College and university advancement professionals comment on when their colleagues should invest in advanced education and when it is unnecessary. The practical benefits of advanced training and the clout that credentials offer are examined, and how to determine how much and what kind of training to seek is discussed. (MSE)

In addition to resume and recommendation checks, writing samples, and interviews, editors hired for college/university public relations and publications should be tested for skills in proofreading, copy editing, writing, reporting, story assigning, and story-idea generation. Applicants may be reluctant to take tests; objections can be defused in…