The Certification Battle Rages On
What is the value of a certification? What does a certification mean to you? What does it mean to your business and career? Does a certification actually validate the skill set of an individual? Is a person worth more to a company if they have a certification? These are all very good questions that must be answered.
This debate will never be fully resolved – is a certification really a good indicator of a person’s intrinsic value. This debate boils down to two IT groups – One that believes certifications aren’t needed to prove your experience and worth, that your ability to do your job should speak for itself. Whereas another group believes that having a certificate DOES validate your skill. It provides a metric to compare you against others.
There was a time when having a certain certification was a job qualifier – you were immediately placed on the hiring list or could garner a promotion or a raise. Times have changed the when it comes to certifications – now it is as much a job disqualifier. Just look in the Job Wanted section of a newspaper or on the numerous job websites. How many times have you seen a position posted – but with a requirement for a specific certification (or certifications). The ones I love are postings that require “3 years or more experience with Windows Server 2008” – can you say Time Warp
As I said earlier – I don’t think this will ever be resolved – but maybe an armed truce?
What is your New Years IT Resolution?
