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December 3, 2004 at 11:32 am #2288177
2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
Lockedby davioh2001 · about 19 years, 4 months ago
Question set #1 certifications:
I’m wondering what would be THE BEST training resource for those that have very limited budgets(around $100+I am wanting electronic resources only like practice tests)…PLEASE CHIME IN & let me know if you’ve had experience with the following…A.www.cramsession.com how good are the training resources?
can anyone find the link to the $99 unlimited access promotion?B.www.getcertify4less.com how good are the training resources?
C.www.itexamworld.com how good are the training resources?
D. other???? are there other better resources out there?
Question set #2 entry level career strategy:
Ok this is the question: I have seen MANY ads that want a diverse set of skills (must know microsoft, novell, and linux. Must know java, c++, assembly, c#) etc.
My question is do you think its better to specialize in one product certifcation or many and why?
I ask because as I move forward with my training I need to make a decision become the jack of all trades/master of none or focus on just one or 2 things. As an example I have decided to focus on learning JUST JAVA for my programming language! Is this approach foolish due to being to narrow?
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December 4, 2004 at 5:49 am #3315996
specialize
by secure_lockdown9 · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
there is more money in specializing on one particular thing than being a jack of all trades.
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December 6, 2004 at 4:57 pm #3302494
True, as long…
by lumbergh77 · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to specialize
…as long as you know what to specialize in. The more specialized you are, the more trapped you are.
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December 6, 2004 at 5:36 pm #3302479
Reply To: 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
by secure_lockdown9 · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to True, as long…
lets put it this way.
you bring in a generic programmer – you pay him/her X amount of dollars.
you bring in a SAP or PeopleSoft specialist – you pay him/her 100 times more than joe blow programmer.
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December 7, 2004 at 8:08 am #3290791
“Time of Life”
by ross.bale · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to Reply To: 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
Specialisation depends on what stage in your career you are, if in the early to mid stages, diversification makes you appeal to the largest audience. Most companies despite Microsoft’s thinking do not tend to stick to one vendor or technology, especially in support, you may need to support servers, firewalls, network hardware all of which will require a different skill set. Also concentrate on good core knowledge areas such as Networking – this will be required in any IT job these days, if you are a bit later on in your career, specialise, but don’t lose all the other generalist skills at it’s expense – you never know when you might need them !
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December 7, 2004 at 1:13 pm #3290650
Yes, but if you are…
by admin · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to Reply To: 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
Looking at it from a selling instead of buying perspective, the generic programmer will have a much larger market pool and if young or unplaced is much more likely to stay in work.
I would say start off general and work to a speciality in a field once placed.
It’s hard to get a job as a specialist right off.
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December 7, 2004 at 2:41 pm #3290622
Sybex Books
by jrisner · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
Read lots of books. Sybex are the best. I would also recommend trying to start out with a cert that will get your foot in the door. Like MCP or A+. You can later make a decision about whether or not to specialize.
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December 8, 2004 at 12:38 am #3303490
Sybex good but what about the sites in the original post?
by davioh2001 · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to Sybex Books
I already have plenty of books. I was really wanting to know about the sites I had mentioned in the first post. I was thinking about itexamworld.com but someone else said they are nothing but cbts (which to me isnt necessarily a bad thing).
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March 10, 2005 at 8:40 am #3332086
transcender
by jrisner · about 19 years ago
In reply to Sybex good but what about the sites in the original post?
I know someone who has several certs and he uses Transcenders http://www.transcender.com
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January 14, 2005 at 1:03 am #3346847
Sybex – I second that notion
by house · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Sybex Books
Grab a sybex book and run labs while you are going through the chapters. They are the best publications in the field. 🙂
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December 8, 2004 at 6:36 am #3303433
study material
by japneezprincess10 · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
I have always heard that transcender is very helpful… http://www.transcender.com/
Check them out!
~A
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December 14, 2004 at 11:18 am #3303856
Just Java…
by jgarcia102066 · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
I manage a staff of programmers and two of the most important things that I look for during the inverviewing process is:
1. Whether the candidate has a passion for programming.
2. Whether the candidate has the right set of analytical skills for programming.
One of the ways I check for the passion, is to ask a candidate about projects that they have worked on that they are most proud of. The passionate candidate’s will typically get excited as they speak about their pet project and all of the challenges they have had to overcome. This leads to other questions based on the answer that I receive but it starts the process. Although passion is difficult to gauge, I have been successful so far in picking the right people.
I assess the analytical skills by giving the candidate a test in a programming environment which they are not familiar with. For example, in your case (just java), I would provide you with a project to modify using VB.NET. If you had listed VB as your primary language, I would test you on a java or javascript based application. Since you never know when you might need to fix someone else’s programming in whatever programming environment they used, having the ability to work successfully in an unfamiliar environment is a very important skillset.
In short, let me say that if you want to be a well-rounded programmer:
– Learn as many programming languages as you can.
– Practice those languages as much as possible.
– If the above two items seem unreasonable, you may not have the necessary passion to be a well-rounded programmer.-
December 17, 2004 at 9:53 pm #3292249
I’d say . . .
by apotheon · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
Learn one language to competency, at least. Then learn another. Don’t try to learn eight languages at once.
If you’ve really got any talent for programming, you’ll find learning new languages extremely easy after the first two or three, probably. After three or four languages, if you’re really cut out to be a programmer, you’ll be able to learn a new language well enough to be competent in a few days, and will be able to do (some) simple debugging with other peoples’ code in languages you’ve never seen before.
If you don’t really have that kind of talent for programming and interest in it, you should probably focus on one or two languages. Specialize if you really, really want to be a programmer for some reason, but aren’t actually a natural.
By the way, Java is an excellent choice for getting hired. It’s an acceptable choice for learning a “good language” (some people love it, others loathe it: you’ll have to figure out which you are on your own). It’s a language that gets used for everything, but as far as I’ve been able to determine isn’t really the best at anything (even at being a Swiss Army knife language to be used for everything) other than getting good press.
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January 13, 2005 at 2:23 am #3345389
Well rounded programmer
by paul_e_ray · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
As one of the extreme old timers, (going back to ASM-80 on Z-80’s), I do not think knowing a range of languages proves the programmers passion. In fact, I would wonder how efficient they would when they are required to stretch the language to meet those instances of complication. I think a programmer involved in dabling in developing solutions on their own time, who are interested in building their own computers, who show excitement when asked about previous positions or projects, show passion. Knowing many languages means you are a good book learner or code producer, but not a passionate developer.
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January 13, 2005 at 10:49 am #3345846
new languages
by apotheon · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Well rounded programmer
A good programmer with some decent experience can pick up the syntax of a new language in a couple of days. The core concepts and skills of programming are transferrable across many languages.
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January 13, 2005 at 4:04 am #3345366
In the real world
by david@anagram · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
It is fine to learn as much you can, that is what I am doing every day as a programmer. But in the real world there is only so many hours in a day, and there is only so much infomation that one can retain. Within 6 months you forget.
Experience is the greatest aid to my life.
To test someone on another language is unfair. Test them on the skills they have not on the ones they do not have.
If are a VB programmer test them on VB, then if you want the candidate to know another language then train them.
If I have done projects then I would take them along to an interview on a laptop.
“If the above two items seem unreasonable, you may not have the necessary passion to be a well-rounded programmer.” – this is rubbish, I love programming but I only have so many hours in my day. I also have a family, social life and other hobbies.
I think people skills is as important as the other skills listed. As normal people have to use your programs and you need to communicate well as a team.
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January 13, 2005 at 6:52 am #3345976
In the REAL real world…
by careed · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to In the real world
I must disagree with two of your points:
1) To test someone with Java when they have using VB for a while is not only fair but very, very reasonable. If you are a programmer, then you should be able to read any language and get at least the gist of what’s happening in the code. Now, I would give a VB programmer a test where they had to write Java code, but I believe that it is reasonable to give them something like a control structure code snippet and ask them what it’s doing.
2) As far as bringing projects along on a interview, I believe that that is a big mistake. Sure, maybe I have been doing some freelance programming and I can bring some of my code to the interview; however, what if I have been working for a defense contractor for the next five years and everything I have written is classified. While the latter is an extreme example, my point is that only some people can bring this type of information to an interview, so you should be penalize someone for not having the “passion” to bring examples of their work.
I agree that there is only so much one can do within a day. If you really love programming, then learning a language when needed should not be a problem.
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January 13, 2005 at 4:42 am #3345356
Encyclopedic knowledge may be barbaric, but it?s fun
by ed woychowsky · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
I once had a boss who turned to me and said, ?It must really piss you off, the idea that you can?t know everything.? He was right, unfortunately, as humans our time is limited. If you need proof of this just look at my ?to be read? stack of books. It currently covers subjects as far ranging as Java, C#, Oracle XML, ADO .Net and XForms and it keeps growing monthly. Perhaps a better definition of ?well round? is that instead of intimately knowing a wide range of languages and technologies one should be aware of them and their capabilities and limitations.
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January 13, 2005 at 4:48 am #3345354
Get a Specialist ? not the Passionate ?
by hvanvuuren · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
Normally the good programmers are the ones passionate about a language or a technology (like .NET), not the ones who programs in 10 languages.
I would rather hire someone who knows VB or C# in and out, and who will have little or no problem learning new technical skills. My experience with many (not all) multi language programmers is this; some are jack of all trade and master of none programmers, while others (normally the better but dangerous ones) tend to practice as many languages and technologies by using those technologies in enterprise solutions.
They mix and match technologies not considering the consequences of their actions.
They are passionate yes, and they tend to challenge themselves with how complex the solution is. They forget the Keep It Straight and Simple approach. They include the flavor of the week technology in every new solution. They mix languages. They will argue that this language is better for Front end applications and this technology/language is better for integration while that language will give better performance in the data layer or in the Business Tier.
Somewhere they forgot that these systems need to be maintained. They need to be scalable/maintainable/secure and well documented. It should be easy to hand the solution over to clients and/or junior staff members. Over the life of such a solution this so called ?Passionate? programmer, has created a nightmare legacy, and they are the HERO programmer who every body needs to run to when things go wrong.
I think your reasoning might be slightly flowed.
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January 13, 2005 at 11:04 am #3345837
ridiculous
by apotheon · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Get a Specialist ? not the Passionate ?
My experience is that those who learn one language, one technology, one methodology, and stick with that, are very limited in outlook, understanding, and value. They’re like Microsofties that can’t conceive of any OS other than Windows having value in their lives, ever. They’re like Coke drinkers who look for excuses to denigrate Pepsi drinkers, or McDonald’s fans who think anyone that likes In-N-Out must be un-American. They may know a lot about their chosen technologies, but they only have very myopic ranges of knowledge. Tunnelvision doesn’t help anyone.
The programmers I know who are competent with several languages tend to settle on a couple of languages as favorites, and will usually do work using those languages. The knowledge of other languages allows them to see the strengths and weaknesses of their chosen favorites, though, and to put those languages to best use. It also allows them (often grudgingly) to release the deathgrip on their chosen languages long enough to actually do something with another language when it’s necessary or desirable to do so.
Anyone that is locked into Visual Basic, and thinks it’s a great language and that no other languages are needed, is seeing things through tunnel vision. If someone comes to me as a VB “expert” with no other programming skills and no interest in gaining skill with other languages, that’ll be the first person booted out the door. C# has its place, but it’s also a very limited language. It just happens to be the best language for some uses (unlike VB, which is barely even useful in situations where it’s the only possible choice) because of its inherent characteristics.
I’d rather have a programmer around that knows that C# was good for the last project, but is absolutely the wrong language to use for the current one, than someone who blindly chases the .NET specter, spouting Microsoft marketing slogans as he goes.
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January 14, 2005 at 12:35 pm #3346950
I have to agree
by tony hopkinson · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to ridiculous
After all I’ve made a career out it.
As for VB, I was chained to my desk and threatened with cheap coffee until I agreed to use it. Terrible language, still make’s me spit after 18 months.
Not surprising though, after all the environment it came out of they think strongly typed means you code in a bold font.
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February 6, 2005 at 7:35 am #3344002
Another agreement
by hubert1497 · about 19 years, 1 month ago
In reply to ridiculous
When the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
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January 14, 2005 at 7:05 am #3346769
Congratulations. I’m lost for
by tony hopkinson · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Get a Specialist ? not the Passionate ?
words, those who know me would congratulate you on the achievement. I can’t think of anyway of responding without insulting you as much as you have me.
Thought of some now, but they may be too complex for you, depends on your background, so
Exactly which planet are you from ?
Programmer picks the environment he works in ?
Oh yeah, Boss this would work real well on a cray.Legacy code equals over blown complexity and unreadability. ?
Bad code has been around for as long as bad programmers. I’ve have and still see terrible examples. The absolute worst yet that I’ve seen was written two years ago, a three tier client/ server relational database client. So much for legacy.You can’t maintain it therefore it is unmaintainable ? That isn’t a system problem it’s a HR one. Be glad you got the opportunity to learn it and gain real experience.
Knowing more than one language, method, environment means you haven’t mastered it ?
Well hell yes my job isn’t to teach the damn thing, it’s to use what I can, to do what is required, when it is required, with what is available. The skills are analyse, design and code, not list out the semantic modifiers of language X for statement Y. All you have to do for that is select Help.
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January 13, 2005 at 5:58 am #3345338
Programmer or Software Engineer?
by jashburn · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
Firstly, “Learn as many programming languages as you can” is not desirable. Sounds like “Jack of all trades, master of none”. I echo apotheon on this – master a language, then learn another.
Secondly, it seems you’re referring a “programmer” to a “coder”, rather than a “software engineer” (or developer, some would opine). In an effective team, there’s a need for both coders and engineers. Software development is an engineering process. It’s not just writing software (unless your team is contracted to just write software). What use is a codebase written in the most intricate of ways, employing all the trick in the book, but is utterly unmaintainable by others within the team?
The whole engineering process, simplistically, involves analysis, design, implementation and test. In my book, I’d rather go for the well-rounded engineer who has effective working knowledge of the whole process, than the “well-rounded” programmer/coder. It’s far easier (and cheaper!) to fix bad code on good design, than fix good code on bad design (design here implies architecture).
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January 13, 2005 at 9:42 pm #3346880
Coders
by tony hopkinson · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Programmer or Software Engineer?
Personally I think some of the old jargon is being re-used and confused.
In the old days
Coder/Programmer was someone who given a detailed design could implement it.Designer/Engineer was someone who could take a set of requirements and translate it into a detailed design.
Analyst was someone who could collate a customer’s desires into a formalized set of requirements.
Analysts still exist, though they usually do Quality Assurance, or Project Management and probably Customer Account/Relationship Management as well.
I’ve never met a coder unless you count junior developers.
I do all three, buts that’s about as rare in IT as being a bloke.
‘Nuff said, 50/50 split soft and hard skills.
Have you seen ITTeacher’s thread. What should I teach or something like that. Barely a mention of a hard skill like Java or any other language.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn at least one though. It’s just an indicator of where the emphasis is in the market.
PS
You will struggle to get to 1st base, without a knowledge of SQL and at least a good overview of networking and the web, no matter what language you choose. This in the business environment, gaming is a different platform altogther.C# and anything with .net on the end are goers at the moment, but java is still good too.
P.P.S
When searching jobserve et al and seeing the skill lists recruiters put down, take it with a pinch of salt, most don’t know what any of them are anyway.
Java is an OO language. They ask for Java and OO, just in case they get someone who knows Java but not OO. The other way round is of course possible.I’ve no Java experience, but I often get hits for jobs because I do know javascript, they think it’s the same thing because the first four letters are the same.
Aside from extremely specific tasks such as DBA, network engineer, specialists are now very rare. One or three strings to your bow are a good idea, the experience of a career, will let you upgrade to a machine gun.
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January 13, 2005 at 6:53 am #3345975
get a life, joe
by bschaettle · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
Face it, Joe – programming is just another job. Knowing multiple languages is simply the price of staying in the game. That still won’t keep you from being outsourced next week, though.
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January 13, 2005 at 7:05 am #3345971
Not entirely
by alex.v · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
Actually, as an Oracle (senior level) developer cum DBA, I think the idea of administering a test in a programming language that is not listed on the candidate’s resume is interesting, in that it will separate thinkers from ‘just coders’, however it aims at a higher level employee (it won’t test the specifics of exception handling in Java or Oracle (for instance), but knowledge of the exception mechanism in general. I however disagree with the ‘learn as many languages as you can’ approach. Of course, knowledge of several programming environments helps enormously make the right architectural decisions, however I think that one thouroughly understood programming language + competency in a secondary one is better, as it shows the candidate can focus on essentials, is not afraid of making choices (as long as his choices are meaningful and he didn’t choose a career based on Forth and Lisp) but can also invest intellectual resources in more than one direction.
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January 13, 2005 at 7:05 am #3345970
Not entirely
by alex.v · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
Actually, as an Oracle (senior level) developer cum DBA, I think the idea of administering a test in a programming language that is not listed on the candidate’s resume is interesting, in that it will separate thinkers from ‘just coders’, however it aims at a higher level employee (it won’t test the specifics of exception handling in Java or Oracle (for instance), but knowledge of the exception mechanism in general. I however disagree with the ‘learn as many languages as you can’ approach. Of course, knowledge of several programming environments helps enormously make the right architectural decisions, however I think that one thouroughly understood programming language + competency in a secondary one is better, as it shows the candidate can focus on essentials, is not afraid of making choices (as long as his choices are meaningful and he didn’t choose a career based on Forth and Lisp) but can also invest intellectual resources in more than one direction.
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January 13, 2005 at 7:06 am #3345969
I agree, partially :)
by spitts · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
I agree that passion for programming is critical to be good at the task. I also agree that good analytical skills are vital.
However, I do not agree with learning as many languages as possible. I have worked with a few languarges such as C, VB, Script, COBOL, and XBASE. What I learned is that to be “good” with any language requires extensive use, and there isn’t enough time in the day to be “good” with more than a couple. Any good programmer that has both passion and the necessary analytical skills can switch to a different language when necessary and get the job done. Personally, splitting my time between as many languages as possible I feel would be a waste. But, that’s just me 🙂
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January 13, 2005 at 7:32 am #3345957
Agree to a point but…
by jim.bassett9 · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
I agree with the ?passion? concept in regards to projects a person has worked on and I would add to that passion they display for a department or company succeeding but the multi languages I would not put as much emphasis on as this person does. Having multi language knowledge is always good but I maintain that a good programmer is able to pick up a new language so testing them over something they currently don?t know doesn?t make sense; it would be like testing someone over Japanese when they speak English. Plus I don?t agree that knowing more than one language means one has more passion for software than another, how many passionate writers know and write in multiple languages. Anyway this guys thoughts on this are of interest.
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January 13, 2005 at 8:23 am #3345916
Big Goof!
by mwelch4 · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
What you will very likely get is a jack-of-all
languages and master-of-none! Have you ever counted
up your training costs and missed deadlines with this kind of misguided hiring??? -
January 13, 2005 at 10:12 am #3345861
Passion in Programming
by gentle giant · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
Knowing different programming languages is a good idea and you do need to have passion to learn them, especially if you have 4 during a semester in school. Passion plays more in the joy that a programmer gets when a program works after long hours of writing it. Or the challenge of trying to find a solution to a problem or the right code for a task. The times when programming is going so well that you zone out, not noticing what is going on around you.
Yes, passion does have a role if you want to be a programmer. -
January 14, 2005 at 12:23 pm #3346954
The idea is fine but only initially.
by alan williams · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
As a person who has been a programmer for over 25 years in many languages, initially there is a point. Learning other languages does help, but once you have learned Pascal derivitives, C derivatives, BASIC derivatives and COBOL; the process becomes boring and suffers from dimminishing returns. What I do see, from experience of colleagues, is a lack of understanding of the software development process outside of the current development fashion. Try NON-object orientated program development to the same standards as object orientated development. Try writing a program in a language that does not use variables (Miranda). I started out writing C and COBOL under CP/M and BASIC using a commodore PET. I had to develope my own methodologies to write Bug free programs and over the years have adapted my techniques with the best that the current methodologies, of the time, have had to offer. One of the most interesting project I found useful was writing a complete program in Miranda. A language that does not have any variables, only function return values.
Finally passion for programming can be faked, especially by someone looking for a job. Other pointers can be used i.e hobbies and interest. Do they have sustained interest in the extra curicukat activities.
PS I’m also looking for a job.
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January 16, 2005 at 11:26 pm #3344590
Agreed except
by techrep · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
If you are at my stage in a career (14 years in) things can get a little busy. What time I do have I use to test my latest ideas, and execute for my clients. Its not like when I was 12 and had all the time in the world for “honing”.
So I’d put it that way. A junior hire better be well rounded, but I’d look for craftmanship in the senior hire first.
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January 18, 2005 at 5:52 pm #3326267
Reply To: 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
by chriskfau · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Just Java…
This is more for geeks who spent 24 hours on IT
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December 17, 2004 at 12:28 pm #3300166
Reply To: 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
by uofm · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
I do agree on diversifying if you are new to the industry. This gives you the flexibility in terms of finding a position. However, as you grow, you should have a specialization. Now, this does not mean a specific vendor or product – but maybe a technology or methodology.
This give you to advantages – The more things you have experience with – the more you are apt to specialize in something you enjoy (which will also add to your expertise. The more you enjoy it, the more you’ll want to work at it). This is compared to picking somehting that’s hot right now and going with it.
As for training… I’ve never found a better way that to just do it. I’m a security engineer.. so that means playing with the tools of my trade at home, or in a lab at home.
I hate to bring this up as everyone has probably said this. But its not the late 90’s anymore… if you’re looking to have a certification to get a job… you may be in for some dissapointment. While they still mean a good bit, its usually as a supplement to concrete experience.
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December 19, 2004 at 4:57 am #3292003
Java?
by nusigf · about 19 years, 3 months ago
In reply to 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
Seeing how lots of programming jobs are on a flight for a different country, I never threw my hat into the Java arena. I focused on general IT early in my career, but that was with the US Government. I’ve since focused on IT Security. This is something that will never fully leave the country. Too many regulations, especially Sarbanes-Oxley, require that companies understand and control their IT environments. IT Security is here to stay, until it’s replaced. If there’s anything that I’ve learned from my years as a consultant is that business is always changing. Spotting the needs of the business and addressing their concerns will keep you employed.
To make a short answer long, try and spread yourself out a bit, how much you can do that is up to your abilities, but specialize in a couple of areas at the same time. As far as certifications go, get a book and google up some free tests on the net. Certifications are just certifications… job experience is a more valid measurement of what a person is worth, and I’m speaking from the inside. My CISSP and CISM certifications haven’t gotten me anything except a paper certificate.
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January 13, 2005 at 4:53 am #3345352
Certifications…
by barddzen · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to Java?
I spent 10 years in the IT consulting world, even had my own consulting company for 4 years, and spent thousands on myself and employees to get various certifications and not ONCE did a company require a certification for a position.
It was more of a “nice to have”…
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January 13, 2005 at 8:52 am #3345901
What I’ve Used On the Cheap!
by rknrlkid · about 19 years, 2 months ago
In reply to 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
I can’t answer about what you should test on, but based on what you originally asked about study materials, here’s what I did:
1. Cram Session stuff is generally good for getting basic general knowledge. However, I did find them lacking in some things that applied to the actual exams. In some cases, the person who wrote the summary paper hadn’t seen the exam, but was writing about the outline given by the vendor. (This was very apparent after taking the test myself.)
2. The other resources I would shy away from. I could be wrong, but that is my gut reaction from looking at their sites.
My impression is that you are trying to do this on the cheap. So…
3. Do a Google search of the exam title and number. There is lots of free material out there. There are many people who took the exam and later posted their study notes.
4. Become an avid Goodwill or Salvation Army shopper. I was buying other people’s leftover Sybex, Exam Cram, Norton and other books for $1.99 apiece. Now, sometimes you will have to do some updating of material on your own because you may not have the latest edition of the book, but hey, the objective is to save money, right?
5. Check out eBay. The is a guy who has $.99 Books who really does sell books for $.99. I got a series for CIW tests that way.
6. Talk to other people you know. Friends have given me their old materials before. Check with local schools/training centers. They may be very happy for you to cart off their old books that they were going to toss anyway.
There’s lots of ways to do this on the cheap!
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March 17, 2005 at 12:27 am #3352351
Theres no such thing the BEST! because its relative….
by emmaroslinda.edrus · about 19 years ago
In reply to 2 very important sets of career / certification questions!!!
david2001,
What you are looking as the best depends on what is it that really suit you, no one really can say for you because that is depend on their experience and character. Its like some people are good at studying using visual aid, but some people prefer the listening aid. No right or wrong if u pick either one, but its no hurt if you can master both also.
I faced the same dillemma also like you before, which one is better become the jack of all trade/master of none or specialised on just 1 thing? What i have experience is depend back on what is that I really want to do, and what is it that I really want to become next time? Doesnt mean when u become the the jack of all trade means nothing… or become specialise means nothing too, it has its own advantages and it depends on where you are now and where do you want to go frm there. But whatever it is I belive the most important thing is to give the best you can give in wherever you are because the reward will definitely come 1 day. I experienced that.
The question is what actually do you want?
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