Twenty years in the business and capped at RPL because of a degree requirement. Why the AAPL should build an experience-based path to the CPL.
I have 20 years in this industry. I've negotiated leases, worked title on an uncountable amount of acres, dealt with regulators, and brought younger landmen along the way. I've seen deals fall apart and put them back together. I've worked in boom markets and survived the busts. But because I don't have a four-year degree, I'm stuck at RPL with nowhere to go, and I'm not alone.
There are CPL holders right now who got that certification before the degree requirement existed. Nobody is taking it from them, nor should they. But the rest of us who came up after that change? We're just out. Doesn't matter how long you've been doing this, how many acres you've cleared, or how good you are at it. The door is closed, and there's no map to get through it.
Other industries have figured out how to give credit for real-world experience, military service, trade work, and other non-traditional backgrounds. College is not the only way to become a professional, and it never has been. Experience has always been a credential in most professions. This one should be no different.
The AAPL should create a pathway for career landmen to earn the CPL based on experience, demonstrated competency, and continuing education. Not just a diploma. The knowledge is there. The years are there. The profession just needs to recognize it.