Are we suckers?

fonestar1978

Okay, first let me say that I am a tech, I love taking on new skills and learning in general. I just read about CompTIA's decision to make their exams expire after three years effective 31/12/10. I doubt I will be taking any of their exams after that date!

Let's say I am at the point in my career where I have ten different certifications that I have earned randomly over the course of some years. So these things are expiring, take months to study for sometimes, I have to book time off work or family time to write and study.... And I am making how much as an IMAC (Install, move, add, change) technician? Twenty to thirty bucks an hour? Is this worth it?

We already work in a field where often our entire lives are dictated by our Blackberry and SLA's to meet. So on top of this stress we are expected to juggle ever expiring certifications that may or may not be relevant? And the kicker is this as I have seen once you get up there in years it gets harder to make it past the HR people sometimes. There is a perception that fifty and sixty-something techs (not admins and net admins) are not going to perform as well, or with the same drive as a younger tech. Sometimes you just can't lift is much or crawl in those spaces.

And alot of this Certification is driven by the same kind of people who are trying to sell us on Web 2.0 (Gimmick 2.0). Face it, alot of this is just the same boring old protocols with patches we had in the 70's, 80's and 90's repackaged by marketing goons to make it sound fresh and exciting. I'll get excited again when I can watch a real time three dimensional movie routed over a pure IPv6 and fibre network.

The way I see it, you have to stay focused. Get the three or four certs in your field that are actually WORTH the stress maintaining. Myself I will shoot for MCSE, CCNA, CCNP and maybe CISSP.

Oh, and CompTIA in your greedy attempt to get more cash out of me to act like the big boys you lost my business. You provided more black and less white on my resume and then shot yourself in the foot.

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Comments

brucewhunter

Funny I interviewed for two jobs today one sortof cared about the certs but was really interested in the years of experience the other definitely wanted the certs but bitched about the amount of time (8 months) that I have been out of the work force in order to recertify! You can't win. I look at certs as being a definitive measure.

Up here if you want to work for a MS gold partner you need certs. Want to work in an office you need experience. I don't know how someone with certs and no EXP can get a job in the field.

As far as expiring certs go I don't care. I have a few but they no longer have any weight as compared to what I have now. You gotta start somewhere but as a technologist I keep moving forward.

GrayhenTor

brucewhunter wrote: »

.... the other definitely wanted the certs but bitched about the amount of time (8 months) that I have been out of the work force in order to recertify!

Did you get a feel for why they bitched about the 8 months off ? i.e was there a valid reason or were they just envious that you took 8 months off while they've been stuck in the office?!

It's not like you've suddenly lost those years of experience and, even in IT, your previous skills don't go stale in just 8 months.

bradtechonline

I find learning new technology enjoyable, and fun. Retaining everything is the key, and very difficult. If you don't use it, you lose it.

Ashenwelt

Experience does not equal certifications. Certifications do not equal experience. You really need both to get through the HR departments of the world. That or contacts.

Heck, the number on thing you gain with your experience is a network of contacts. Some high, some low. Sometimes the guy who is low will go managment and hire you for a job years down the road... because they became your contact.