I spent many hours learning through trial and error when I got my start in Web development many years ago. Since then, I have tackled several certification paths to prove my skills with specific technologies. However, certification doesn't seem as important these days for IT developers, and I've seen a few recent surveys that back up this point. I'm beginning to wonder what happened to the certification push.
Business need
One of the first certifications I achieved involved Lotus
Notes development. Studying for the numerous tests to achieve certified status
offered two benefits. First, it exposed me to many facets of the technology
that I may not encounter on a daily basis, thus making me a more well-rounded
developer (in terms of the specific technology). The second advantage was the
fact that certification was necessary for my employer.
Many companies like Microsoft and IBM/Lotus require that their business partners have a certain number of individuals certified in their technology on staff—this demonstrates a working knowledge of their products to prospective customers. Of course, the exams and training materials are another revenue source for these companies as well. While business partners and consulting companies need a way to gauge knowledge, other businesses seem to be relying more on real-world experience over paper certificates.
What have you done for me lately?
IT certifications are good, but I think nothing beats
real-world on-the-job experience. After all, do you want a developer who can
recite the specifics of dealing with ASP.NET page caching or somebody who has
actually worked on it in a production environment? Developers with hands-on
experience can point out where the documentation is wrong (and, let's face it,
documentation always has flaws) and what workarounds (if any) they have to
address.
The trend towards experience over certification is quantified by a recent survey from Foote Partners, a New Canaan, CT, IT workforce research firm. The survey says certifications are no longer attractive and real-world experience and non-certifiable technology skills rank high in the minds of hiring IT managers. Employers are bypassing certifications in favor of individuals that are more business-savvy with experience under their belts. With that said, should you bypass any and all certifications for good?
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Certification is no of much value in India. But in USA and UK, people really value certified guys
Posted by Melvis on Monday, December 18 2006 07:01 PM