Are employers really that knowledgable?

Here's a disturbing trend that I've found after having surfed Monster.com for networking jobs. It's amazing how many job postings ask for certifications in a way that exposes a lack of knowledge of the certs themselves.

For example, I can't tell you how many jobs I've seen with:

CCNA/CCNP/CCIE preferred but not required.

or

CCNA and/or CCNP preferred. << huh? You can't even have a CCNP without a CCNA.

Each certification is exponentially more difficult than the one prior. Who the heck is going to take a CCNA just as well as a CCIE? I encourage you to take a look at the job boards and see how often the certs get botched.

Don't get me wrong. Some of the employers know exactly what they want. Though, others just want an "IT guy" and would take a Microsoft cert just as well as a Cisco cert or maybe even another company's cert. My guess is that this is an indicator of a job that could turn into just about anything. Also, some job postings ask for so much more than others -- and for the same pay. It's just funny.

Also, it seems that there are some jobs that ask for such a specific set of skillsets that they're just asking for someone to B.S. them in an interview.

Has anyone noticed this?
Since starting the certification process, I've stayed with the same company, so, I haven't had much experience job hunting. It's an eye opener.

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Comments

EdTheLad

pizzafart wrote:

For example, I can't tell you how many jobs I've seen with:

CCNA/CCNP/CCIE preferred but not required.

or

CCNA and/or CCNP preferred. << huh? You can't even have a CCNP without a CCNA.

CCNA/CCNP/CCIE preferred but not required.
Self explanitory, this basically means the company would prefer you to have one of these certs but if you have loads of experience and never bothered with the cert track their still interested.

CCNA and/or CCNP preferred.
This means CCNA and CCNP or only CCNA, your understanding is incorrect.
Alot of these jobs advertised on jobsites are not actual jobs! Agencies post dummy jobs to get your CV.So the add is written including alot of buzz words so it will be found with a search engine.So dont worry so much about employers knowledge rather than agents knowledge!

eurotrash

CCNA and/or CCNP preferred.
This means CCNA and CCNP or only CCNA, your understanding is incorrect.

actually it means both or either one.

wildfire

What you need to bear in mind is that these adverts are often written by the companies HR deparment, so A technical manager will go in and say we need blah blah, the HR person will write the advert give it a recruiter or post it. By the time you read it its been through a series of non technical people.

I recently applied for one job, the recruiter went through the usual bumph, then asked me did I know about FRBGP , now reading it on paper someone had forgotten the comma between FR and BGP, but the this recruiter was inistant that this was an essential skill required, Google FRGBP and all you get is the advert for that particular job.

Take job adverts with a pinch of salt, Ive been to a couple of interviews latley where they say the want somone who can plan do everything like plan a NSSA mission and when you get there they want the guy who serves the coffee to the team!!

mapelston

Many company's are out sourcing the hiring of IT people because HR people can't tell when someone is qualified. However, IT recruiters are just sales people so they don't know either. This often tells you something about the hiring company. For really good jobs at really good companies, there is usually already some IT savy individuals working there. They will ask technical questions to test your knowledge. For the really good jobs you will likely be asked to work on a test network to prove your knowledge. This all stems from candidates coming in with no experience but alot of certs. The trick is to obtain your certs in a manner which will prepare you to actually accomplish the job. For Cisco this means working on a home lab of routers. You can teach yourself at the ccna ccnp level and most of the ccie level. For rack rentals try enablemode.
I've been satisfied with them. Whatever you do, prepare yourself for the real world.

indubasu

I have seen job ads where they have something written like this:
'MCP or MCSE is a must'..
Now what do u make of this?.. MCP is just one exam whereas MCSE is 7 exams.. Also being a MCSE indicates u r also a MCP.. How can you do an 'OR' between the two? kind of confusing I suppose

eurotrash

indubasu wrote:

I have seen job ads where they have something written like this:
'MCP or MCSE is a must'..
Now what do u make of this?.. MCP is just one exam whereas MCSE is 7 exams.. Also being a MCSE indicates u r also a MCP.. How can you do an 'OR' between the two? kind of confusing I suppose

sort of...but not really.

MCP or MCSE indicates that you can have either of them. i guess it would be more technically correct to say MCP or MCP+MCSE, but it's a bit redundant. or "from MCP through MCSE".

also MCP doesn't necessarily mean ONE exam, i've done 3 exams and will do a fourth soon, and i will still be just an MCP.

indubasu

Yeah but if u do one of the MCSA electives u will be an MCSA in addition to being an MCP... My point is that u can pass just one exam to be an MCP (to meet the job requirement I mentioned earlier) and u can still be an MCP if u pass several other exams enroute to MCSA/MCSE.