Newbie Q: 'Certification' over 'Experience'

[Ardesco]

I would say write your resume to show the experience but make sure you have popped in all the qualifications that you have. The pimp won't read your resume, he/she will only do a keyword search on it for the qualifications anyway.

If you have a list of qualifications at the top and highlight qualifications used in each gig that should give you enough hits on their keywords to get your resume pulled out of the pile. Then when client looks at it it should be heavily experience based to make them call you for interview.

[HYpno27]

I would say write your resume to show the experience but make sure you have popped in all the qualifications that you have. The pimp won't read your resume, he/she will only do a keyword search on it for the qualifications anyway.

If you have a list of qualifications at the top and highlight qualifications used in each gig that should give you enough hits on their keywords to get your resume pulled out of the pile. Then when client looks at it it should be heavily experience based to make them call you for interview.

Yeah that should do it

[TheFaQQer]

I don't mention my qualifications on the CV. Mention them in passing at an interview if possible though. I do the same for some of the key projects that I've been involved with.

It gives the client a perception that you really are that good, if you don't need to bang on about it on a CV. So I tend to subtly drop in things like "well it's part of being an Oracle certified expert..." and "oh that part of the system? That's the bit that XXX and I wrote for product development, so I have some good insider info on XYZ..."

[someone has my name]

I have found that certifications will help you get an interview,
but once there its all about your past experince.. so both I think

[ratewhore]

So what the thread is telling the OP is:

• Pimps will use certs to whittle the CV's down

• Clients are interested in experience
  

[NotAllThere]

I've no certifications in my field, and command 150 - 200% of the average rate. No agent or client has ever asked for me to be certified (though several family members have tried. )

Experience every time.

[scooterscot]

Hi All,

But just wondered whether I should lean toward experience or qualifications?

Andy

I once heard a year's experience equates to 2 years education.

After my undergraduate and attempt at a masters, I've learnt experience is always best.

As an employer and an employee, I look for experience before qualificaiton, it's important to prove yourself through study for sure, afterwards experience is what counts.

[2uk]

it is all about using your grey matter. everything rest is tulip

[someone has my name]

So what the thread is telling the OP is:

• Pimps will use certs to whittle the CV's down

• Clients are interested in experience
  

Yup

[Emily]

Experience is more important but the qualifications help too. I've worked with clients who won't look at a CV without an MCSE or a PMP, even if the candidate was super experienced. However this is generally the case in positions which are oversubscribed - so where a company will receive 50 Project Manager or Server Support applications they have to use qualifications as a filter.

But as a general rule experience prevails - just get qualifications along the way.

HTH