Does it look bad on a resume to finish two certs in the same month?

doctorlexus

Finished CCNA a couple days ago and was going to take JNCIA on June 30th, but I was thinking maybe it would look better on the resume if I did it in July? Does that matter or does anyone care?

DoubleNNs

Nope. Doesn't matter -- especially since they are in the same domain. Instead, might look impressive. Don't limit yourself to make other people feel better about themselves.

I've never put my certification dates on my resume or LinkedIn tho. Personally, I don't think it's necessary -- just the fact that you passed and it's still valid (not expired).

doctorlexus

Thanks for the reply. I have month and year listed on mine, although I considered just listing the year. Mainly the only reason I list a date is so they know it's not expired.

cyberguypr

I've been certing since 2000 and never saw a need to put cert dates on my resume.

dustervoice

If a hiring manager views having certs back to back as a negative, you might not want to work for that company!

thomas_

cyberguypr wrote: »

I've been certing since 2000 and never saw a need to put cert dates on my resume.

I haven't been certing for nearly as long, but I have the same vew. If they want proof of a certification still being valid they will ask for it.

DoubleNNs

During my last interview, they asked when I got my certs. I don't know the motivation behind it -- but I just verbally told them. They didn't need anything else after that.

Betrayal

I don't see how finishing two certifications in the same month could possibly look bad!

If anything, it shows that you are highly motivated and have a good work ethic.

OctalDump

No. No one will care. If they see a whole bunch close together, then it might make them ask questions. Back when I was young and bright I did more than one in a day a couple of times.

As others have said, they are related, and if anything it might put you in a good light to show that you have some depth of understanding in networking and not just regurgitating the company line from one vendor.

636-555-3226

I never put dates on my resume and nobody has ever asked.

Danielm7

I'm with everyone else, never listed dates for certs, or GPAs for school either. I had one interview where one network engineer asked when I got my CCNA, I told him, he nodded, that was the end of it.

snokerpoker

I am the same. I never use dates or GPA.

I think it is totally acceptable in your case as both certs are related to very similar topics. Only difference is the vendor specific commands, etc.

doctorlexus

You guys omit dates for degrees, too?

chrisone

cyberguypr wrote: »

I've been certing since 2000 and never saw a need to put cert dates on my resume.

Ditto, you don't put dates on your certs.

Legacy User

I put gradation date for my degree but not dates for certs. As long as they are valid and you didn't brain **** it shouldn't matter. To add I don't think anyone would really care as long as you showcase your knowledge in the interview. In my current job they required a CCNA. I knocked the tech interview out of the park so I guess there was no need to verfiy my cert as it never was verified.

thomas_

I put month and year for my degree, but omit dates for my certs.

beads

College degrees have the years of graduation, yes.

CISSP-ISSAP and HCISPP have the certification number for verification, of course.

The rest? Never put a date out there. Just a waste of pixels, ink and/or toner. No one will care and it never comes up in interviews.

I did my A+ back in the dot com era. Though its still valid for life it does feel write putting it on a resume these days. Hiring managers care about what you know, that your willing and able to prove it on a daily basis.

- b/eads

OctalDump

I'm going to go a bit against the flow and suggest that sometimes putting dates for your achievements is a good thing. It can show that you have a continual track record of gaining new skills. It's more a CV feel than a resume feel. But as always, tailor it for the job you are applying for.

Pmorgan2

I don't think it would look bad to get two certifications in one month. It only shows that you certified in two areas in one month, not that you learned everything in one month.

Putting dates on your certifications is unnecessary and potentially causes more trouble than good. Although, they could show that you are continuously growing. If I saw a new certification every couple months, I would believe you will continue to get more while working for me.

doctorlexus

Well, it's good to know that no one thinks it's weird. Nevertheless, I think I'm going to postpone till next week as I'm feeling burned out. I might pass it if I took it now, but I only have one shot at the $50 deal.

Changed up my resume a bit, too. Didn't remove cert dates entirely, but I removed the month. I just have the year next to them, same as with degrees.

blargoe

I used to put dates on mine until I stopped updating my certs, and I thought it awkward to have a bunch of certs, but a gap of 3 years or so without trying any certs, so I just stopped putting dates.