More certification venting

I know this is a never ending topic.

Just to vent...

I am currently pursuing my Cisco "CCNP", I am doing it to increase my knowledge and to prove my expertise for future advancement in my career.

I did a search on google for "ccnp certification" on google. I was surprised at the huge range of suspected **** sites from the sponsored links "in just 3 days guaranteed!" etc... this is absolutely crazy!

How are our certificates expected to be valuable in the next few years, when even the most
unsuspecting certification student is drawn to these sites?

I am a little afraid to invest $$$ on the four exams CCNP exams if the value continues to drop.
In my opinion, looking at the current trends of examinations and the lack of support from certification providers, I think my CCNP will be worthless in the next 3-4 years. Unfortunately there seems to be no other substitute other then CCIE which is beyond the qualifications needed for the average networking job.

Prometric & Pearson method of examination/testing seem to be easily exploited.

Someone please tell me there are changes on the horizon to protect our investment.

Thats all.

Cheers,
Prophet

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Comments

initiald

I did a search on google for "ccnp certification" on google. I was surprised at the huge range of suspected **** sites from the sponsored links "in just 3 days guaranteed!" etc... this is absolutely crazy!

It's one thing to be certified...but it's another thing to be certified and actually know your ****! You get one of these clowns [who did the 3 day certify thing] in an interview and they'll fall flat on their face! Don't worry buddy. Keep studying and working hard....like me!

Oh yeah, great pic by the way.

Peace.

mrkorean

I agree, people who use **** with no experience will get found out during interviews. The certifications may attract/fool recruitment agencies but not the technical guy who is going to hire you.

I am pursuing CCNP as well, its worth doing because there are so much to learn from it. I learn something new everyday in my BSCI study. With actual work experience and CCNP certification, your future will be bright.

-prophet-

initiald wrote:

Oh yeah, great pic by the way.

Peace.

haha, I'm glad my girlfriend doesn't visit this forum

computerguy9355

dude you need to chill out

thats what interview is for

obviously if the hiring manager can't differentiate between a paper ccnp and a real ccnp, you don't want to work there anyway.

mrkorean

computerguy9355 wrote:

dude you need to chill out

thats what interview is for

obviously if the hiring manager can't differentiate between a paper ccnp and a real ccnp, you don't want to work there anyway.

I went to an interview once and I said I am pursuing CCNP and the technical manager said "I have done CCNP! Ask me any questions! I tell you a tip, I used this fantastic braindump product, its really good and listed all the questions and answers."

I was shocked at this and after a few days thinking about their job offer, I turned it down.

Kaminsky

Although we hope and pray that the interview will weed these guys out but if not, the company gets what they deserve.

However, the increasing number of CCNPs in your job market area, whether good ones or bad ones, will have an effect of lowering the salaries on the grounds that there will always be someone who will apply for a cheaper posted job when the advertiser chances their arm at lowering the salary. Next advertiser does the same, next advertiser does the same and so on, driving the salary down. The only saving grace will be the CCNPs who do know their stuff and certainly will not work for those lower salaries, will get a reputation and a higher salary because of it.... hopefully.

NinjaBoy

I know that I sound like a broken record, but this is why I say that professional certs should go hand-in-hand with your job, regardless of whether it's MS, Comptia or Cisco.

This is why alot of "entry" level jobs are requesting MCSE's, CCNP's.

Oh well, that's my little rant

-Ken

pasajohn

Hi, I am new to the certification process. I do have my MCP and am pursuing my MCSA. I am enrolled in an IT academy, but please someone help me out here. Maybe this is a stupid question, but I beg your patience. What is a brain ****?

sprkymrk

pasajohn wrote:

Hi, I am new to the certification process. I do have my MCP and am pursuing my MCSA. I am enrolled in an IT academy, but please someone help me out here. Maybe this is a stupid question, but I beg your patience. What is a brain ****?

No problem, check out these links for your answer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_****

http://www.mcmcse.com/articles/braindumps.shtml

deneb829

computerguy9355 wrote:

thats what interview is for

obviously if the hiring manager can't differentiate between a paper ccnp and a real ccnp, you don't want to work there anyway.

This is the key right there. I interviewed someone who was a paper MCSE. You can tell the difference.

Certifications serve 2 main purposes:

1. Get you in the door to an interview.

2. Some company's need to have a certain amount of CCNAs CCNPs, MCSAs, MCSEs, etc on staff to get certain partnership benefits with the vendors and for selling and support clout

People mistake understanding of a subject for an actual skill. I can learn the answers to the ASE (auto mechanic's exam) and pass the test, but that doesn't make me a mechanic. If I bluffed my way past an interview, I don't think I'd last long on the job.

Webmaster

It's the results of someone disclosing information about her/his exam. Using such information is cheating.

As for the interview argument in this topic: unfortunately it doesn't work that way. You are assuming the person used only **** and doesn't know anything but ****. That's often not the case. The cheater who normally would have failed twice and would have had to put in that extra effort to pass it the third time, reads a **** to give himself that unfair advantage he needs to pass.

I've had litteraly dozens of coworkers who were able to talk their way through an interview and would not have been certified without ****. Most of them went flat on their face eventually but only after capable professional wasted a lot of time working with them.

That said, certification is what 'you' make of it so don't let the bad choices from others demotivate you.

sprkymrk

mrkorean wrote:

I agree, people who use **** with no experience will get found out during interviews. The certifications may attract/fool recruitment agencies but not the technical guy who is going to hire you.

computerguy9355 wrote:

thats what interview is for

Kaminsky wrote:

Although we hope and pray that the interview will weed these guys out but if not, the company gets what they deserve.

deneb829 wrote:

Certifications serve 2 main purposes:

1. Get you in the door to an interview.

2. Some company's need to have a certain amount of CCNAs CCNPs, MCSAs, MCSEs, etc on staff to get certain partnership benefits with the vendors and for selling and support clout

The interview is only one problem that paper-tigers present. The 2nd problem, which in my observation is just as bad, is when you are dealing with co-workers who are already employed that use **** and the resulting certifications to advance their career. They can end up getting the raises and promotions you deserve simply by amassing certifications that the company requires. It makes them look good to the boss, HR, and upper management. They already have a job, and maybe they are even good at it, but there is no "interview" process involved beyond a job performance annual review, and if they aren't screwing up in other ways, all the certs they add throughout the year gives them clout they don't deserve.

Yes, hopefully they will eventually be found out, but meanwhile those who may be more deserving can be passed over for the raises and promotions. Fortunately this has not happened to me, but I have seen it happen to friends of mine in the industry.

sprkymrk

Webmaster wrote:

That said, certification is what 'you' make of it so don't let the bad choices from others demotivate you.

Best advice.