How to make sure IT certifications actually matter

jasonboche

Here's a decent article I came across today:

How to make sure IT certifications actually matter

How to make sure IT certifications actually matter | Windows - InfoWorld

phoeneous

You might want to prove your ability with Microsoft products; the traditional MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) has been discontinued in favor of the MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) and MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional) tracks.

Discontinued since when?

CompuTron99

That caught my attention too. I wonder if he meant to say that employers are looking at the newer certs over the MCSA/MCSE?
Good article over all.

RobertKaucher

No, I believe they mean the MCSE track is discontinued - not that the exams are being retired. Meaning there is no MCSE 2008.

poguy

ok, what's it trying to say?

Hyper-Me

That article didnt really SAY anything.

He started out stroking his ego, thinking he is "one of the worlds most certified people", which he is not. Its obvious that there are atleast a few dozen people just on this site that are more certified than him. His certs other than the MS stuff are largely entry-level fluff that someone of his "level" (lol) shouldn't need anyway.

Then there was some yadda yadda braindumps and some yadda yadda transcenders plug.

Regardless of the sides people take when discussing certifications there is one fact that remains true.

Having zero certs can hurt you. Having certs won't hurt you.

RobertKaucher

poguy wrote: »

ok, what's it trying to say?

The MCSE track continued through three generations of Windows Server.

MCSE NT4 -> MCSE 2000 -> MCSE 2003 *STOP*

Since the MCSE is not continueing to Server 2008 and has been replaced by a new generation of exams, MCSE -as an exam track- is discontinued.

They are not saying that the certification has been retired nor that the individual exams comprising the certification have been retired - they are stating that the MCSE will not continue (i.e. discontinued) to the next generation of Windows Server. The confusion is because MS uses retired and discontinued to mean the samething sometimes. But my point is they don't mean it isn't being offered, they just mean it isn't continueing to the next version of Windows Server.

Bl8ckr0uter

Hyper-Me wrote: »

That article didnt really SAY anything.

He started out stroking his ego, thinking he is "one of the worlds most certified people", which he is not. Its obvious that there are atleast a few dozen people just on this site that are more certified than him. His certs other than the MS stuff are largely entry-level fluff that someone of his "level" (lol) shouldn't need anyway.

Then there was some yadda yadda braindumps and some yadda yadda transcenders plug.

Regardless of the sides people take when discussing certifications there is one fact that remains true.

Having zero certs can hurt you. Having certs won't hurt you.

This^^^^


Totally agree I was reading the article and thinking "What the hell is this about again?"
All in all I think that having more certs will just widen your implied skillset and as long as you can back it up, you will be cool. If you can't you will be F'd in the A when the time comes to use those skills.

jasonboche

knwminus wrote: »

This^^^^


you will be F'd in the A

Funny. Can I borrow that some time?

earweed

knwminus wrote: »

All in all I think that having more certs will just widen your implied skillset and as long as you can back it up, you will be cool. If you can't you will be F'd in the A when the time comes to use those skills.

He basically said that somewhere near the end(Like your words better though)

NetworkingStudent

jasonboche wrote: »

Here's a decent article I came across today:

How to make sure IT certifications actually matter

How to make sure IT certifications actually matter | Windows - InfoWorld

I read this article too and two things struck me as odd:
he says "I've even taken exams while eating a chicken parmigian sandwich." I thought testing rules prohibted this?

Why obtain 3 MCSE? I think after getting one it would be time to move on to more specialized certs...maybe it's just me

Turgon

RobertKaucher wrote: »

The MCSE track continued through three generations of Windows Server.

MCSE NT4 -> MCSE 2000 -> MCSE 2003 *STOP*

Since the MCSE is not continueing to Server 2008 and has been replaced by a new generation of exams, MCSE -as an exam track- is discontinued.

They are not saying that the certification has been retired nor that the individual exams comprising the certification have been retired - they are stating that the MCSE will not continue (i.e. discontinued) to the next generation of Windows Server. The confusion is because MS uses retired and discontinued to mean the samething sometimes. But my point is they don't mean it isn't being offered, they just mean it isn't continueing to the next version of Windows Server.

I think you are right but there was also MCSE pre NT 4.0

phoeneous

RobertKaucher wrote: »

The MCSE track continued through three generations of Windows Server.

MCSE NT4 -> MCSE 2000 -> MCSE 2003 *STOP*

Since the MCSE is not continueing to Server 2008 and has been replaced by a new generation of exams, MCSE -as an exam track- is discontinued.

They are not saying that the certification has been retired nor that the individual exams comprising the certification have been retired - they are stating that the MCSE will not continue (i.e. discontinued) to the next generation of Windows Server. The confusion is because MS uses retired and discontinued to mean the samething sometimes. But my point is they don't mean it isn't being offered, they just mean it isn't continueing to the next version of Windows Server.

He should've said:

"Although the MCSE certification is still highly regarded and testing for the MCSE track is still in effect, Microsoft is now using the acronym 'MCITP' for certs pertaining to Windows Server 2008 and forward."

The only way a certification matters is if you can actually do the work that you were tested on. Other than that its just paper.

Regardless, I thought the article was crap.

Psoasman

I didnt't care for this article, the author is very arrogant. . I agree with Hyper-Me, there are a lot of people on this site who are way more certified and who have helped more than this guy will.

mikedisd2

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

Why obtain 3 MCSE? I think after getting one it would be time to move on to more specialized certs...maybe it's just me

Nope, I'm planning to upgrade my MCSE to MCITP. It's about keeping up with the technology..

I'm with everyone else though. This bloke is too pretentious and had nothing substantial to say.

Why tell us that he passed his exam when walking out of the test centre?

UnixGuy

totally agree ! too bad I can't spread more reputation

Hyper-Me wrote: »

That article didnt really SAY anything.

He started out stroking his ego, thinking he is "one of the worlds most certified people", which he is not. Its obvious that there are atleast a few dozen people just on this site that are more certified than him. His certs other than the MS stuff are largely entry-level fluff that someone of his "level" (lol) shouldn't need anyway.

Then there was some yadda yadda braindumps and some yadda yadda transcenders plug.

Regardless of the sides people take when discussing certifications there is one fact that remains true.

Having zero certs can hurt you. Having certs won't hurt you.

rob7278

This debate- about the value of certifications and whether employers respect them or not is a perfect seguey/hot button for my vent.
It seems like every time someone comes up with a great idea, there are always people lined up looking for ways to **** the system or exploit loopholes. Organizations develop certifications to establish some form of barometer with which employers can evaluate potential candidates for hire; you earn xyz certification and that serves as verification that have learned certain skill sets. It's a great benefit for assisting the employer and a great tool for a jobseeker to showcase skills to set themself apart. But there always have to be the few bad apples that come along and ruin a good thing for everyone else; rather than putting forth the effort in truelly learning objectives and taking pride in expanding their knowledge in their chosen profession- you have people figuring out how to **** the system with Braindumps and various other forms of cheating. So then little by little the value and integrity of the process gets eroded.
I still of course believe certifications hold value, otherwise I wouldn't bother studying for them, but it kind of pisses me off that you practically have to get MCSE quailified just so that you can hopefully get hired for a $12-15hr job answering phones on some help desk; a Systems Administrator/Engineeer should be part of an IT team administering an enterprise, not sitting in a cubicle trying to explain to someone that the tray that slides out of their computer isn't a cup holder.

Jonny70

Whoever mentioned that the certification structure has been retooled and there is no MCSE 2008 is correct. Microsoft has overhauled the certification structure to offer MCTS and MCITP in an effort to create certifications that map more closely to very specific job role functions.

If you look at the descriptions of the various MCTS' and MCITP on the microsoft learning site its clear that there are particular tasks associated with each certification.

For those that don't know the MCTS and MCITP have a number of sub-categories. For instance you would get an MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician or MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator 7.