Why are You studying for Certifications?

I got the idea for this thread today as I spent 4 hours studying on a beautiful Saturday afternoon today. Is this really what I want to be doing?

I've been studying and passing exams since Sept. of 2008 and prior to that, I never thought I would ever take the time to earn certifications and yet here I am, working on the MCSE with a future plan of Sec+ & CCNA: Voice thereafter. The vast majority of my co-workers always said Certifications are Weak.

So I had to ask myself, why am I doing this? I seem to sort of gotten caught up in the pattern of studying/working/living life. I know myself and if I were to stop now it would be a long time before I got back into the swing of things so I'm sort of taking advantage of the momentum.

That being said, I decided that I'm earning these certifications because in the end, I know that with this knowledge I'll be able to provide a better life for me and my family. I was making $60K+ at my last job before getting laid off and remember thinking "Where else am I gonna go where someone is gonna pay me this much for the little knowledge I have?" It was at my last employer that I started rubbing elbows with Windows/Unix admins, DBA's, Net architect's etc and finally realized, "Man, I don't know Jack about computers compared to these guys!"

So, after getting laid off I decided I needed/wanted to learn this stuff because with it, I can develop skills where an employer will be willing to pay me $60K+ and much much more!!

I've never been a fan of the college system and am loathe to earn a degree that will cost me somewhere around $20K on the cheap end so certifications are a grand solution in my eyes. Buy the Books & dig deep within yourself to really learn this stuff. When it's all said and done I will have spent a couple of hundred dollars on books and less than $2K on exam fees.

I think the return on my investment will blow those $'s out of the water.

So what's YOUR reason?

Find more posts tagged with

Free for TechExams community: Cybersecurity salary guide

Compare cert salaries and plan your next career move

Button

Comments

Forsaken_GA

I like learning, simple as that. When I'm bored, I'm lazy and not a nice person. When I'm learning, I'm excited and nice.

I'd also like a larger paycheck. I have no intention of working at wal-mart as a greeter come my retirement age.

Mrock4

I study for self-satisfaction (knowing I can do it), a pay raise, and most importantly to take better care of my family..that is the main reason. I also like it too..it's become kind of a hobby, sadly enough. I'm still happy when we get away to the beach or hit the pool, though.

dynamik

genXrcist wrote: »

I got the idea for this thread today as I spent 4 hours studying on a beautiful Saturday afternoon today. Is this really what I want to be doing?

Yes!

I finally wised-up and started studying outside...

genXrcist wrote: »

That being said, I decided that I'm earning these certifications because in the end, I know that with this knowledge I'll be able to provide a better life for me and my family. I was making $60K+ at my last job before getting laid off and remember thinking "Where else am I gonna go where someone is gonna pay me this much for the little knowledge I have?" It was at my last employer that I started rubbing elbows with Windows/Unix admins, DBA's, Net architect's etc and finally realized, "Man, I don't know Jack about computers compared to these guys!"

Yes, you should be studying for the knowledge. The certifications are simply a byproduct of that. You, coworkers, employers, etc. will know you (probably*) are competent with whatever technology you are certified in.

*I just found out that a lady, who regularly calls me for advice, supposedly has a cert list that dwarfs mine...

genXrcist wrote: »

I've never been a fan of the college system and am loathe to earn a degree that will cost me somewhere around $20K on the cheap end so certifications are a grand solution in my eyes. Buy the Books & dig deep within yourself to really learn this stuff. When it's all said and done I will have spent a couple of hundred dollars on books and less than $2K on exam fees.

I think the return on my investment will blow those $'s out of the water.

At the same time, they're no substitute for degrees either. These are all pieces of the puzzle. They can help you make decent money a lot faster, but you'll also plateau a lot sooner than someone with a degree. I'd encourage you to find a program you like and start slowly working towards something. That could drastically change where you are a decade from now. I wish I had buckled down and taken things more seriously earlier on.

genXrcist wrote: »

So what's YOUR reason?

I usually say "chicks" for this type of question, but that's becoming predictable, so I'm going to go with: dudes!

Same as you. To benchmark my knowledge and advance my career.

Jordus

I do it for advancement but also because i love technology. My desire to learn more about technology borderlines insatiable.

I dont know as much as I think I should, but im pretty young. The upside to that is it also pushes me to always learn more.

I spent nearly 5 hours today watching Trainsignal videos for 70-640. Though I didnt have much else to do, it might have been nice sitting on the back porch with a beer and relaxing, but sitting around on my can isnt going to actually help me.

LarryDaMan

dynamik wrote: »

I usually say "chicks" for this type of question, but that's becoming predictable, so I'm going to go with: dudes!

I have been noticing a theme with your recent posts... first talking about high heels and now this! Has the marriage experience caused you to switch teams?!

dynamik

LarryDaMan wrote: »

I have been noticing a theme with your recent posts... first talking about high heels and now this! Has the marriage experience caused you to switch teams?!

Maybe subconsciously! Thanks for bringing that to my attention

And since when can't straight dudes wear high heels...

Deltah_

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

I like learning, simple as that. When I'm bored, I'm lazy and not a nice person. When I'm learning, I'm excited and nice.

So true.

msteinhilber

I only hold one certification, but my bookshelves in my office have been plastered with with technology books since starting with going through a half dozen or so MCSE NT 4.0 books up through current technologies. I just enjoy learning about technology for the most part. I find it satisfying and it also helps me in my professional life because I become more knowledgeable and now that I've began to sit for the exams it's going to help my career even more.

I have always thought of the process of studying to just be a part of the career, I think very few would argue otherwise. As far as actually going for the certifications goes, I finally have a pretty good idea of what path I desire to take in my career so now it makes more sense to me to obtain the certifications rather than just study and leave it at that. If I'm going to read books and/or watch CBT's on material that applies to a certification that fits the path I want to follow it just makes sense to get them and make myself slightly more marketable.

I suppose the other reason I like to study more now than ever is it's something I enjoy doing and compared to other hobbies I have, it is much less expensive. If I didn't study as much as I did then I would probably be sticking far too much into car parts or fishing or something else more expensive. Not to say that multiple forms of enjoyment are a bad thing, but I just tend to hyperfocus on things - lately I've been hyperfocusing on studying which I prefer than hyperfocusing on a car like I did a couple years back and stuck far too much money into. At least with studying, if I stick money into it I'll likely get more money out in the future.

Aldur

Studying for certs helps give me an obtainable goal and the knowledge comes as a by product of that. The biggest reason is that the improvement of my skill set will help future proof my job and help me be worth more money in the long run.

I do enjoy studying but the amount I've been doing lately is killing me. Got up at 8 am today. Started studying at 9am, just about to quit and eat some dinner and go to bed.

It's all worth it in the long run, even if it doesn't seem like it right now.

jamesleecoleman

I'm studying for certifications because I like to learn and I want to better myself in the field of study that I'm in.

blargoe

I used to do certs because I thought it would help me make more money; now I realize that's only a small part of the puzzle.

Today, my job has me responsible for design and ongoing management many types of systems. Downside is that I'm really doing the job of 2 or 3 system administrators, upside is I get exposure to lots of training and real live production scenarios that couldn't be captured in a book or video. My certification strategy sort of mirrors where my job is taking me during a given period. This year, I started partially virtualizing our datacenters (then obtained VCP); performed an Exchange 2007 migration (I'm partially finished with MCITP); took our our company's EMC SAN (I'm currently studying for the EMC CLARiiON cert); and will be working on an AD migration to Windows 2008 later in the year (will definitely pursue the MCITP:EA by year's end).

Generally, I only cert in systems that I'm actively working with on the job, have previous experience with, or have obtained appropriate training, and only cert when it's for something that I want to be working with in the future when I move up the ladder.

ColbyG

Cause I want more money. I love technology and all that too, but if I got rich tomorrow I wouldn't be pursuing any more certs.

the_Grinch

Not going to lie, money is a huge factor for me. But I do enjoy learning and it's nice to have people sometimes stare in awe when you fix an issue they are having. I also find that technology is what I am. I like learning about it, I like knowing each day will be different, and I find that of the two working groups that I fit into one is IT. The final reason is because of the times I have been snuffed by others. I was invited to a conference put on by the FBI. My name tag said my name and what school I was from. While waiting for everything to start I stop at the food table and then sat with two professors from a local well known school. They were talking technology and I was going back and forth with them. Finally, they said "what do you teach at Drexel?" To which I replied I was about to graduate in a few months. They looked, said "oh", and then ignored me the rest of the day.

So now I am motivated to reach their level, but surpass them in the fact that I know I have something to learn from everyone. I've learned things from people with Ph Ds to hardware techs with no education beyond high school. Plus if nothing else certs are one of the few ways to get past the HR filters!

gcarroll357

Im currently planning on using them to help get my foot in the door to an IT job so i can gain experience and start my career. I already have a bachelors degree and some self taught skills but hopefully between the certs, the skills i have and my personanlity will help me get where i need to be. After that i plan on usuing certs to help me gain and maintain knowledge and tie them into what im doing with my career

coffeeking

Career advancement; plain and simple.

WanBoy67

Money, Opportunities, to improve day-to-day working knowledge. In that order.

Also I try not to study during summer months, my cut off until September-October is in two weeks!

neathneathneath

I've had to learn a lot about Server 2003 things over the last couple of years so I thought I might as well get some certs while I'm at it. My employer has helped with half of the exams for my MCSA

Bert McGert

I'm a masochist.

vCole

I like to torture myself.

But really, I love to learn. If I don't know how to do something I like to figure out how & why.

Also, career advancement & money.

Norrlands Turk

I think I like challenging myself (and more money is always better as a life fact).

Bert McGert

Norrlands Turk wrote: »

...and more money is always better as a life fact.

FAIL

Play him off, keyboard cat.

cisco_trooper

I have the minor problem of having to know everything. Certs, or more accurately the cert blueprints, provide a nice outline of the things I want to know everything about. Whether or not I ever actually take a particular test isn't as important to me as it used to be. Usually when I decide to actually knock a test out is because I run across an unexpected expense and I want the bonus from work to cover it.

WanBoy67

Bert McGert wrote: »

FAIL

Play him off, keyboard cat.

You forgot

#29 Steven Ballmer - The World's Billionaires 2009 - Forbes.com

Frankie33

I am studying for my A+ for a couple of reasons. One where I live the computer industry is more dominating than any other field out there. and second , I love to learn new things and I hate to have my mind sitting idle waiting for food to be feed to it , so everyday I try to put all that I can into my brain that will allow me to dominate in any career that I land in.