April 22, 2005 at 7:18 am
The boot camps prove the certs are worthless .. I've even seen a MCDBA who had never used sql server. I don't know what the answer is and I agree the concept is fine, but as a non-graduate I still sometimes become annoyed when I am refused being put forward for a role due to a lack of a degree .. there is a similarity ( I'm also absolutely useless at those multi-choice question tests - especially on the syntax of dbcc commands < grin > )
[font="Comic Sans MS"]The GrumpyOldDBA[/font]
www.grumpyolddba.co.uk
http://sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/grumpyolddba/
April 22, 2005 at 7:34 am
What if there was an organization that in order to join you had to be tested on skills and ability. That testing then ranked you. A company searching for a potential employee can pay a small fee for a list of ranked potential employees in a particular field of expertise.
To get a higher rank you would simply take a "Flight test" proving that you are capable of the task and get ranked accordingly.
If the ranked professional also has a MS certification it would be further "proof" that he is worth the time and effort to hire.
April 22, 2005 at 11:02 am
A thought. I like the concept of 'MCDBA-Enterprise' or 'MCDBA-Replication'. And please excuse the shoddy verbiage/logic, I was woken up by a neighbor's drunken screaming match with her BF and got probably less than 5 hours sleep last night.
These specialty endorsements would let us have 'MCDBA' as a generally useful DBA but it would be recognized that he might be weak in more esoteric areas. And if someone has the Replication endorsement without the base MCDBA they could be viewed as a specialist who might be a little weak as a generalist and possibly wouldn't be a good candidate for a Chief DBA (IMO) as a strong generalist.
Anyway, we currently have adaptive testing. Broadly speaking, you are asked a question or three on replication, if you get it right the software flags 'he knows something about replication.' If you don't, it asks you another question (or perhaps two or three) about replication, then the software decides 'he don't know diddly about replication' and continues into another topic.
I, myself, am a generalist. I don't know squat about replication or data warehousing, but I'm excellent at a number of other topics. So I sit down and take a MCDBA test. The test determines that I'm good enough for both MCDBA and MCDBA-Replication, or perhaps just MCDBA but it suggests that I'm really close to having sufficient knowledge to pass a Replication-specific exam, so I get my MCDBA and I can study more and later take the specific exam and have the additional Replication endorsement.
This would, of course, require the testing software to give you more precise feedback in specific areas, and that might be anathema to corps like MS.
Anyway, just a thought.
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[font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font]
June 25, 2005 at 4:36 pm
Wayne, you defined the problem. Better feedback from the test provider (MS) on strengths and/or weaknesses and not just a raw score would help. Having extra "endorsements" would also the "consumer" make a better choice.
Still, no matter how many letters you are able to hang after your name (MBA or MCDBA) can make up for a lack of practical experience!
--Paul Hunter
June 28, 2005 at 7:12 pm
I
July 2, 2005 at 11:49 pm
Certification programs maybe a better indicator than experience during the selection process. Being in the industry 10,15 or 20 years may indicate that you keep up with changes in technology, but does not guarantee that you have. The major plus in having a certification program is that it demonstrates that the individual has the one critical skill needed to be successful. He has both the ability and the desire to engage in the process of continuing education.
Given the speed of change in the IT world it is doubtful that many if any individuals can claim to be experts in every area. A standing joke in the computer business is that there two types of technology. Technology that is obsolete when you buy it and technology that is obsolete when you get it to the office.
Of course certification does not guarantee that you are an expert any more than does a masters degree, being certification as a master electrician or master plumber. It does indicate that you are willing to spend the time needed to continually learn more about your profession than the other individuals competing with you in that profession.
Certification is not entirely about ROI. Certification is about being classified with the best in the industry and being able to prove it. One often hears comments to the effect who does that guy think he is that string of initials after his name does not mean a thing I know more than he does. My answer is always the same you might be right and I bet there is a seat open in the next graduate program or certification program. With your knowledge you could graduate at the top of your class without breaking a sweat or even opening a book.
Mike
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