Work paying for certs

I did a search before and couldn't find anything.

How many people have work pay for their certs? I ask this because my job will pay for any exam I pass as long as its relavant to my job. Is this a rare thing? I have never had an employer do this before.

Do you find yourself studying for exams that you normally wouldn't beacuse of this?

Just curious.

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Comments

mike3

This isn't a rare thing at all.

I've seen some companies cap how many certificates you can write in one year though.

HeroPsycho

My company will pay for exams if I pass them, and they deem them relevant to the company.

However, be careful with some companies who do this kind of thing. This along with sending me to training was used as an excuse in my last performance eval to justify not giving me a raise since they said this was part of my compensation.

And no, this has no impact on if I pursue any certification. I'd pursue them regardless what my company did. The only time something like this impacts my decision to pursue a cert is if they pay for training associated with it. Usually cert tests are cheap, but like with my VMware cert, the exam was only $175, but the required class was like $3000. Without my employer paying for the training, I probably wouldn't be a VCP.

Megadeth4168

My certs are part of my tuition reimbursement as part of my contract. I get a certain amount per year that I can get reimbursed for. So, I have to pay the cost up front but it's just more incentive to pass the exams!

networker050184

I don't think its rare.

My current company gives a set amount for tuition reimbursement per year and you can use it towards relevant certifications or degrees. They also pay for books and lab fees, not just the price of the exam which I thought was nice.

nicklauscombs

Mine are paid for if I pass and if they deem them relevant to what I do

undomiel

Mine don't pay and actively discourage pursuing certification but I believe them to be the odd one out.

dynamik

Mine pays for certs and training.

TechJunky

Mine pays for certification and training pertaining to my job. This includes company training, my own certification and $3000 of school paid for.

bjaxx

TechJunky wrote:

Mine pays for certification and training pertaining to my job. This includes company training, my own certification and $3000 of school paid for.

I think i'm in a lucky boat, by whatever seems necessary...

snadam

mine payed for passed exams (notice the past tense on 'payed').

royal

Mine pays for any technical certification exam. I can also buy books without asking. We also have the entire CBT Nuggets Library. They also send me to training if I want but of course, I have to get training approved. For example, this Friday I go to an Exchange Server Recovery class that was $500 and is for 1 day. If I want to do something more expensive, I'm sure expenses will have to be looked at and really justified.

jamesp1983

undomiel wrote:

Mine don't pay and actively discourage pursuing certification but I believe them to be the odd one out.

my company only paid for my boss' certs. They dont help any one else.

Claymoore

undomiel wrote:

Mine don't pay and actively discourage pursuing certification but I believe them to be the odd one out.

Unfortunately, they aren't. I have been fighting with my company since December regarding compensation for exams and materials. According to our employee handbook, they will pay for the study materials, exam fees, and pay bonuses upon completion, but when I presented them an initial bill (after I had already paid for books and exams) they started stalling and backtracking. My ongoing fight is forcing them to make changes, but very slowly. A company that still actively writes and maintains fortran code in a production environment is obviously not that interested in training their employees to keep them current.

However, their reluctance or downright refusal to pay for certifications and study materials hasn't slowed me down. If anything it has motivated me even more. Not paying for exams just means they won't benefit from the knowledge I gained while studying, but my next employer will.

networker050184

Claymore wrote:

... when I presented them an initial bill (after I had already paid for books and exams) they started stalling and backtracking.....

Most employers (I have seen anyway) require prior approval. Then you have something in writing stating they will pay.

Mishra

3 jobs I've been in pay for my certifications.

Training is a much tougher sell.

dynamik

I should clarify. Training for me is CBTs, books, and practice exams. Not weeks of paid time off for multi-thousand-dollar classes. Which is fine; that's all I need.

tiersten

All of mine have paid for training. Exams for certs are paid if you pass. There is usually a contract you sign however to say that you'll reimburse the company if you leave though. First year is 100% and then its prorata based on the second year. After that you're free.

Training includes study materials, being sent off on courses and getting trainers to come in.

HeroPsycho

dynamik wrote:

I should clarify. Training for me is CBTs, books, and practice exams. Not weeks of paid time off for multi-thousand-dollar classes. Which is fine; that's all I need.

Not if you want VCP.

dynamik

That was an exception, not the rule. I've been reimbursed for half of it thus far, so it looks like that's actually going to get covered. I'm definitely going to be happy to be reunited with all $3k.

nel

Mine have never paid a single penny towards any of my qualifications and still wont. They have sent me on courses which cost quite alot but the courses were NEVER related to my job and were a waste of time. i argued the fact that i would rather them pay for my degree than these courses but they pretty much said its that or nothin....which is why i would have no hesitation to walk - i owe them nothing.

BeaverC32

I am fully reimbursed for exams, book fees, CBTs, etc...regardless of whether I pass or fail. They also have tuition reimbursement (which I don't currently take advantage of), and pay for classes/seminars. This summer I was able to spend an all expense-paid week in Vegas while attending HP's conference.

Daniel333

some companies are required to keep a certain number MCSE... CCNPs etc by policy or contract.

I know my new employer have shelves full of materials and pays for the exams themselves. I understand there is a bonus program for certain Cisco and Microsoft ones too. They will how ever not give time off or pay for bootcamps.

cacharo

My company will pay for up to 2 fails and materials. I typically do not expense more that the cost of the test itself, so I have had to spend some of my own money for some tests.

I am currently in a battle with my manager over sending me to the VCP class. He had it approved in his budget so he has no excuses. The fight has moved to the unspoken arena of boosting my yearly compensation vs his inevitable bonus for coming in underbudget.

HeroPsycho

Daniel333 wrote:

some companies are required to keep a certain number MCSE... CCNPs etc by policy or contract.

I know my new employer have shelves full of materials and pays for the exams themselves. I understand there is a bonus program for certain Cisco and Microsoft ones too. They will how ever not give time off or pay for bootcamps.

I can speak for the VMware and Microsoft programs. In order to be a Microsoft Gold Partner, you must have a certain amount of MCSE's, and to get specializations "Advanced Network Infrastructure", "Security Solutions", etc. you must have a certain amount of people certified in specific products. You get bigger markups when reselling software as well as customer referrals from Microsoft to provide services for various customers.

For VMware, you must have I believe at least two VCP's and technical sales certified VSP's to become a VMware Authorized Consultancy (VAC). Doing so gets you once again referrals for business from VMware as well as the ability to resell VMware software.

My employer tried to argue that me getting VCP didn't do them any favors, but I'm not stoopid!

-_M S K_-

my company pays for my exams, if I pass them

and the exam has to be relevant to my job

Forsaken_GA

The last company I worked for would reimburse for exams you passed. If you failed, you were out of pocket, and by forcing you to go out of pocket just to register the exam, people took them a little more seriously.

My current company does not reimburse or pay, as the powers that be think certification is worthless, save for Cisco. I'll be revisiting that policy with them when it comes time to schedule a CCIE lab exam.

vCole

Work pays for all my certs & actually are paying for this whole year of college.

cbigbrick

For certifications, I pay for my own that way there are NO strings attached to me when I walk away.

HeroPsycho

Forsaken_GA wrote:

The last company I worked for would reimburse for exams you passed. If you failed, you were out of pocket, and by forcing you to go out of pocket just to register the exam, people took them a little more seriously.

In theory, I agree with this policy, but it does bug me when an employer wants me to go get certified in something I don't care to do, and then won't reimburse if I fail. If I don't want to get certified in it, why should I pay if I fail if only they want me to take the exam?

networker050184

HeroPsycho wrote:

Forsaken_GA wrote:

The last company I worked for would reimburse for exams you passed. If you failed, you were out of pocket, and by forcing you to go out of pocket just to register the exam, people took them a little more seriously.

In theory, I agree with this policy, but it does bug me when an employer wants me to go get certified in something I don't care to do, and then won't reimburse if I fail. If I don't want to get certified in it, why should I pay if I fail if only they want me to take the exam?

I agree here 100%.

If its a required (or strongly suggested) exam you shouldn't have to come out of pocket no matter what the circumstances.