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Are Non-Technical Certifications Worth Earning?
Nerval's Lobster writes: Everybody knows that certain technical certifications can boost your career. For developers and others, though, is it worth earning non-technical certifications such as the PMP (Project Management Professional), CRISC (which certifies that you're good at managing risk)? The short answer, of course, might be, 'Yes, if you plan on moving into management, or something highly specialized.' But for everybody else, it's hard to tell whether certain certifications are worth the time and money, on the nebulous hope that they'll pay off at some point in the future, or if you're better off just focusing on the technical certifications for certain hard skills.
There are thousands of different types of certifications, so many that most are unheard of and useless.
As a matter of fact, if you send me $100, I will certify you as being a online purchasing specialist. I'll even print you a nice Word 97 template certificate of completion to hang on your basement wall!
I don't have a snazzy acronym for this certificate filled in yet; I'm trying to find descriptive words that will fit the acronym A.S.S.H.A.T.
This should certainly make your resume memorable to future hiring managers.
Left MS Windows for Linux Mint and never looked back!
Vote for Bernie in 2016!
Ahhhh, yes.
The answer is PMP is a useful certification, but like every cert there's always a bunch of clowns that can pass the course but can't manage a wet paper bag. Experience and a good track record is always a much better indicator than a cert.
"Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem." -- Jefferson
The most important certs just about anyone can get that most will never put on a resume would be a First Aid/CPR/BLS course. If you are an outdoors person around bodies of water a lot, a lifeguard course wouldn't be too bad to have under your belt as well.
After that, certs really become more specialized training in whatever your work field is...
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
If you're asking which certs give a high probability that the certificate holder can do the job, that's one thing. If you're asking which certs will get you on the short list for a hiring interview, that's another.
PMP may actually appear on both lists. I know that it appears on a lot of postings for Project Managers. And project mgmt isn't just managing Gantt charts. It's a whole sub-discipline under Industrial Engineering.
The big certs right now appear to be for security pros.
We are the 198 proof..