5/30/2001 -- According to two recent articles examining the value of IT certification, the news may not be good, especially for entry-level IT professionals.

The first article, published on the Seattle Times Web site, points out what many job seekers have learned the hard way: With or without certification, newcomers increasingly need experience to land even the lowest-level jobs, and that "biding time in an entry-level job can be a gamble for workers leaving solid salaries in traditional industries."

For this story, Times reporter Crayton Harrison interviewed Barry Wolf, an aspiring Web designer from Texas who decided at the last minute not to get certified, as well as a former sales person who left a $90,000-per-year job and is looking to start in technology for a salary of at least $50,000. Read the full article (including technical recruiter Tommy Lopez's take on the situation) here.

More recently, ITWorld.com published an article by Alan Joch analyzing a recent report issued by the Association of Support Professionals (ASP), which says employers are routinely ambivalent about certification programs. Called "Certification: Career boost or expensive mistake?" the article questions whether certification has any return on investment (ROI) for support professionals, citing an ASP survey of software companies which found that few tie certification to hiring, promotion or pay raises. Read the full article here.

If such articles are a guide, then those in higher-level positions may indeed see a ROI from certification. In this article published the same week on Computerword.com, industry analysts outline the raise amounts one might expect after achieving particular high-level certifications.

CertCities is interested in what you think: Did any of them get it right? Post your comments below and let us know if the ideas expressed in the articles above match your experience in the industry. -B.N.