Your Questions – Answered! Community Q&A

Infosec_Sam

Hello everyone! I’m excited to announce a new project we have in the works, and we need your help with it! Later this year, we will be publishing a video series on the Infosec YouTube channel where we pull leaders from our TechExams community to answer YOUR questions about IT careers and certifications.

So, here’s what I need from you: What questions do you have about IT careers or certifications? This could be security, networking, management or sysadmin related – anything you’re curious about! Throw them into the comments below and we will choose a few to have answered in quick 3-5 minute videos.

Swift6

Thanks @Infosec_Sam

While certification is respected and valued, it also carries a tarnished image in the eyes of many professionals.
What can be done to improve the image and value of certification among industry professionals?

McxRisley

Swift6 said:

Thanks @Infosec_Sam

While certification is respected and valued, it also carries a tarnished image in the eyes of many professionals.
What can be done to improve the image and value of certification among industry professionals?

Certifications having a tarnished image is very subjective and depends on which one you are talking about. There are plenty of certifications that are still regarded very highly among us. As for what can be done to improve the image and value in the industry, certifications need to be more hands on. The majority of the certifications that are held highly are hands-on. 

Johnhe0414

McxRisley said:

"Certifications having a tarnished image is very subjective and depends on which one you are talking about."

THIS

I have worked with people in the IT industry that simply refuse to accept certifications, yet in the same organization, HR would lists certifications as a requirement for some positions.

I personally value certification and encourage my colleagues, coworkers, friends to certify.

PC509

Some certifications are great for entry level people with little to no experience. Others are great for those with experience. (CompTIA trifecta for those entry level looking for a foot in the door, CCNP for experienced professionals, for example). I'd love to see some examples of different career paths and what certs are best for entry level working up to professional level after some experience.  

PC509

How many certs and which ones do you include on your resume? After you reach a more expert level, do you include the lower level or non-relevant to the position certifications? What about relevant but expired certifications (include the "expired" nomenclature on resume?). 

JDMurray

For even more questions, I would suggest making a listing of subject lines from the discussion threads in the IT Jobs forum (going back 16 years) and looking at the ones worded in the form of a question. Many common themes will appear, such as:

• Why does every employer seem to have different hiring criteria and practices?
• What is the best way to know how to get a job at a given business?
• Do employers actually check if you have the certs listed on your resume?
• Do employers check if the certs listed on your resume are expired or even care if they are expired?
• How do you check if someone has a specific cert or if a cert is expired?
• Is the cert I just received regarded by employers equally or better as the same cert someone else got 5, 10, 15, or 20 years ago? (CISSP, CCNA, MCSE, A+, Network+, Security+, etc.)
• How accurate are the requirements listed in job postings? (It seems like employers are asking for a lot of knowledge and skills that they don't really need for the job.)
• Do I really need a college degree to get a technical job or can I just get a  lot of certs instead?
• How much money can I make without a degree? Can I make a lot of money with just certs?
• Why does a job in a small town usually pay less than the same job in a big city?
• Should I consider local income tax and labor laws when looking for a new job?
• Should I consider a (non-USA) job overseas?
• I am a technical person in the military. What should I do to get ready for technical employment in the private sector?
• What are the advantages of commercial versus government employment (and vice versa)?
• How do I change my career to XYZ?
• How do I find work in XYZ?

odomscd

I am a retired Signal Officer from the Army.  Certifications were not needed or required then.  However, which certifications are the best match for a retired Signal Officer who wants to transitions to a civilian position?

bigdogz

I think @JDMurray hit most of them.
Here are a some of others

Why should I take a vendor neutral exam over Microsoft / Cisco / Juniper / Checkpoint?
How should I best update my SANS certifications?
What if I have gaps ( 3 months/ 1 year/ 2 years) of unemployment while trying to look for work?
Is there something I can provide my potential employer in regards to my background check so I don't keep getting requests that lower my score(not by much)?