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Are Certifications Worth the Time and Money?
Nerval's Lobster writes: Having one or more certifications sounds pretty sensible in today's world, doesn't it? Many jobs demand proof that you've mastered a particular technology. But is the argument for spending lots of time and money to earn a certification as ironclad as it seems? In a new column, developer David Bolton argues 'no.' Most certifications just prove you can pass tests, he argues, not mastery of a particular language or platform; and given the speed at which technology evolves, most are at risk of becoming quickly outdated. Plus they aren't the sole determiner of whether you can actually land a job: 'Recruiters sometimes have trouble determining a developer's degree of technical experience, and so insist upon certificates or tests to judge abilities. If you manage to get past them to the job interview, the interviewer (provided they're also a developer) can usually get a good feel for your actual programming ability and whether you'll fit well with the group.' Are certifications mostly a rip-off, or are some (especially the advanced ones) actually useful, as many people insist?
they're your admission "ticket" to get the interview.
My advice has been to get the cheapest and fastest degree you can (from a correctly accredited school). It doesn't matter what the degree is in. Once you've cleared that hurdle you can look at advanced degrees in subjects that may be more work-focused for you.
You can spend $15K on a degree. You can spend $150K on a degree. Your pedigree will only matter in certain firms or with certain people.
No. Now fuck off Dice.
The problem is how to judge expertise on a resume.
Not just resume. I talk to them. Ask them questions. Usually, I know if I'll hire them within ten minutes. If they have a passion for programming. I never regretted hiring a programmer.
no, I don't have a sig
True on this. My wife has been studying for this for the last 3 months and takes the test in 2 weeks. PMP appears to be the gold standard for project management. Combine that with a ScrumMaster cert and you can get a job anywhere. Half the ScumMaster's I know couldn't pass the PMP and went Scrum since it was easier.
...on the job. A colleague of mine with 30+ years of experience was recently turned down for a job because he didn't have a 4-year University certification. Many of the Program Management jobs I've seen require a PMP certification. Same with some IT jobs who want a CCNE or something along those lines.
Certifications are like grade points. They are precisely as important as the interviewer thinks they are. And that's it.
You mean because I have 5 certs and am working on a 6th and 7th means you'll shitcan my resume without even seeing that I have 31 years of experience in IT?
3Com 3Wizard Certification
Solaris Certified System Administrator
Solaris Certified Network Administrator
Cisco Certified Network Administrator
Cisco Certified Network Professional
And I'm taking my Red Hat Certified System Administrator and Red Hat Certified Engineer tests next month.
I take them more as a confirmation that I know my stuff and to bone up on the things my job doesn't prepare me for like SELinux, building RPMs, and Red Hat specific stuff like systemctl/systemd, etc. We're still using Red Hat 6 so studying and taking the 7 tests is a challenge, especially with no training materials. I'm taking the 6 book and running a 6 environment on my CentOS 7 desktop and identifying the differences.
[John]
Shit better not happen!