IT Employment
Is it really necessary in North American companies to have certification with Microsoft, Novell, Cisco, etc.?
Since there are lots of people who get certified without actual experience, what is the stand of American firms in this matter?
- Noel
That there is always a level of respect that is given to a person who has gone through the experience of becoming certified. I have nothing against someone who is not certified, but if they have the knowledge, then they should go the extra step. You wouldn't want to have a JD respesenting you in a lawsuit would you? Sure they know about law, but why haven't they ever passed the bar? I think certification is also a great way to keep one's skills sharp too. I know CompTIA, for example, only requires that someone pass the A+ exams once in their lifetime; but with technology changing around us everyday, how is one supposed to keep us otherwise? If you never got or prepared for certification, you may be missing bits and pieces of valuableinformation that could make your job easier. What if noone ever told you that there was a better way, and you always spent the same three hours doing what everyone else can do in ten minutes? See what I mean? It's not what a company thinks of you, it's what you think of yourself when it comes to certifying, in my opinion.
Butch
Academic Administrator
Atlas Computer Centers
by rickbrinser
Getting certified in whatever will help. Learning is always "a good thing". Certification is an easy measure to demonstrate knowledge in something.
Having certification makes you (as an individual) stand out from the pack.
My IT Services company of over 100,000 encourages certification. It'll help us too stand out from the pack.
Even if you don't have real world experience, certification proves you have the interest and capability of doing something in that area. If an employer doesn't know you from Adam, it will help them feel more confident in your skills and helps open the door to getting an interview.
For someone in the industry already, even though these certifications may be broad-based, and have may have little to do with what you specifically do on a daily basis, it helps broaden your view of your area of expertise and may expose you to some concepts you weren't aware of (as a result of preparation and research).
It is admittedly sometimes a pain in the butt to find time to study for these things and may not really be that important to a person of higher knowledge or one with years of work experience.
But, then again, one might say, for such a higher level of knowledge person, a certification should be a trivial thing to accomplish.
....at the minimum, read, study, learn continuously...
by generalist
I did the reading, but not as deep as I could have done. You could read IT related stuff 48 hours a day and still lose ground.
I did some studying, but again, not as deep as I could have done. Many employers frown upon you attempting to stay 'state of the art' when the environment doesn't support it. (Why study RPG IV and JAVA when your clients are still running souped up RPGII code?)
I learned a lot in a number of different areas, but couldn't really prove it without face time. But that proof is needed to get your foot in the door.
Given the above, I can see where certification can help. It is semi-unbiased proof that you know things and can serve as a door opener when dealing with an HR department.
Studying for the certifications also help you focus what you're doing in areas that are commercially viable for the job hunt.
by ebob
If an experienced individual, with certification comes along, then I think this is quite a valuable item. The experience speaks for itself, and the certification says "and I know how this all can work in the big broad real world". It also confirms the value of the experience.
If somebody comes along with no (or very little) experience and a certification then it is not worth much. We all know too many "paper MCSEs" and other certs who don't know how to turn on a PC, much less actually work with the gear.
Experience is very much the big difference.
by epepke
A lot of people say that they made a lot of money with certifications, and they're therefore good.
A lot of people say that they get turned down from jobs with no certifications. Is that bad? Maybe.
I don't have any certifications, unless you count my Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate. I was turned down from several jobs because I didn't have a certification. But, you know what? The job I did eventually get pays $40-$50 thousand *more* than any of those jobs that required certifications.
So, is that good or bad? I don't know. I happen to like it.
by noel_online
by epepke
It depends on the definition of IT pro.
Within the class of IT pros that find certification valuable, those with certifications tend to make more money than those without. However, that class as a whole isn't the highest paid class.
It's a bit like asking "Do healthcare professionals with an LPN licence make more money than those who don't?" Well, yes, an LPN will generally make more money than a technician, but less than an ARNP and considerably less an MD. But ARNP's aren't certifiedpositions; they're educated and interned positions.
by csilveira
Spend your time and get your certifications.
I never planned to move on to a new job. I liked it where I was at. But then the new Boss started and has made this place into his image of mediocraty instead of the well run machine I was used to. Nowhere I am an experienced administrator without the paper and the only job applications that I am getting responses from are for jobs I am far overqualified for.
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