Articles Question Value of Certification
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.
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There are 7  user Comments for “Articles Question Value of Certification”
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| 5/30/01: Keith says: |
I think the real value of certification is that it confirms a certain level of awareness and understanding of the correct use of tools and products. The process of preparing for certification exams ensures that you have a broad and comprehensive overview. It is no substitute for experience. My analogy is one of a carpenter: certification is like knowing when and how to use a power saw, hammer, square, level, etc. However, knowing how to use the tools does not mean you know how to build a house. SO being certified does not mean you know how to program or engineer systems, only that you know the tools. I did my MCSD to retrain and update my skills to include VB and SQL server. I already had 15+ years of developemnt and design behind me. Time well spent and well worth it. |
| 5/30/01: Tony says: |
Surveys are only as credible as the information is relevant and accurate. The Association of Support Professionals (ASP), “an association of support professionals for software companies” (essentially what we in the IT community refer to as “tech support”). These are, in the world of IT specifically Networking, entry level, undesirable, mundane positions manned by, with the majority I’ve “experienced…anyway”, very untrained low-paid and incompetent individuals. “NO DISRESPECT TO MY TECH SUPPORT COLLUEGES” BUT! “How many of us in IT have tech support horror stories to share”. Now that we have a clear understanding of whom the ASP represents lets talk about the “Certification and support salaries” survey published by the ASP. As suspected, it is representative of the very same misinformation and incompetence the plagues that segment of the IT world. The survey questions the worth of popular certifications (Microsoft, Cisco, Comptia etc..) “in general” after comparing their worth against their segment (tech support personnel) I found the survey to be good, how the results are being interpreted, and why, is what was bad. The survey states that “Certifications do very little to increase pay, earn promotions, and land jobs – talk about having your nose up, in their segment”. That is probably true IN THAT SEGMENT, but then the survey implies that certifications are carrying that same lack of value in all other area’s of IT. Which is the part of the survey that simply doesn’t make sense. Think about it, 1. Tech support positions have historically been entry level, low paying positions compared to other segments i.e.: systems integration, network administration, design and so forth 2. Tech support staff are expense centers to the companies therefore individuals that become certified don’t add value because certifications tend to require higher salaries that go contrary to the management goals of a support center which is to keep it’s cost down to a minimum. 3. Advanced vendor-specific certifications are designed to support that vendor’s specific platform and or products in a broad and in-depth manner. Which may have nothing to do with the product (software) that the company has you supporting. It’s like a person that earns a certification or degree in restaurant management but tries to apply for jobs at McDonald’s for positions flipping burgers, what is his certification or degree worth to a position that requires a person to be of legal working age huh. 4. A person earning an MCSE and wants to stay at a tech support job supporting unrelated software, makes about as much sense as a non-certified tech support person applying for a network administration position. Maybe this survey is a foolish hearted attempt by the ASP to discourage individuals in their segment from pursuing certifications to prevent them from moving on to higher paying more prestige’s positions, hence draining that segment of what little talent pool it has left. |
| 5/30/01: Anonymous says: |
My certification has not been adventages against cheaper, less informed and disposable computer science students. Although my certs and experience far exceed theirs, the fact they are cheap and don't care about keeping up to date or (in my experience) even conforming to legal practises in regard to software prioritize them with employers. Let's face it, even if employers don't have the full story but see thousands difference in projections or even proposals the dollar rules-not whether it is done properly. People enjoy their jobs more if they are not certified because they feel that they don't have to worry about licence and proper use responsibilities personally; it becomes a management issue. These concerns, in my experience, do not validate the cost, effort and sacrifice I put in to be in the industry. I was better off and more in demand without it. |
| 6/5/01: Thomas says: |
As a college graduate looking for work at major consulting firms I found my CCNA, CCDA, and MCSE a good resource to help decide what type of consulting I wanted to do. I am a computer science major but got frustrated programming long hours and during my internships I learned as much about networks as possible. Telling prospective employers what I did on my internship and actually have certifications to back up my shadowing experience are two different things. My certifications did not qualify me for a network engineer job but it did show them I am truly interested in the type of work and that I have an excellent base of ground-level network knowledge that I could be a darn good network designer/engineer within a year. |
| 6/8/01: Jenn, MCSD says: |
I guess the question of certification importance lies partially in the reason(s) why you attained it in the first place! I think certification can be a disillusioning experience for the typical entry-level candidate that thinks that the piece of paper is a golden key ... unfortunately (or fortunately!) exeperience carries greater weight! I think you have to gage at what stage of your carreer you are at before pursuing certs - do you have a few years under your belt and want to a)sunstantiate some of your skills or b)love what you do enough to subject yourself to the gruelling certification process?! In the end, no one wil apprciate your certification more than you - afterall it was you who put in the hours to achieve it! In my experience, if you already have some years of experience, a certification separates you from the pack in demonstrating your commitment to your career and keeping up with the times! :-) |
| 6/8/01: Thomas says: |
While certification is NOT a yellow brick road to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it IS a stepping stone to furthering one's knowledge of whatever it is he or she is obtaining certification in. I find it rather difficult to believe that someone could prepare for the MCSE exams without learning something new about Microsoft's way of doing things. Help Desk/Technical Support positions are generally entry-level IT positions. I was a hardware support tech at a call center for a major PC manufacturer for over a year when I first got in the IT industry 7 years ago. I learned a lot during that time including troubleshooting, problem solving, and research skills. The consulting company that I worked for was paid $15 per support call that the support techs handled. I was paid just under $30k per year and was processing around 40 support issues per day. In most cases, support is a liability as opposed to an asset for a hardware or software vendor so I can understand why most support positions are at the bottom of the pay scale. My recommendation to anyone considering getting into the IT industry is to JUST DO IT! Take that entry-level support position and learn everything you can. Everyone has to pay their dues at some point or another. Start studying and taking exams as you gain experience, skills, and knowledge. I was a Help Desk Technician, then an Onsite User Support Specialist, and then a Network Administrator for a total of 6 years in the IT industry before obtaining any certifications. I am now a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (NT4 - 916 exam score average including two 1000 scores (Net Ess and NT Server))and a Citrix Certified Administrator. I know four times as much about NT now that I am certified than I did before certification. The bottom line is, if I were responsible for hiring IT professionals, I would look at a candidates credentials in the following order: 1) Experience 2) Eagerness and willingness to learn 3) Certifications Just Do It! |
| 6/1/02: NEXTEL from California says: |
CERTIFICATIONS ARE NOT NECESSARY BUT ITS GOOD TO HAVE, AS A HIRING MANAGER IT SHOWS ME THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS THE INITIATIVE AND THE PASSION TO OBTAIN A POSITION IN THE I.T. SECTOR. |
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