Hoover, who had worked as a professional engineer, championed scientific flood control.

FORBES: American Pyramids

Sabiston, a professional programmer and engineer, got Nintendo to send him a DS software development kit which allowed him to pump out a sweet painting and animation app to make his DS bot a visual virtuoso (example pictured left).

ENGADGET: Nintendo DS bots in full force

The site is run by Matt Wolin, a 28-year old Chicagoan, who is a software engineer by day and an aspiring professional photographer at night.

BBC: Expert portraits in touristy spots

While there is no doubt certifications open the door and improve your chances of getting an interview, official recognitions are not the silver bullet, says Wayne Botha, a project manager with two designations: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

CNN: Does your resume need new acronyms?

Mr Kleisterlee, an articulate Dutchman who trained as an engineer and has worked for Philips all his professional life, now has to limit the same investors' inevitable sense of disappointment.

ECONOMIST: Philips��s new frontiersman