Listing 'In Progress' Certs on Your Resume

[RANT]

I know I (and I hope we here on TE) take certifications more seriously than most, but this really bothered me.

Been interviewing candidates for a couple of positions and one of the candidates who made it through to me had some 'in progress' certifications listed on his resume. That really bothered me - you either have the certification or you don't. It just seemed like a ploy to get past the resume filters looking for keywords without any idea of context. I don't know how long you have been planning to earn the cert. Perhaps its only since you saw it as a requirement that you have been thinking about it, or maybe you have been studying for months and are afraid to take the exam. Either way you are of no use to me.

Unless you have passed the CCIE written and have the lab scheduled for next month, leave the 'in progress' crap off your resume!

[/RANT]

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networker050184

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

As I just said to Colby, I may list the exams themselves if I feel it needs further representation of my skills, but most of the time I'm comfortable leaving it in the technologies section, and I'll mention the exam passes in the cover letter or the interview.

You will list some random numbers or letters for exams that might not make sense out of the context of what certification they are for? Sorry, but that makes absolutely no sense to me.

Forsaken_GA

networker050184 wrote: »

You will list some random numbers or letters for exams that might not make sense out of the context of what certification they are for? Sorry, but that makes absolutely no sense to me.

Oh come on now, if someone is savvy enough to distinguish between a CCNP who's completed, and a CCNP who's WIP, then showing validation through individual exam's isn't such a stretch. If I'm able to confuse someone with that, then it's just as likely that listing you've completed exams towards the CCIP is going to confuse them into thinking you're a CCIP. Either the person reviewing the resume understands the function of the individual exams, or they don't.

ColbyG

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

I believe somewhere back in the first page, I said I may not have a problem listing exam names and numbers (it's situational, for example, once I pass BGP, I might considering adding the exam name and number to my resume, since it's a way to validate the fact that I do in fact know something about BGP. The QoS exam, I'm comfortable leaving off and just listing in my technologies section). But listing the certification those exams are part of, absolutely not, not until I earn the certification itself.

I guess I'm not seeing the distinction. If I'm putting the exams on there, I don't think it's going to serve much of a purpose if the person looking at it doesn't know which cert it applies to. And I don't see much difference in listing that you are pursuing the cert versus just listing the completion of an exam. It seems like the only difference your method accomplishes would be limiting the hits you get from keyword searches. A human will surely know the difference between someone pursuing a cert and someone who has attained the cert.

If the hiring manager wants a CCNP, they will likely ignore the person pursuing it and go with the next guy who has attained it. I really don't see how it would negatively affect anyone who has the cert, personally.

Now, the best argument I can see for NOT doing what I do is if a hiring manager does not like it. Obviously very subjective, but so far in this thread, it's the only thing that has made me re-think my method. But, to that I feel like the hiring manager is silly and I probably wouldn't want to work there anyway (no offense to anyone in this thread). If I were a hiring manager I would like to know as much as possible about a candidate before I ever had to be bothered with speaking to them.

networker050184

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

Oh come on now, if someone is savvy enough to distinguish between a CCNP who's completed, and a CCNP who's WIP, then showing validation through individual exam's isn't such a stretch. If I'm able to confuse someone with that, then it's just as likely that listing you've completed exams towards the CCIP is going to confuse them into thinking you're a CCIP. Either the person reviewing the resume understands the function of the individual exams, or they don't.

Thats my whole point. How is listing just exams any different than listing the exams and what cert they are for? Or are you now agreeing with me?

Forsaken_GA

networker050184 wrote: »

Thats my whole point. How is listing just exams any different than listing the exams and what cert they are for? Or are you now agreeing with me?

Ok, we're basically getting down to splitting hairs now.

Simply put, I'll use the BGP exam as an example. If I've passed it, but haven't completed the CCIP yet, and I'm applying for a job where BGP experience is very relevant, then listing the exam is relevant to where I am currently at, without the usage of the CCIP label, which is something I haven't earned yet. BGP would be listed in my technologies section as well, and the exam would just be used to reinforce that.

networker050184

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

Ok, we're basically getting down to splitting hairs now.

Yep, its basically down to you would put the exam but not what its for. I'd put the exam and what its for. I really don't see any difference in that though personally.

Forsaken_GA

ColbyG wrote: »

And I don't see much difference in listing that you are pursuing the cert versus just listing the completion of an exam.

Well, let's think about it.

If I'm interviewing for a BGP admin, and they haven't completed the CCIP, but they list CCIP as a work in progress with 2/4 exams passed vs. explicitly listing the Cisco BGP exam as passed, you don't see the difference?

It's a way to accurately represent your qualifications without mis-representing the certifications you hold. Yes, it's resume voodoo, but it's keeping it as honest as possible without any misrepresentation.

I am, however, like Paul in that I'd rather just go complete the certification so that I can list it and be done with it, and for me personally, this is largely a non-issue... I'll pass BGP by the end of this month, and then MPLS before the end of July, so unless I lose my job like the day after I pass the BGP exam, I won't bother updating my resume until I finish the CCIP.

Now, the best argument I can see for NOT doing what I do is if a hiring manager does not like it. Obviously very subjective, but so far in this thread, it's the only thing that has made me re-think my method. But, to that I feel like the hiring manager is silly and I probably wouldn't want to work there anyway (no offense to anyone in this thread). If I were a hiring manager I would like to know as much as possible about a candidate before I ever had to be bothered with speaking to them.

Eh, I try not to let an HR department influence my opinions of a company. I've met alot of annoying HR people, but the actual people doing the work are cool. And if the hiring manager is also one of the bosses that oversees the tech staff and doesn't just do hiring.... come on man, we've all had to deal with bosses with strange quirks. That's why there's an old adage about always laughing at the bosses jokes.

Forsaken_GA

networker050184 wrote: »

Yep, its basically down to you would put the exam but not what its for. I'd put the exam and what its for. I really don't see any difference in that though personally.

Well, no, what the exam is *for* is proving that I have competency with the technology that it tests for, what certification it's attached to is largely irrelevant.

Didn't you just get through making the point that it's the knowledge the exam covers that matters and not the letters?

earweed

What it looks like is that most people on here who have been against putting certs in progress on resumes is that most resumes are just scanned in and it's best to not have a mix up. The scanner prob doesn't know what your exam number or name is, they know the cert letter. If the resume gets looked at by an actual person who may be interested in hiring you he/she may only see what was scanned.
If you get the interview, then you can present what you are in progress of doing. If your resume is being sent to a small company through snail mail and you KNOW it will be seen intact by a real person then it might be okay to list something in progress. How likely is that to happen?

networker050184

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

Well, no, what the exam is *for* is proving that I have competency with the technology that it tests for, what certification it's attached to is largely irrelevant.

Didn't you just get through making the point that it's the knowledge the exam covers that matters and not the letters?

What I don't see the difference in is saying "I have passed the BGP exam" and "I have passed the BGP exam towards the CCIP certification." Those are not different IMO, but obviously it is in yours. Not saying you are wrong or I am right, just that those two basically convey the same message.

tpatt100

I have seen some resumes put the "in progress" and come to find out during the interview they don't even have it scheduled. I also know some people personally who put "degree in progress" and they got called out during the background check because work found out they had not taken a class in years.

My current job I had told them during the interview I had my CISSP scheduled for later in the week because I did too well on the security questions, I answered too quickly and one of the guys asked if I had a cert test I was studying for. I fessed up that I did and they liked it, but was glad that I actually passed because they asked me about it after I was hired.

earweed

tpatt100 wrote: »

My current job I had told them during the interview I had my CISSP scheduled for later in the week because I did too well on the security questions, I answered too quickly and one of the guys asked if I had a cert test I was studying for. I fessed up that I did and they liked it, but was glad that I actually passed because they asked me about it after I was hired.

A good example of works in progress coming out in the interview. It would be a bad thing if they saw WIP-some cert and they asked a question about something you hadn't covered yet.
This has been quite a good thread with varying opinions and some well thought out posts.

astorrs

earweed wrote: »

This has been quite a good thread with varying opinions and some well thought out posts.

Agreed.

To me as the hiring manager if you listed in progress certs, that were reasonable and you were very clear about it (the abbreviation "WIP" is not clear enough in my opinion) - as in "CCNA working on CCNP (2/4 exams completed)" I'd be okay with it.

Unless the job requirements had stated "CCNP (required)" then you've just pissed me off by wasting my time and getting through the screeners. I'd hate to see what happens when you apply for another job in 12 months this time with your CCNP.

goforthbmerry

It seems that a lot of people are making some big assumptions on this thread. As a pursuer of certifications, I would love it if having a certification necessarily meant I was qualified for something. In the real world, I know plenty of people with certifications that don't know anything and lots of people with virtually no credentials and tons of knowledge and experience. If listing a certification in progress helps show the direction in IT that you wish to go and it helps you get past an automated search engine, that is excellent. It is the interviewers job to determine whether or not you know the topic. Any interviewer that relies on a certification being completed as proof that the person know the material more than someone who does have the cert is really a fool in most cases.

Certifications are a tool. I use them to differentiate myself from other candidates. I expect to have the knowledge tested not just accepted.

mikedisd2

I have no problems sticking a WIP line on my resume, how offensive is it really? I wouldn't pretend it means I know the subject; it just shows I'm continually progressing my qualifications. I would be quite disappointed if a hiring officer blacklisted me just because I had WIP listed on my CV.

The rule applies anywhere, anytime: if you pretend to be something your not, you're gonna get caught out.