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What Industry Certifications are Worth It?

Posted by Cliff on from the obtaining-those-wall-moutable-pieces-of-paper dept.

aries78 asks: "I've recently obtained my CCNP certification, and am contemplating on going for the oh-so-scary CCIE certification. In the meantime, I have been considering other potential certifications to supplement my resume while I'm working toward my bachelor's degree. I am curious, though, as to what kind of professional certifications Slashdotters have, and how, if at all, they have been of help."

2 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. Thinking about certifications... by chipuni · · Score: 5, Informative
    There's an easy answer:
    1. Open the newspaper to the classifieds section.
    2. Find the jobs that most closely match what you want to do.
    3. Read the ads, seeing whether any certifications are either required or recommended.

    I have one certification (Java Certified Programmer), and a Master's Degree in Computer Science. I have not needed any other certifications.

    --
    Never play leapfrog with a unicorn. Or a juggernaut.
  2. Re:does Masters or PHD help? by clark625 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Post graduate degrees are work experience. I don't know how many times people have asked why I didn't decide to go out to the "real world" and get experience. The truth is, graduate school isn't so much schooling as it is work. Hard work. Sure, you will probably get paid for the work but it's barely enough to live on. Don't get me wrong--it's worth every bit of the pain.

    Of course getting a Master's degree or PhD will get you higher pay. But it also sets the "ceiling", if you will, for how far up in a major company you can go. How many Fortune 500 companies are run by persons with their Bachelor's degree? Not many, unless they were the founder. And successors almost always have at least an MBA; but a PhD certainly helps. If you want to be a monkey all your life just following other's leadership and writing what they tell you, then your bachelor's is fine. But if you want to get into management, you really should consider an MBA. If you want to ever be a "director", VP, or whatever, you really want an MBA AND a post graduate degree in a technical field. The extra money earned is because you're worth every penny at that point.

    --
    Long, cute, or funny Sigs are just another form of over compensation, used by geeks, nerdz, etc.