Point/Counterpoint - Certification in the IT Industry
The topic of whether IT professionals should be certified is
a hotly debated topic in many of the forums I have visited on the Internet. A
couple years ago I attended the PASS conference and ended up eating dinner with a dozen MCT trainers. The topic of whether or not programmers, DBAs, and others should be certified was raised and much to my surprise, most of the trainers did not feel the certifications should be required. They did not object to their certification requirements as trainers so much as they objected to and found numerous flaws in the certification requirements and processes currently in place.
I have often seen this subject debated in forums, but the
forums lack the structure and organization of a essay. This article begins a
two part series on certifications with two different viewpoints from the
regular columnists of SQL Server Central. After presenting and reading each
other’s arguments, along with feedback from our readers, a structured email
debate will take place between the columnists, with a transcript published as
the debate continues.
Comments and questions on these essays are welcome and
encouraged using the “Your Opinion” tab below. Feedback will be incorporated
into the debate that continues this series.
Certification Should Be Required by Steve Jones
Counterpoint – Why You Shouldn’t Certify by Andy Warren
How do you feel about this topic?
Return to the Introduction
Steve Jones
©dkRanch.net October 2001
