gaining experience through forums vs certifications

Hi guys,
What do you value more when speaking about getting more experience: being involved in technical forums or pursuing certifications?
I used to think that certs are the way to go, because they open new opportunities. However, I now begin to think that technical forums expose real world scenarios and issues.

So what do you think?

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Comments

Iristheangel

You usually won't get hands-on experience in a forum or learn the basics/theory/etc through forums so I'd say certifications and labbing. Hands down. Forums can provide additional detail and knowledge but they usually don't establish the foundations of knowledge

Jasiono

Both. Mainly certs and education and real world experience for yourself.

How would you understand the entire scope of an issue when someone is talking about it on a forum without the knowledge in the first place?

Sure, you might know what the problem and solution is, but knowing WHY it's the solution is the most important.

Roguetadhg

I think you'd get some experience from learning and pulling from other people in technical forums. It's like sitting back with a glass of beer, talking about football.

A certification is just the End of many ways to learn material.

For example: Cisco Exams: you need to know Subnetting and definitely CLI. The time you take to absorb yourself into more than 1 method makes you learn to pass a certification. They test on multiple levels - hard knowledge and basic troubleshooting.

Forums =\= Certification
Reading, Labbing, Thinking, Doing == Certification.

Yeah I will say though, reading from with Forsaken, Irish, NetworkVetern and everyone else not mentioned - I learn what they have done, I try to sit through in their spot and try to understand the methods, goals, questions asked.

You'd get more experience from a certification though. All the technical mumbo jumbo, and your brain is already bristling with information. While in a pub, or the like you may not be focused on what you're doing.

I really enjoy the thought questions people post - "Why does X not work?" It gets my troubleshooting gears moving, that state of mind that I like being in the zone. It's a place that I can just focus my attention into what I think I know to solve real problems.

For example this morning I got a ticket "My phone clock doesn't work". Alright. Clock doesn't work, person stated that it's "This setting, but doesn't work." I was thinking "That looks to be the setting to change the time from 0-12 to 0-24.". I went to the throws of backing up the settings for it, just in case. Went to another phone, and rebooted it. Phone had the clock prior to rebooting. After reboot the clock disappeared.

I sent the ticket up to people saying "More than 1 phone doesn't work. Rebooted phone, setting disappears."

That I like. That I can sink my teeth into. Reading about questions like that... oh heavens. Best thing ever! Note the ticket was a minute of thought. Not a good example of what I like.

chrisone

employers always look for the candidate with the most posts in any IT forum :P

tpatt100

Harvard awarded us an honorary PHD already.

Iristheangel

chrisone wrote: »

employers always look for the candidate with the most posts in any IT forum :P

They also look for the candidates with the most rep points. Rep points = instant job.

Roguetadhg

i knew it! That's how you got your job, Irish! and your Diablo 3 key because you had Bright green spots!

hiddenknight821

We all have the bright green spot if we stop lurking around and log onto the forum!

Roguetadhg

Irish is just awesome. Her Posts to rep ratio far exceeds mine. I'll lurk more and say less. starting after this post!

It might be because of the picture!... Time for avatar change to increase my rep and get a job! Whoo!

Edit: Alright then. Searched for "Hot Girl" on google, and picked out the first picture I could. ...I'm not sure if it's from a nsfw site... ah well. No difference. Now I just need to wait for the rep to pour in!

Edit 2: Success! Rep Earned!

Iristheangel

<shame> I secretly love it when I get another green bar added. Even though it equates to absolutely nothing in the real world. </end shame>

Back to the main point, I don't think knowledge should be limited to one avenue: Certifications OR experience. Certifications establish that you have the core knowledge on a subject and serves to inform employers of this. Certifications, as with most formal education, serves as a foundation. That being said, I never want to take away from what can be learned in technical forums. There you can defer to experts, bounce ideas off of like-minded individuals and build on the core knowledge you established while studying for the certifications. The only way that this carries over into the "real world" is through the knowledge you bring into an environment which is something I think any of us would (obviously) encourage, but lets be honest: None of us are going to put TechExams.net under education or experience on our resumes.

ptilsen

Microsoft actually awards MVP status based on Internet contributions, including forum posts. There are MVPs who are MVPs as a result of their contribution to the TechNet forums. MVP is absolutely a resume-worthy credential, and IMO pretty much guarantees employment.

Outside of that, though, I wouldn't view forums as a way to gain experience. Forums can be a useful way to gain knowledge, but I wouldn't say being an active forum reader or poster particularly qualifies you to do anything.

chrisone

you can easily find a 100k+ job if you have HTML skills on forum use!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

[img][/img]

Show me the money!

dave330i

ptilsen wrote: »

Microsoft actually awards MVP status based on Internet contributions, including forum posts. There are MVPs who are MVPs as a result of their contribution to the TechNet forums. MVP is absolutely a resume-worthy credential, and IMO pretty much guarantees employment.

Outside of that, though, I wouldn't view forums as a way to gain experience. Forums can be a useful way to gain knowledge, but I wouldn't say being an active forum reader or poster particularly qualifies you to do anything.

VMware does something similar with vExpert award.

NetworkingStudent

wass.aouadi wrote: »

Hi guys,
What do you value more when speaking about getting more experience: being involved in technical forums or pursuing certifications?
I used to think that certs are the way to go, because they open new opportunities. However, I now begin to think that technical forums expose real world scenarios and issues.

So what do you think?

I have done the following to get experience:

Certs

Volunteering

Watched you tube videos-It was more of etting an understanding than actually experience

Did a small contract, while work full time at my non IT job

Did and still doing Work Market jobs

The forums can help with do this don’t do that solution….however you can’t get you Enterprise or corporate experience by posting or lurking on a forum.

I found taking jobs on Work Market has helped me gain experience.

Not to beat a dead horse, but there is no silver bullet for getting experience, or getting hired.