Comments on: Certifications in IT – Worth it or not? http://ericbrown.com/certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not.htm?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not Technology, Strategy, People and Projects Wed, 23 May 2012 02:44:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: On Hiring the Best — cioessentials http://ericbrown.com/certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not.htm#comment-2412 On Hiring the Best — cioessentials Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:05:34 +0000 http://ericbrown.com/?p=3059#comment-2412 [...] Does “best” mean the most technically competent? The most experienced? Someone who’s certified in the specialty you’re hiring for? Does the certification matter to you? [...] [...] Does “best” mean the most technically competent? The most experienced? Someone who’s certified in the specialty you’re hiring for? Does the certification matter to you? [...]

]]> By: ericbrown http://ericbrown.com/certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not.htm#comment-2411 ericbrown Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:06:00 +0000 http://ericbrown.com/?p=3059#comment-2411 Gary - thanks for the great write-up. <br><br>I agree...there is real value in certifications but they shouldn't be the only thing you rely on for 'proof' of experience. Gary – thanks for the great write-up.

I agree…there is real value in certifications but they shouldn't be the only thing you rely on for 'proof' of experience.

]]> By: Gary Drumm http://ericbrown.com/certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not.htm#comment-2410 Gary Drumm Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:21:10 +0000 http://ericbrown.com/?p=3059#comment-2410 As a "certification holder", or rather a holder of several certifications, both technical and managerial, I'm a big believer in their general proof of competency, based of course on which certification we're talking about. The PMP was an incredibly in-depth certification, requiring proof that I had been doing project management for several years prior to even being able to sit down and take the test, regardless of the fact that I took project management specific classes from one of the best online schools in the country. <br><br>The A+ was probably the second most complex, because of the dpeth of technical knowledge required to pass it. I also have the CIW, which was, in my honest opinion, pretty useless, but that's likely because I had already had so much technical training by the time I sat for this test, that it was incredibly easy. Project+ was just a mini-PMP.<br><br>But the certification I'm perhaps most proud of is ITIL. This was an extremely comprehensive certification with relation to IT operations and service management and I didn't take a single class... I did it the hard way... by reading the books.<br><br>So I think there is real value in certifications, certainly, but when hiring you're not interviewing the certification, you're interviewing the candidate. You assess the candidate's skills by the way they answer your questions. The certification demonstrates that they certainly take their career seriously enough to study for and pass an exam, but it does not prove that they know how to actually do the job you might be interviewing them for.<br><br>Interview the candidate, not the certification. Check references. Professional references. Get references from former bosses who may not have liked the cadidate personally, but can't deny the quality of their work. The job is the job, the certification is merely an invitation to the party. As a “certification holder”, or rather a holder of several certifications, both technical and managerial, I'm a big believer in their general proof of competency, based of course on which certification we're talking about. The PMP was an incredibly in-depth certification, requiring proof that I had been doing project management for several years prior to even being able to sit down and take the test, regardless of the fact that I took project management specific classes from one of the best online schools in the country.

The A+ was probably the second most complex, because of the dpeth of technical knowledge required to pass it. I also have the CIW, which was, in my honest opinion, pretty useless, but that's likely because I had already had so much technical training by the time I sat for this test, that it was incredibly easy. Project+ was just a mini-PMP.

But the certification I'm perhaps most proud of is ITIL. This was an extremely comprehensive certification with relation to IT operations and service management and I didn't take a single class… I did it the hard way… by reading the books.

So I think there is real value in certifications, certainly, but when hiring you're not interviewing the certification, you're interviewing the candidate. You assess the candidate's skills by the way they answer your questions. The certification demonstrates that they certainly take their career seriously enough to study for and pass an exam, but it does not prove that they know how to actually do the job you might be interviewing them for.

Interview the candidate, not the certification. Check references. Professional references. Get references from former bosses who may not have liked the cadidate personally, but can't deny the quality of their work. The job is the job, the certification is merely an invitation to the party.

]]> By: ericbrown http://ericbrown.com/certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not.htm#comment-2409 ericbrown Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:15:28 +0000 http://ericbrown.com/?p=3059#comment-2409 Very True Shim. Certifications can help show that a candidate/person has spent time studying....but I want to see that they've spent time doing as well. <br><br>Certs can help with that because theoretically, you have to have experience as a Project Manager before taking the PMP...but we all know people who aren't good PM's and have passed the PMP. Very True Shim. Certifications can help show that a candidate/person has spent time studying….but I want to see that they've spent time doing as well.

Certs can help with that because theoretically, you have to have experience as a Project Manager before taking the PMP…but we all know people who aren't good PM's and have passed the PMP.

]]> By: Shim Marom http://ericbrown.com/certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not.htm#comment-2408 Shim Marom Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:49:03 +0000 http://ericbrown.com/?p=3059#comment-2408 One other comment though. I still believe in project management training, and the PMP, through its certification program, enforces a learning regime that might have otherwise get ignored. So it is not that the certification itself is important as the fact that the person holding the certification must have spent some study time in learning key principles in project management. And that can't be a bad thing, can it? One other comment though. I still believe in project management training, and the PMP, through its certification program, enforces a learning regime that might have otherwise get ignored. So it is not that the certification itself is important as the fact that the person holding the certification must have spent some study time in learning key principles in project management. And that can't be a bad thing, can it?

]]> By: ericbrown http://ericbrown.com/certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not.htm#comment-2405 ericbrown Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:01:53 +0000 http://ericbrown.com/?p=3059#comment-2405 Excellent Shim. Basically the same way I look at it. Excellent Shim. Basically the same way I look at it.

]]> By: ericbrown http://ericbrown.com/certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not.htm#comment-2407 ericbrown Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:01:12 +0000 http://ericbrown.com/?p=3059#comment-2407 Hi Elliot - Good stuff...thanks for the link. Hi Elliot – Good stuff…thanks for the link.

]]> By: Shim Marom http://ericbrown.com/certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not.htm#comment-2404 Shim Marom Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:04:33 +0000 http://ericbrown.com/?p=3059#comment-2404 Ok, my priorities:<br>1. Relevant experience and PMP<br>2. Relevant experience and no PMP<br>3. Just having a PMP - mmm...not good enough.<br><br>Cheers, Shim<br><a href="http://www.quantmleap.com" rel="nofollow">www.quantmleap.com</a> Ok, my priorities:
1. Relevant experience and PMP
2. Relevant experience and no PMP
3. Just having a PMP – mmm…not good enough.

Cheers, Shim
http://www.quantmleap.com

]]> By: Project Management & Corporate Strategy « Rubber Tyres –> Smooth Rides http://ericbrown.com/certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not.htm#comment-2403 Project Management & Corporate Strategy « Rubber Tyres –> Smooth Rides Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:48:33 +0000 http://ericbrown.com/?p=3059#comment-2403 [...] Certifications in IT – Worth it or not? (ericbrown.com) [...] [...] Certifications in IT – Worth it or not? (ericbrown.com) [...]

]]> By: Elliot Ross http://ericbrown.com/certifications-in-it-worth-it-or-not.htm#comment-2406 Elliot Ross Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:53:09 +0000 http://ericbrown.com/?p=3059#comment-2406 I think I must have been reading you mind :-)<br><br>I broke the same idea down into an exercise on Cognitive vs Experiential Learning<br><br>To quote myself; One thing we commonly use is a proxy that we hope proves that particular candidates have the skills that they claim they do, and that proxy?; The certification.<br><br><a href="http://elliotross.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/real-smb-it-the-certification-catch-22/" rel="nofollow">http://elliotross.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/real...</a><br><br>Best Regards Eric!<br><br>Elliot I think I must have been reading you mind :-)

I broke the same idea down into an exercise on Cognitive vs Experiential Learning

To quote myself; One thing we commonly use is a proxy that we hope proves that particular candidates have the skills that they claim they do, and that proxy?; The certification.

http://elliotross.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/real…

Best Regards Eric!

Elliot

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