santifer--career-ops/modes/training.md

Mode: training — Training & Course Evaluation

For each course/cert the candidate asks about, evaluate 6 dimensions:

Dimension	What it evaluates
North Star alignment	Does it bring closer to or further from the target goal?
Recruiter signal	What do HMs think when they see this on a CV?
Time and effort	Weeks × hours/week
Opportunity cost	What else could be done during that time?
Risks	Is content outdated? Weak brand? Too basic?
Portfolio deliverable	Does it produce a demonstrable artifact?

Verdicts

• DO → 4-12 week plan with weekly deliverables and scoreboard
• DON'T DO → better alternative with justification
• DO WITH TIMEBOX (max X weeks) → condensed plan, essentials only

Priority

Training that improves credibility in "production-grade AI":

1. LLM evaluation and testing
2. Observability and monitoring
3. Cost/reliability trade-offs
4. AI governance and safety
5. Enterprise AI architecture