Using certifications after expiration date?

Can you still use a certification (such as A+, Net+, etc.) after it's expiration date? Does it matter as long as you can show that you have passed the cert exam before?

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Slowhand

I have my CCNA listed on my resume like this: CCNA (Expired 11/06/2010, must be renewed.)

The most important thing is to make sure you represent yourself accurately. If you want to list that you have an expired cert, there's nothing wrong with that. What you don't want to do is go out and say that the cert is still current, even after it's expired.

IAmOmnipresent

Makes sense. I also heard that after the certificate expires, you get taken off the database that shows that you are certified or not. Anyways, as I go through my IT career, I'll do recertify for certifications that I feel might be worth it. Thanks for the reply.

ptilsen

They make it really easy to recertify for the non-vendor certs. You have to be pretty stagnant not to renew your Comptia.

Slowhand

IAmOmnipresent wrote: »

Makes sense. I also heard that after the certificate expires, you get taken off the database that shows that you are certified or not. Anyways, as I go through my IT career, I'll do recertify for certifications that I feel might be worth it. Thanks for the reply.

They'll keep you in their systems. What'll happen is that those certs will show as expired on any transcripts or published credentials you may be asked for by an employer.

charlesc09

I would think most employers don't care. To be honest, they hire you mostly based on experience, not certifications. Certifications might get you the door for an interview, but I highly doubt it's the sticking point on whether you get hired or not. If two people are on the same ground with experience, then ya, certifications might stick out.

Don't get me wrong, I think certs are great. They really strengthens your knowledge.

Think about it, would you hire someone with 10 years of networking/server admin experience and no certs or someone with 0-1 years experience and have CCENT, CCNA, CCNP?

shodown

Depends on the Job, for a Internal IT position I don't think it will matter. If you are going to work at a partner you will get passed over in a heartbeat for someone with it when Partner review is coming up. Usually if you are a strong candiate they will give you a 3-6 month window depending on your skill set.

ptilsen

shodown wrote: »

Depends on the Job, for a Internal IT position I don't think it will matter. If you are going to work at a partner you will get passed over in a heartbeat for someone with it when Partner review is coming up. Usually if you are a strong candiate they will give you a 3-6 month window depending on your skill set.

This is primarily just true in the Cisco world, where your certification has a big impact on the partnership status. It's somewhat true in the MSP world, where MS certifications also affect partner status, but actually skill is typically more important the organization.

It's not true with Comptia, which has virtually no partnership benefits since they don't make anything. Listing an expired Comptia cert should be fine -- if you do let Comptia expire (as I said, it seems pretty easy to keep them current), you should have other certifications that are much more valuable anyway.