A view on certs

Jeff Atwood discusses with an anecdotal reference to a point of view in 1998..

Coding Horror: Do Certifications Matter?

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Bl8ckr0uter

you should be spending your time building stuff, not studying for multiple choice tests.

Interesting article . It can be hard to differ between the two. To me it seems like it can be very hard to find, job oriented, real world material for studies.

I talked with a guy yesterday at my weekend job who has been a RHCE since they started offering the cert. He actually said Randy Russell gave him his training class. He started telling me about the why that cert (and other lab based certs) are so great. It was a very interesting conversation. Maybe making all certs lab based is the answer to the cert problem.

jeanathan

The thing that troubles me the most is that I only have so much time to spend on work everyday. If I am employed then I do what my company ask me to; whether it is to work on a certification or teach myself something. If I am not then I have to choose between working on what I need to improve my skill-set or spending my time and money on a certification track to appease the HR dept.

I found the CCNA and CCNP tracks to assist in both areas; I learned valuable knowledge and passed a test. The CompTIA and MS felt too much like memorizing concepts than actually obtaining knowledge and understanding materials.

Case in point, my employer may want me to train on MS Exchange Server, well I might do so and be proficient at it, but still fail an MS Exchange exam. That is the downside to certifications in my view.

ajs1976

I find that studying for certs, give me a structure to my learning about a new product or concept.

jamesleecoleman

Studying for certifications is very helpful to getting that job, learning the basics, and to help you learn about yourself. People really shouldn't try to make posts on if certifications matter or not. It does matter because its knowledge that you'll get to help you in the job that you're doing or want to do. The less you know, the more it can hurt later on.

levensailor

I have a job at a very small company doing network admin stuff, but also have my hands in virtualization, cloud computing, voip, lamp, consulting, etc. My problem is that I went to school for 5 years but never finished, and when I eventually look for another job, I need something to show for it because I do believe I have a pretty good self-taught understanding of networking. My friends laugh when I study for tests, asking if I'm going to get a raise, etc and I have to shrug it off.

Do they matter? yes and no. I know The MS tests are (mostly) retarded, and I can guess that the answer 90% of the time is the one that makes them look the best. The Network+ has a lot of stupid memorization of connector types and wire distances you would probably just google later.. BUT somehow I have learned a lot in studying, so I can't say they are totally worthless.

I currently have MCSA/MCITP/Network+ and taking my CCNA next month, and if wasn't so expensive I would do VMWare and RHCE too.

My plan is just to get an interview, and be able to talk fluently to someone who also understands it (typically they will bring a current network admin in on the interview to "sign off" on any new hires)

Zartanasaurus

This comment sums up my thoughts best:

Certifications should be exactly like a degree (I have both). By that, I mean they both speak of the START of understanding, not the end. Having a cert does not mean "you have arrived."

Both degree and cert can help you get an interview at an ENTRY-LEVEL POSITION and not necessarily a job. (Of course, there is at least one obvious exception: CCIE should be given more weight.)

A degree means you are willing to study, spend four+ years on a project, and are presumably ready to enter the professional workforce. The better the degree, the better the perceived preparation.

Certifications means you have studied and tested on specific subjects and may be ready for a starter job. The tougher the cert, the more work you presumably spent on it.

A good body of work means you are a professional and can do X job. This is where the paper-certified folks are separated from the actual professionals.

Kikode

I wouldn't have my Job if I didn't have my certifications it's a requirement.

mikedisd2

Not sure I would have studied all the subject topics if there wasn't an exam at the end of it.

white96gt

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

This comment sums up my thoughts best:

I agree, Exactly my thoughts too.

N2IT

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

This comment sums up my thoughts best:

Spot on!

ipconfig.all

Certifications helped me a lot and it is what I learned through the process that helped rather than the titles. I was able to apply what I have learned and further learn more by applying them when I am working. But experience beats everything, experience means that you have being there and done that it guarantees you something.

gorebrush

Kikode wrote: »

I wouldn't have my Job if I didn't have my certifications it's a requirement.

Indeed

My job asked for

Essential - Degree, MCSA
Desirable - MCSE, CCNA

I had MCSE when I came here, then went and earned CCNA.

In fact, if I were to replace me - then I'd probably say that a CCNA was essential! We don't have any 3rd party support on any of our equipment anymore as I do it in house.

Oh, and I'd say CCNP would definitely be a desirable too.

Turgon

ipconfig.all wrote: »

Certifications helped me a lot and it is what I learned through the process that helped rather than the titles. I was able to apply what I have learned and further learn more by applying them when I am working. But experience beats everything, experience means that you have being there and done that it guarantees you something.

Good answer. I would add that certification helps add value to your experience. So long as you remain openminded and do not fall into the trap of being a vendor groupie what you cover in a certification syllabus can make you far more aware of capabilities and possibilities than simply learning on the job. Most networks are far from the vanilla guidelines of a vendor site in terms of their design so you are often trying to make them work inspite of the design, or lack thereof. Having that awareness of capabilities can be priceless there!