Is Microsoft Certification Becoming Worthless?
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I read through this article and it makes some good points: http://www.gocertify.com/article/microsoft-certification-value.shtml
The MCTS and MCITP certifications still aren't well known. I guess we all just need to plunk down that $18,000 to become a MCM! :w00t:
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To me, the certs do have value. I'd like to get my cert, unfortunately I just don't seem to have time between work and life. I guess I'll keep plugging a way with my experience.
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I believe the certs still have some values but definitely they are not golden tickets for jobs like before. I wish they were golden tickets but they are not. 🙁 I believe experience is the only golden ticket for jobs besides internal connections.
Most jobs require expertise in many technologies. Sometimes, i wonder whether it is realistic for anyone to be experts in so many technologies. Are those jobs actually want someone who "knows"/"awares" of those technologies upto certain level and just enough to handle tasks/projects which used to require few different employees who are really specialized in certain technology. If this is true, why anyone want to spend time/money/effort to get certs if they are not economical and practical anymore? This "unfortunate" reality may not apply to experts but probably applies to ones who are not beginners but not being experts yet.
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A cert shows that at least you have been prepared to sit down and put some study time in, which is a good sign you take your career seriously.
without the experience to back it up though, they don't prove that much. You need to be using the skills covered in the certs or you soon forget what you learnt, as has been proved in many interviews.
As long as many job adverts have them as a requirement, they remain worth having though.
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Becoming worthless? No, they were always worthless.
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Michael Valentine Jones (7/1/2009)
Becoming worthless? No, they were always worthless.I think part of the reason is that anyone can get the certification. Years ago when Novell began the CNE, they also involved the employer. They had to certify that you had x years experience with them before the certification was awarded. They wanted people with real world experience, and unfortunately that isn't there with Microsofts certifications. I'd like to get the certs for what I do, but mostly for myself, not for the certs. Sort of an affirmation of my knowledge.
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george sibbald (7/1/2009)
As long as many job adverts have them as a requirement, they remain worth having though.There is a very good article on this point and how certifications that were once optional are now required to get the interview in this tight job market.
theladders.com How to Pass Employer Screening Requirements
But in bad economies, when there are many qualified candidates out of work, a list of certifications is one more way for overburdened hiring managers to filter candidates who don't fit the ideal profile.... optional certifications show dedication to continued study and the energy to move ahead, not to mention the additional knowledge or skills involved, according to Sharon Jautz, an HR consultant specializing in online and digital media. However, those certifications once considered a plus are all but required now, Cox said.
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exactly, they increase the chances of getting past the non-technical people who tend to do the initial screening. It ticks one of their boxes.
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For me, the certs were worth it because I had no RL paid experience in IT when I went for my DBA jobs. Now I use it to upgrade my skillsets.
I'm looking at a potential Oracle cert now because I have no paid experience with Oracle and would have to teach myself the db from scratch to pass the test (boot camps don't work for me). How else would I get an employer to overlook my lack of Oracle experience if I wanted one of those jobs?
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I think it's more the chicken and the egg story.
Employers don't hire you when you have no certification. But if you don't have enouph experience you can't get the certification.
At some point you have to get yourself into a job that helps you to get the experience.
But personally if I have 50 people who applied for an interview there's is going to a selection between resumes by people who are certified and who are not.
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Two recruiters that I know say that as part of placing skilled workers, the employers that they work for prefer that the certifications match their skill/experience. So even with the change years ago to switch MS testing to the adaptive model (in an attempt to expose weak areas), it is not a deal maker. By far employers do look at experience over certifications, but it shows a well rounded DBA/tech.
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I had this conversation with another MCITP and he wondered where the value was. He had learnt along the way to getting certified but was not sure that he was a different person to before and did not consider it important. I on the other hand believe that it does add value to my resume. There are a lot of people who think they arent worthwhile and I hope they are won over by my number of years experience. Anyhting that I can do to raise my profile has got to be good!
I am going on to do MCTS and MCITP database developer. As for MCM I was listening to a speaker and the number of MCMs in the world is very very low - I cant see humble old me getting that far! How on Earth could I recoup the cost of MCM?
Ells.
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Call me old fashioned, but a CERT is nothing more than a bit of paper. Not taking a pop at anyone who has worked hard at getting certified. But I have worked with people who have been certified to the hilt including ex-microsoft DBA's. and their experience and real world knowledge has been varied from non-existant to average.
The thing that kills it for me stone dead, is how easy some of the exams are to take and the help you can get to guarantee a successful pass, including bootcamps, brain dumps and multiple choice questions. i know of people who have gone on a 2 week course and come back certified, people i wouldnt leave in charge of a test box, let alone a production server.
When I see posts from people, saying I want to be a DBA, can I take the exam without any experience and get myself a job, it makes me sad.
Before anyone asks, I am not certified in anything, havent attended any training courses and yet have been a sql server and oracle dba as well as freelance database specialist for 15+ years.
just my 2 cents, for what it is worth.
~Silverfox~
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MS certification as it stands will never be proof of quality. this creates some backlash as people expect exactly that. Now if certification was only available to people working in the field for x number of years then that would help. Untill then you need to do a thorough check. I sat a 2.5 hour interview one day. In that time I think they got the full picture - regardless of certs \ exams \ experience \ cv \ references etc. They were very thorough!
As an aside I did very well at Uni always near the top of the class. I did this on blood sweat and tears alone. There where many people there far more talented than I. So which of us would be better to hire?
Any suggestions for other ways to prove your worth?
Ells.
😎
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define talent, I never went to uni. never had that luxury. :-P.
Most Dba's that I know , have no certifications and yet have been in the industry a long time. Now I am freelance and have been a long time, for a fulltime employee, things might be different. of course your employer will give you the training for free and having a certificate to hang on your wall might rock your boat for some people. but to me,not having one, has not stopped me from finding work, and I find that a lot of employers and agencies are slightly cynical about certifications especially when they have put forward candidates to interview based on their Certs and they have performed poorly in the interview.
I think the question should really be, If you have to pay for the course/training/books out of your own pocket, is certification worth the time/expense.
Speaking from experience, If I had the Certs, it would not have made me more employable and I have never been turned down for a role because I didnt have any. It is a nice to have I suppose for people who have the time and spare money, or if the employer is footing the cost. but personally I see no real benefit.
to answer your question, as to prove your worth, I find that extending your knowledge by learning other related products and technologies helps more. As most jobs ask for different skills, not just sql server, even for a sql server dba role.
~Silverfox~
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