Mailbag: Certification vs. real life certified

Thank you very much for your responses to our discussion certification vs. real life certified. I received a good number of responses via e-mail and via the newsletter feedback mechanism below in the newsletter.

Having certifications has always given Val an edge over coworkers without them. Having certifications shows employers you have commitment. Commenting on the poster at Networking-Forum who is Cisco certified but has limited hands-on experience with networking gear in the real world, Val wrote: “I don’t think a person can ‘testking’ their way through the CCNP tests … He’s got to have aptitude for this stuff or there’s no way he could have passed those tests, nor would he have invested the time and effort to get through them.”

Many believe that reading books and passing tests may help you get your foot in the door but when you’re in, you still have a lot to learn about the role of technology in business.

One reader wrote: “In the industry I work in I have see all sorts of trained individuals come through that seem to know a lot about the technology we use, but not how we use it and why? It is very important to understand what the technology is and how it works, but the higher value is in how it is being used and why. This allows you to provide solutions to problems that impact the business in an effective and efficient manner.” The reader adds: “Isolating yourself from the operations of the business is a sure why to fail, even if you do resolve the issue.”

Hank Marquis, CTO at ITSM Solutions, an ITIL training company, says having certification and experience may not be enough for IT pros. We know that IT is the lifeblood of organizations and that IT pros are custodians of crucial business information but what assurances are there that IT workers will perform in a trusted manner and safeguard that data? Marquis believes that it’s just a matter of time before IT pros themselves are regulated. “Imagine the day when to be a DBA or a network technician requires not only certification, but licensure, bonding or stringent adherence to legally mandated codes of practice – just like a plumber, carpenter or electrician,” he wrote.

“The real question is what protections do USERS of IT services have without certification, licensure and all the other controls over plumbers, carpenters, and yes, soon, IT workers?” Hank has written more about this in an article for CIO Update.

I agree that it would be valuable to regulate the IT profession in this way. Right now, the Open Group is developing a code of ethics for IT architects through its Association of Open Group Enterprise Architects, which was launched in January. According to the vendor association, AOGEA was “formed to further the profession by maintaining and enforcing standards of excellence and ethics for all members, much like the fields of law and accounting.” Perhaps a similar association could be set up to establish a standard level of education and code of ethics for all IT professions.

For now, continuing education – whether learning on the job or expanding your knowledge through playing around with different equipment, new technologies, joining professional groups, and going on training courses will help to round out your skills. One reader wrote: “I think the most important quality that certification brings to the table is the capacity to learn and dedication to wanting to better yourself. I think those are qualities that are looked at in high regard by employers in general.”