Continuing our discussion from last time, this is the second of a two-part series regarding certification related questions that sometimes come up during a job interview, and how to effectively answer them.
1. Why aren’t you certified at the latest level?
This one might come out as, “I see you’re certified on Visual Studio 2005 . . . do you have any plans to upgrade your cert to Visual Studio 2008?” If you’re not certified on the latest level, this is what the recruiter wants to hear:
- That you are currently working on it through self-study because your previous (or current) employer wouldn’t pay for you to go to the training (or wouldn’t give you time off from your regular job to attend training), or
- That in your previous (or current) position, your projects were too demanding and you didn’t have enough “free time” to work on your certifications. If you have completed a project where you used the current skills, but you just don’t have the paper cert yet, be sure to mention that too. Practical experience is almost always more important than a paper cert.
What the recruiter doesn’t want to hear is:
- New certifications are not important (remember, the recruiter would not have asked if he or she didn’t think it was important)
- Technology hasn’t changed (Technology always changes . . . Duh).
- You don’t care about certifications (again, the recruiter would not have asked if it wasn’t important to him or her)
- Family time is more important (this statement is hopefully true for you, but a recruiter doesn’t want to hear it, so don’t say it)
2. How did you obtain your cert?
Did you obtain your cert through traditional classroom courses, through self study, or through a boot camp? When I interview someone, I always ask this question because it helps me understand how the person learns. Different people learn in different ways and I want to know how they learn before I hire someone. My favorite answer is self-study, because that usually means a person has a lot of self motivation and also that he or she can pick up a book (or documentation), and learn something on their own. This is a valuable skill that will help a person’s career tremendously and not many people possess this skill. If the candidate replies with one of the other two options, I see dollar signs (as in me as the employer having to pay for future training, either in the form of classroom training or boot camps). Regardless of the reply, this question is not a show stopper, and I have seen very talented people who are good workers no matter what their answer is on this question.
3. What difference does certification make in your day to day job?
Certification shows that you have a base level of competency and that you are familiar with the vendor’s product documentation and can go there (if necessary) to solve a problem.
Certification also shows you are focused and committed and that you persevere in spite of the obstacles. I have talked with many people who consider a difficult certification (5 or more exams) as one of their most important professional achievements. Character qualities like the ability to learn and the ability to work hard transcend the piece of paper (your certification) and will help you in any job and in any walk of life.
