Reply to: Worthwhile/cheap certifications

[Boney M]

I have posted this before but again wont hurt. Enjoy as all free.

TRAINING OFFERS & REQUESTS - IT Certification Forum

[psychocandy]

I actually think certs are awesome. Not for the knowledge - although I do find it a useful guide for studying and proving you know a certain level of knowledge - but for the little badge that can get you past the gatekeepers.

We see these jobs with silly laundry lists of skillsets. It's a great way of ticking these things off. Maybe you mostly work in windows environments but the advert wants windows/linux skills. Toddle off and get a linux cert and that could get you past the pimp and you'll should be confident that you know at least the basics so you won't embarrass yourself at interview. Doesn't cost too much.

Next time I'm on the bench I fully plan to look at what the best paying gigs have on their laundry lists and see if I can map those to cheap and quick certs to take.

Pimp : "Do you have experience in X?"
Me : "Yes, I'm fully certified in X" (which cost me all of 100 quid and some time studying)

As far as paying for the courses as a prerequisite to the exams... it's too much money unless I can see a quick return so I'd just look for cheaper alternatives.

My thoughts exactly...

[SlipTheJab]

I once worked with a J2EE architect who had every Java cert under the sun (pun intended) to her name, didnt have a clue how to decompile a class file when the need arose...

[MrMarkyMark]

3 of my 5 Oracle qualifications (two at expert level) didn't require course attendance, but you'd be hard pushed to pass without expertise.

And these are the ones that are actually worth something, i.e. they take true expertise to pass.

Not ones that can be passed just by cram reading the guides, then answering multiple choice questions.

[TheFaQQer]

Along with any certificate that can be got through a 5 day "boot camp" or which comes with a guarenteed pass or your money back / free resit offer.

With reference to a certificate, I agree with you.

With reference to an industry recognised qualification, I disagree.

[TheFaQQer]

Umm I think you will find a lot of companies will now not let you take the exam unless you can prove you've attended the official course as well. e.g. oracle, vmware.

So you end up having to pay £1000s to go on a course you may not need just to be eligible for the exam.

As I have said before (the last time you were asking about Oracle training), not all Oracle training requires attendance.

3 of my 5 Oracle qualifications (two at expert level) didn't require course attendance, but you'd be hard pushed to pass without expertise.

[DieScum]

I actually think certs are awesome. Not for the knowledge - although I do find it a useful guide for studying and proving you know a certain level of knowledge - but for the little badge that can get you past the gatekeepers.

We see these jobs with silly laundry lists of skillsets. It's a great way of ticking these things off. Maybe you mostly work in windows environments but the advert wants windows/linux skills. Toddle off and get a linux cert and that could get you past the pimp and you'll should be confident that you know at least the basics so you won't embarrass yourself at interview. Doesn't cost too much.

Next time I'm on the bench I fully plan to look at what the best paying gigs have on their laundry lists and see if I can map those to cheap and quick certs to take.

Pimp : "Do you have experience in X?"
Me : "Yes, I'm fully certified in X" (which cost me all of 100 quid and some time studying)

As far as paying for the courses as a prerequisite to the exams... it's too much money unless I can see a quick return so I'd just look for cheaper alternatives.

[BigRed]

Indeed. I can carry on typing at speed while talking to someone next to me and so many people comment on it. I don't get it. You use a keyboard for 8 hours a day
Why can't people become proficient using it. Just learn a few basics and you get 8 hours a day to practice.

I'm a SQL DBA, point n klick all the way for me, in fact I'm replying using the onscreen keyboard


Last conference I was at though, Microsoft were explaining you could now update your certification by sitting a small upgrade test on the new features for a small fee. Makes them worth considering.

[stek]

Couple of us a clientco have been looking at Doctorates - Dr. of Exorcism from LADC, fancy that....

Home - Receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree Today | LADC Institute

$70 or so

Dr Stek has a certain ring to it.......

[northernladuk]

You were (are?) in the Girl Guides? Or did you swipe them off NLadyUK?

Doh.. That's what you get with a sloppy Google Search for images using a phone sized screen :igmc

[greenlake]

Pff. Is that it? You suck. Look at mine!

You were (are?) in the Girl Guides? Or did you swipe them off NLadyUK?

[MrMarkyMark]

Pff. Is that it? You suck. Look at mine!

Lovely

They were about that size actually and all the white margin, over the four sides, was covered in them.

I actually binned it, due to feeling inadequate

[northernladuk]

Certification coming through now, stand well back.

Pff. Is that it? You suck. Look at mine!

[MrMarkyMark]

Certification coming through now, stand well back.

Maybe, you can pin it on to your CV

[unixman]

Certification coming through now, stand well back.