The importance of being experienced

I have been following with interest the Network World Fusion forum discussion on the merits of technical certifications from hardware and software vendors. My colleague Dave Kearns wrote a series of columns on this topic last spring. His basic assertion is that certifications without commensurate experience aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Did Dave ever stir a hornet's nest with Network World readers!

Most of the contributors to the forum agree that certification from a vendor such as Novell or Microsoft is most valuable when combined with years of experience. That's the ideal world. We'd like to think that all technical people could spend a few years setting up or supporting networks, then earn certification to prove to the outside world they are indeed recognized experts. The fact is, many people use the certification training and tests as an entry into the world of networking. This is OK, as long as the newly certified person does not present himself as a fully qualified network professional. He should recognize that certification is only a starting point and it must be combined with hands-on experience.

Recently, my company experienced firsthand the dangers of a "paper professional." We hired a young man whose resume touted Novell certification. He also claimed to be working toward Microsoft certification. Despite his dearth of real-world experience, we respected his training and gave him a shot. Turns out, he couldn't use a spreadsheet, much less maintain a network. His resume puffery was quickly revealed, and now he'll be getting his experience elsewhere.

Kearns proposed the possibility of some type of apprenticeship program for technical professionals. We could take this a step further by implementing a requirement for professional references before a person can obtain a certification - sort of like college graduates who can't get a job without prior experience, so they fall back on references from professors and community leaders.

Compaq actually comes close to requiring references or previous experience. Candidates for Compaq's Accredited Systems Engineer (ASE) program must be already certified on at least one network operating system (NOS), either from Novell or Microsoft. Without the accompanying NOS experience, Compaq will not award full certification on its products.

Considering that most certification programs are offered and controlled by hardware and software vendors, we get what we pay for. For the most part, the programs are initiated to serve the vendor by creating an extended sales force and are necessarily biased toward that vendor's concepts and products. Do the programs serve the network community at large or companies that seek the services of a well-rounded network professional? Hardly.

Perhaps what we need is an impartial body that is not funded by vendors to offer a true test of knowledge and skills, not just an exam on a particular vendor's products, but of network concepts and practices in general. It could be patterned after the Certified Public Accountant program. Being a CPA means you understand good accounting practices, not that you are proficient in Quicken or QuickBooks.

Having just criticized the vendors' programs, I'll now defend them because I believe they do provide some value to the network community. The vast majority of systems engineers who get certified do so to increase their knowledge of networking and to stay up-to-date on products and technologies. The vendors do a good job of providing this education, at least on their own products. And because most vendors require annual renewal of certifications, we know the certified professional's knowledge must be kept up-to-date.

Another huge benefit of vendor certification programs is priority technical support. Novell, Compaq, Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Cisco all provide priority telephone support for their certified systems engineers. Whether you work for a corporation and maintain just one network or work for a systems integrator and install hundreds of networks, priority technical support is a gem to have in your back pocket.

Certification programs also promote a sense of community among their members and encourage the exchange of tools, tips and techniques among peers. For example, Compaq ASEs have a Web site where they can post or download information that will help their fellow ASEs around the world. If an ASE has a question about configuring a server, it's likely that at least one of his peers has been down that path already and can provide pointers.

Certification programs do have value, as long as we recognize the inherent biases that come with vendor-sponsored programs. Until we have that totally impartial body willing to create a standardized universal certification process and program, we'll have to rely on the likes of Novell and Microsoft to tell us who is qualified to call himself a "certified" network professional. And, as Kearns asserts, we'll have to do our own probing into a person's background to find out if he has the commensurate experience we seek.

Musthaler is vice president of Currid & Co., a Houston-based technology consulting firm. She can be reached at linda@ currid.com

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