I received a very interesting feedback to our ongoing discussion about certification vs. real life work experience. The thread of the discussion is whether employers are now more likely to give skills pay bonuses to pros with the right experience even though they may not possess technical certifications. Is it still worthwhile obtaining certifications if that's the case? One reader wrote in suggesting that certifications may help women, in particular, in their technical careers.

The reader's e-mail arrived just as CareerBuilder and Kelly Services issued a survey entitled “Diversity in the Workplace.” The survey found that one-in-four female workers have experienced discrimination or unfair treatment at work, including not receiving credit for one's work, not having concerns addressed or taken seriously, feeling ideas or input are generally being ignored, and being overlooked for a promotion. You can read more about the survey at Kelly Services' Web site. The CareerBuilder/Kelly survey wasn’t specifically about female tech workers, though I’d like to know if you agree, as my reader does, that having certifications present women with a better job outlook or even help them command greater respect at work?

The reader wrote: "It is the additional ammunition that may speak to the woman's commitment to her job above family expectations. I have worked with a married couple who share the same job title; the husband is not really interested in getting CCIE certification, while his wife is actively studying for the CCIE exam, in addition to her other certifications. They have two children."

The reader added: "I would be interested in seeing the results of a qualitative approach: Present an IT manager with four resumes to review -two with feminine names, two with masculine names. Each of the four candidates has the same level of experience and education, but two carry certifications, while two do not. The IT manager’s evaluation of these candidates might shed some light on the subject from a real-world perspective."

I put that question to Women in Technology International (WITI), which provides careers and professional development support to a global network of professional women working in all sectors of technology. Although WITI has not carried out a study that’s similar to the one suggested by my reader, getting certifications is not the major challenge that’s facing women in technology. A survey of 1,985 female tech pros, carried out earlier this year by WITI and Compel, found that women are more likely to experience a mid-career crisis. The rate of women dropping out of or making sideways moves in their tech careers when they’re given opportunities to manage a “big, hairy, all-consuming project,” is “volumous” says Patricia Shafer, president of management consulting firm Compel. Women won’t take up the project if they don’t see it as a valuable career progression step, if they’re not supported by mentors, and if they believe the project will interfere with what would likely be a crucial stage in their personal lives, says Shafer.

Jon Brodkin is senior writer at Network World.