| Topic Name: |
IT Certifications |
| Message Name: |
It will get you a certificate |
| Date Posted: |
05/13/2003 |
| In Reply To: |
I'm hoping to tap your opinion on IT certifications.
I've been employed as a Business Analtst in the Financial Services indsutry for about 5 years. I've got about 10 years professional exp total.
I've been on some good projects and have deliberately worked to build my tech knowledge. I'm at a crossroads now. I'm concerned about career growth due to a logjam in front of me and the downturn in tech spending. My tech expertise is better than most BAs, but not in the programmer/developer league.
I took a few MBA classes with a technical tilt and am thinking about pursuing a certification as an Oracle Admin or Developer.
Through one of my classes I got my hands a little dirty with Relational databases. I did alot of work in Access and very lite work in Oracle 8i. I enjoyed it and am thinking about moving in that direction. It seems that everything is moving towards running on relational DBs and that the DB work is one of the slots where strong business skills make all the difference.
I'd like to work on the Oracle cert while keeping my current job.
Do you think that my read on the increasing value of DB skills are accurate? When I add the Oracle Cert to my resume, should I be able to transition into a DBA or DB Developer role? With an MBA, what could I expect to earn in NYC? Are there any other paths to consider?
I've enjoyed my limited exposure to working with DBs and am anxious about this prospect. I'd love to get the thoughts of everyone out there that really know.
Thanks. |
| Message: |
IT certifications are fine and will impress people who are impressed by such things but there is no substitute for skill, experience and above all aptitude. Certifications show that you can read books, follow instructions and remember facts, something that all grad's have already proven. I have been involved in the systems development world for more years than I care to recall but I can count the truly good programmers I have met and/or hired on the fingers of both hands. (I've been around so long now that I might require a few toes too.) In "the good old days" people were given aptitude tests and you know what? The well constructed tests actually worked. They certainly sorted out those that could from those that wanted to. With the advent of the PC, everyone thinks he or she is a computer wiz and the media hypes this "fact" in confirmation. I hate to say it but the truth is, most technicians are mediocre at best.... The nerve of people coming straight out of college into a "consulting" job. When I hire a consultant I want someone who knows more than me, someone I can consult. These days most "consultants" are just warm bodies to boost the headcount on a project. This devalues the title and does a disservice to the truly talented among the ranks. Do a self evaluation, you will know how you stack up against your peers. If you're good, really good, pursue your career. You will be recognized and promoted along the way because good people are hard to find. If you don't shine in this field, look for a career where you can be good and will be appreciated. By the way, of all those programmers I met, out of those I considered really good, not one had a certification and I would say at least 50% of them had no degree. What they all had was skill and aptitude.
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