How many certifications

spacemancw

So I was thinking .. ya .. I'd like to have all those certifications ... long list of acronyms after my name. But then I thought, hold on a second .....

I see people with certs like, MCP, MCSA, MCSE, CCNA, CCNP and degrees like BSc, MSc and I think there's a little bit of overstating the obvious here. So I'd just like to see what other people think.

I'm an MCP now. When I get my MCSA I am gonna put MCSA on my resume, not MCP, MCSA.
Hopefully I'll get my MCSE a little later in the year and then I'll change my resume again to MCSE and not MCP, MCSA, MCSE.

Is this not a little like saying I'm 25, 26 and 27 years old. You can't get to 27 unless you've already hit 25 and 26. Same with the certs, same with a Masters degree ... well I think for the most part you can't have master's without bachelor's.

Then again, I have a CCNA. If I ever got my CCNP I dunno if I'd write my resume as CCNA, CCNP or just CCNP.

What do you think? When can you string all these letters after your name and when is it just plain tacky?

Webmaster

I see the same thing from time to time, and I agree with you. Although it depends on the situation. The should all be on you resume (not the abbreviations, use the full title ) I actually never used the MCP title, but that's because I had a job already and was going for MCSE. I wouldn't put up MCP together with MCSA nor MCSE.
I also sometimes notice people saying they are 4 times MCP... not possible. I think you should put up MCSA if you're also MCSE.

The CCNA and CCNP I think of differently, although it is the same situation, you can't become CCNP without CCNA... I think I would put them up both, especially since I have CCDA as well, other wise it will be CCDA, CCNP.... CCNA, CCDA, CCNP looks better. But if I would do the CCDP exam I would just use CCNP CCDP.

If in a couple of years I decide to do CCIE, I drop every title except that one

I think the conclusion would be that this depends on yourself and the situation.

ghaouf

http://www.bilal-iqbal.com/

this guy has alot of certs and he is only 17

Webmaster

That's not many... I-Net+ and the CIW found is the same... you can't become MCSE+I without being MCP, MCP+I, and MCSE.

Take a look at this guy (right column of page):
www.careerreview.net

He wrote many of the cramsessions and examnotes and contributed to many other free sites.

Nevertheless, it's not the quantity of your certs that counts...

ghaouf

experiance counts but still it would realy be cool if i had that many certs

Webmaster

Well, they say it is 'the age of specialism'... I think one would be better of taking exams for certs that relate to each other... for example. Not many companies are waiting for a CCNP with an Oracle DBA certification for example. And once you gained the certs in you choice of specialism there is still so much too learn and knowledge to gain that isn't covered in a certification...

I worked with several people that think of certification as a goal itself, it isn't and it shouldn't... it is a means to an end... (to get a better job, earn more money)

ghaouf

you are now talking my language money