[thaumaturgy]

Fair. I should've thought of designers and photographers. Ballet makes sense, since there are trials for prestigious orchestras and the like, but that isn't something I knew about.

When I wrote my comment, I was thinking of the medical profession, dentistry, auto & other mechanics, appliance and other device repair, construction ("there's a pile of lumber in the back, you have an hour to build a shed and then we'll consider hiring you"), plumbing, civil engineering ...

[adevine]

Most of those other professions you listed have much more meaningful and standardized certifications than software. A board certified cardiologist has already demonstrated real proficiency by going through the process to get certified. In software, the whole reason for these complicated hiring processes is that no one really trusts software certifications, and even company pedigree is not always a reliable signal.