Do you display your certifications at work?

remyforbes777

royal wrote:

All my certs are in a box sitting in my closet. I don't carry the wallet cards, don't hang up my certs, etc... They are listed on my resume and that is it. I saw some guy who sent an e-mail to me that had 3-4 lines in his signature filled with certificates. I was disgusted. I think it's poor taste and somewhat arrogant (not completely arrogant) to list certs in your signature. Maybe one is fine, but when you start listing several certificates, gimme a break. Certifications don't make you what you are. Knowing your stuff is what makes you what you are. Do your job good and certificates don't mean squat. Just do your certificates because your job wants you to, to validate your existing knowledge, you need to make yourself more marketable for potential jobs, or to give you the motivation to learn.

Whats so funny and ironic about this is all the certs that he has displayed as well as the ones he is working on. HA

royal

remyforbes777 wrote:

royal wrote:

All my certs are in a box sitting in my closet. I don't carry the wallet cards, don't hang up my certs, etc... They are listed on my resume and that is it. I saw some guy who sent an e-mail to me that had 3-4 lines in his signature filled with certificates. I was disgusted. I think it's poor taste and somewhat arrogant (not completely arrogant) to list certs in your signature. Maybe one is fine, but when you start listing several certificates, gimme a break. Certifications don't make you what you are. Knowing your stuff is what makes you what you are. Do your job good and certificates don't mean squat. Just do your certificates because your job wants you to, to validate your existing knowledge, you need to make yourself more marketable for potential jobs, or to give you the motivation to learn.

Whats so funny and ironic about this is all the certs that he has displayed as well as the ones he is working on. HA

On a forum where we discuss certifications... The topic is what we do at work. Our profile asks us what certifications we have and I enter. Apples to oranges.

Slowhand

I carry the cards in my wallet, I list them on my resume, but I don't have any of the pieces of paper framed or put up. I might, once I finish something like MCSE, (just for the sake of having finished the journey,) or something more prestegeous. Of course, should I ever get that magic CCIE number. . . I plan on having it tattooed across my ass, so that anytime someone asks me "what are your qualifications?", I can hop up on their desk, drop trou, and inform them how much I expect to be paid.

undomiel

For the sake of your career I hope you never get that CCIE.

TechJunky

Heh, this is a motivational site, so why not post the certs that are relevant to this site? Plus it helps those who are viewing the information posted to decide if the information is valid from past experience, etc.

I have a bunch of vendor specific certs but I dont have those in my signature...

I think having certs listed that we cover on this site is fine.

malcybood

Keep certs in my file at home also......

............Here's a question for you though, does anybody list any certs on business cards or email signatures i.e.

Mr T
Network Admin
The A Team Ltd
A+, Network +, CCNA, CCNP, CCIE R&S

E: crazyfool@the-ateam.org.uk
w: www.the-ateam.org.uk

I do not do this myself but I have met a few security consultants and Solutions architects that list CCISP or CCIE# on their signatures / business cards - this I think is OK.

However there is a certain hardware vendor that I think encourges their staff to add A+, DCSE, Net+ etc in their signature. Personally I don't see any real need for this unless you're trying to put the feelers out for a new job discreetly - No disrespect to these certs this is just an example!

What do you folks think?

EDIT - Just seen royal's post on this, but still interested to know if anybody does this

jbaello

royal wrote:

All my certs are in a box sitting in my closet. I don't carry the wallet cards, don't hang up my certs, etc... They are listed on my resume and that is it. I saw some guy who sent an e-mail to me that had 3-4 lines in his signature filled with certificates. I was disgusted. I think it's poor taste and somewhat arrogant (not completely arrogant) to list certs in your signature. Maybe one is fine, but when you start listing several certificates, gimme a break. Certifications don't make you what you are. Knowing your stuff is what makes you what you are. Do your job good and certificates don't mean squat. Just do your certificates because your job wants you to, to validate your existing knowledge, you need to make yourself more marketable for potential jobs, or to give you the motivation to learn.

+1 but wouldn't we want to display our accomplishments

I don't post any certs at work, only on my resume and in here, my IT Director is completely against certifications...

nel

Nope, i dont.

But if it was something major like CCIE, MCA or a MBA then i would probably put it up on the wall at home

And if i were a CCIE i would be v.tempted to put that in my title of my email signature but thats a point i havent came to yet, so i'll let you know!

@malcybood

Mr T
Network Admin
The A Team Ltd
A+, Network +, CCNA, CCNP, CCIE R&S

E: crazyfool@the-ateam.org.uk
w: www.the-ateam.org.uk

! ! ! !...crazy fool! i aint gettin on no plane!...ahh those were the days

I agree, i would not put the certs i have attained so far on my email etc, i would only put the big cheese on there!

dynamik

Slowhand wrote:

I carry the cards in my wallet, I list them on my resume, but I don't have any of the pieces of paper framed or put up. I might, once I finish something like MCSE, (just for the sake of having finished the journey,) or something more prestegeous. Of course, should I ever get that magic CCIE number. . . I plan on having it tattooed across my ass, so that anytime someone asks me "what are your qualifications?", I can hop up on their desk, drop trou, and inform them how much I expect to be paid.

Glad to see you're keeping that dream alive!

az_golfer

After a year of study to obtain my MCSE I bought a cheap $5 frame from Walmart and hung it on my office wall in a non-obnoxious location close to my monitor. It's not in anyone's face but it is in eye shot while I work.

I like it.

Slowhand

dynamik wrote:

Slowhand wrote:

I carry the cards in my wallet, I list them on my resume, but I don't have any of the pieces of paper framed or put up. I might, once I finish something like MCSE, (just for the sake of having finished the journey,) or something more prestegeous. Of course, should I ever get that magic CCIE number. . . I plan on having it tattooed across my ass, so that anytime someone asks me "what are your qualifications?", I can hop up on their desk, drop trou, and inform them how much I expect to be paid.

Glad to see you're keeping that dream alive!

Some dreams never die. They linger, like horrible, horrible burns on your retinas.

gojericho0

I think once I get my professional certifications like CCNP I will put that on my business cards just to reinforce my ability

TryPingingTheServer

My degree is proudly displayed within the safe confines of my apartment. No intent on displaying anything at work though.

remyforbes777

royal wrote:

remyforbes777 wrote:

royal wrote:

All my certs are in a box sitting in my closet. I don't carry the wallet cards, don't hang up my certs, etc... They are listed on my resume and that is it. I saw some guy who sent an e-mail to me that had 3-4 lines in his signature filled with certificates. I was disgusted. I think it's poor taste and somewhat arrogant (not completely arrogant) to list certs in your signature. Maybe one is fine, but when you start listing several certificates, gimme a break. Certifications don't make you what you are. Knowing your stuff is what makes you what you are. Do your job good and certificates don't mean squat. Just do your certificates because your job wants you to, to validate your existing knowledge, you need to make yourself more marketable for potential jobs, or to give you the motivation to learn.

Whats so funny and ironic about this is all the certs that he has displayed as well as the ones he is working on. HA

On a forum where we discuss certifications... The topic is what we do at work. Our profile asks us what certifications we have and I enter. Apples to oranges.

I am just poking fun. I don't agree with you totally about it being arrogant and poor taste though but to each his own.

NetAdmin2436

I don't have any certs hanging in my cubical at work. Mainly because it's so small and crowded as it is. I wouldn't display mine at work anyways, unless maybe i owned the company with a large office. Besides, it would clash with my family guy calendar anyways...and I'm not giving that up.

I do have an spare bedroom at home that i kinda turned into an 'office'. I do have my degrees and network+ hanging on the walls.....I think i got lazy or ran out of money for new frames the rest of my certs. The rest of my certs are currently in my file cabinet. I just received my wallet cards from Microsoft the other day and....yeah, they made there way into my file cabinet. It was motivating at first to walk into my 'office' at first. Now I get depressed because it needs to be cleaned.

I do have an email template when i email a new person that shows my certs. But internally at work or people I know and contact regularly i don't display any certs.

IT_Admin

I have thought about displaying my certs @ work. I think it looks a little tacky. My wife however is the opposite, she always tells me, "you worked hard to get them, you should be proud to show them off, not hiding them in the bedroom."

I kinda agree with her, but I still think it looks tacky, I also thinks that she just wants the wall space to hang stuff up

So we'll see, maybe....

dynamik

You guys really think putting certs in your email sig is arrogant?

Here's my sig:

CompTIA Security+
MCP - Microsoft Certified Professional - 70-270: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional
MCP - Microsoft Certified Professional - 70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment
MCP - Microsoft Certified Professional - 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
MCP - Microsoft Certified Professional - 70-293: Planning and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
MCP - Microsoft Certified Professional - 70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure
MCP - Microsoft Certified Professional - 70-298: Designing Security for a Windows Server 2003 Network
MCP - Microsoft Certified Professional - 70-299: Implementing and Administering Security in a Windows Server 2003 Network
MCTS - Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist - 70-620: Windows Vista – Configuration
MCSA 2003 - Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator on Windows Server 2003
MCSE 2003 - Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer on Windows Server 2003
MCSA 2003: Security - Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Security on Windows Server 2003
MCSE 2003: Security - Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security on Windows Server 2003

Is that too much? I deal with a lot of non-technical people, so I thought it'd be a good idea to spell everything out...

Edit: Just to be clear, that was a joke.

ladiesman217

How about using Microsoft logos in your resume, do you think it helps or just a major turn off?

Mishra

ladiesman217 wrote:

How about using Microsoft logos in your resume, do you think it helps or just a major turn off?

They are big bulky and horrible looking on a resume in my opinion. People want substance on resume, not graphics.

Inc

Animated gifs for the win

cbigbrick

If my boss needs to see them, I'll tell him that I will bring them in tomorrow.

Ahriakin

Guess I'm the voice of dissent. I didn't hang any for about a year and then did them all. I figured screw it I earned them, it's not rubbing it in anyone's face just taking up blank space on a wall with milestones of achievement. Our CIO said I had a lot of furs on the wall . When I started my current job the IT director was retiring and she kept hovering over me for my first/her last week asking if I really knew what I was doing. She came back for some contract work about 18 months later and the moment of silence when she looked at the wall made it all worth it....yep petty I know but to someone who really didn't understand what we did (hence retirement) it meant something, not the best way to earn respect I know but still....

LifelongLearner

I don't have my certs at work but they are proudly displayed on the wall of my home office opposite my desk so they are always within visual range. LOL. I've got them all up there and I'm proud of them. Even the comptia ones. It was they which bought me where I'm now... Ok, well experience too

vsmith3rd

On second thought (I posted earlier on this topic), I'm getting a bunch of T-shirts printed up, that lists all my certs. I'm putting them in my e-mail signature, and as headers on all documents that I create. I may even begin every sentence I speak reciting a different cert that I have.

"Well, with me being A+ certified, I think that I'll get fries with that burger."

"Well Bob, as an MCSA, I believe the Ravens will win the SuperBowl this year."

I'm clearing joking, but I work with people who can't wait to let you know there certs, as if... Don't get me wrong, I think, as a Net+ certified individual...(another joke there) one should be proud of these accomplishments, as am I. But the way some people tout it, things start to border on the obnoxious. I believe that they think these certs are like keys to a doorway to some magical IT kingdom. And these are the intro level cert folks.

Mishra

"Well, with me being A+ certified, I think that I'll get fries with that burger."

LoL

undomiel

vsmith3rd wrote:

I'm clearing joking, but I work with people who can't wait to let you know there certs, as if... Don't get me wrong, I think, as a Net+ certified individual...(another joke there) one should be proud of these accomplishments, as am I. But the way some people tout it, things start to border on the obnoxious. I believe that they think these certs are like keys to a doorway to some magical IT kingdom. And these are the intro level cert folks.

Reminds me a bit of the call center I was at. The team leads would always list their certifications before they gave you any advice. At first it seemed egotistical but after I observed for a while I noticed that the idiots on the floor wouldn't listen unless they heard someone who had something more than an A+. Most of the team leaders had their Network+.