| Topic Name: |
IT Certifications |
| Message Name: |
legalgman |
| Date Posted: |
05/13/2003 |
| In Reply To: |
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. |
| Message: |
Thanks for the post. I appreciate your perspective.
At this point in my career, I know that I've got more technical aptitude than most other BAs. Due to lack of exposure, I can't compete in the programmer arena. I just don't have experience.
I was looking at the certificaiton process as a way to gain that experience and would definatley look for a program where the focus is on getting my hands dirty. If the cert won't open the doors for me, what's the best way to get the experience?
|
|
