but struggle to understand why I should pursue my NIC. I live in Seattle and with the exception of legal, (which I have no interest in doing), I’ve not been denied for any work. I’ve not been paid less for it. If people ask if I’m certified and I tell them I have a BEI advanced, they immediately acknowledge it as equivalent. I believe if I wanted the most difficult, high-end top paid work then the NIC would be beneficial. I personally thought the TEP was much more practical to the real world than the CASLI written test, which asked the same question 18 times.
I’m being a bit facetious, but that’s my opinion.

I’m BEI certified in the state of Illinois. The dues cost less. There are less CEU’s required to maintain my credential. RID has been a complete soap opera for a long time now. I know there are a lot of people that have more formal education than me and will always be in favor of NIC. This isn’t an insult to your hard work and experience. For me this is a simple math equation. The reality is, we are all trying to make a living and we have to weigh costs versus ROI. I’m not trying to troll or start controversy, but I think it’s a fair discussion whether or not RID is even worth it anymore with their internal squabbling, drama and higher fees.

I’ve got a Bumble coffee date Sunday morning. I live in Lynnwood and don’t have much experience in Redmond since I only moved to Washington last year. Where is a good local place that has a good environment for conversation?

I have a local school district interested in hiring me for some direct contract work. I have everything I need except some type of document specifying the terms. Does anyone have a very general form they would be willing to share?

Is the medical certification testing offered anywhere outside of Texas? I have a BEI advanced from the state of Illinois. However, my understanding is that I don’t meet the qualifications to test for the BEI in any form in Texas due to not having a degree. However, Illinois allows for BEI testing without a degree but they don’t offer medical certification testing.

I had to sell all of my grills and smokers when I went through divorce and moved into an apartment. Well, now I’m moving into a house and it’s time to get back into it. I’ve had a Kamodo big Joe, a Weber Smoky Mountain, a Weber kettle, a PK go and several others. Right now I am looking for what would be the best option for a charcoal smoker and grill that provides indirect grilling.
I have limited it down to either a Weber Summit Kamodo , PK 360 or,the large huntsman sypder. I really liked my big joe. I think it’s a better smoker than for indirect grilling. The big Joe is better than the regular joke because indirect grilling is harder for me on a regular Joe because the fire is below you and it’s hard to really get to the side. I think the Weber kettle is great. I had some quality control issues with my kettle. I liked that the summit kamado provides a lot of what the big Joe provides however it’s not near as heavy. Due to where I live moving and weight will be a factor. I’ve used PK go to know the build quality. I actually think I would be happy with the PK original because I’m not going to smoke many briskets. I’ll mainly be doing pork butt chicken and maybe some smaller brisket at times but not often the Weber Smoky Mountain is great, but not really more than a smoker. So between the three options I’ve listed, what would you recommend?