Reply to: Newbie Q: 'Certification' over 'Experience'

[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

[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

[2uk]

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

[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.

[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.

[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
  

[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

[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..."

[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

[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.

[EqualOpportunities]

Wow,

Thanks for all the useful information.

I was happy to get my first post on CUK, and thankful that people will offer up some sound advice.

As I stated I am a newbie to contracting, and whilst I consider myself to have the get up and go to source/investigate areas for myself, I also find it very useful to ask for 360-degree feedback on the current industries stance.

In answer to your question -

I would say that I am for sure a hands-on techie, and feel that experience is the key to being able to put the theory into practice. However I would also state that a sound grounding of theory is vitally important, especially when discussing options, suggesting possible avenues for clients to persue, and therefore having some form of accreditation/qualifications is important.

Thanks for your time.

Andy

You are a natural-born PM. Good work.

HTH

[Area-51]

Wow,

Thanks for all the useful information.

I was happy to get my first post on CUK, and thankful that people will offer up some sound advice.

As I stated I am a newbie to contracting, and whilst I consider myself to have the get up and go to source/investigate areas for myself, I also find it very useful to ask for 360-degree feedback on the current industries stance.

In answer to your question -

I would say that I am for sure a hands-on techie, and feel that experience is the key to being able to put the theory into practice. However I would also state that a sound grounding of theory is vitally important, especially when discussing options, suggesting possible avenues for clients to persue, and therefore having some form of accreditation/qualifications is important.

Thanks for your time.

Andy

[BrowneIssue]

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

There is no right answer at the moment.

Some people actually consider qualifications and letters after one's name as a BAD thing - showing insecurity, an academic approach and non-practitioner mind-set.

But some people will not consider applications from people without a 2nd degree, or at least a 1st class honours degree.


For some roles, a particular qualification is essential: about half of PM jobs have PRINCE2 as entry level - but the other half couldn't care less. Some people intentionally reject PRINCE2 Practitioners.

The same applies to the MS certifications: in some places they are entry-level essentials, in others they will prevent you being taken on.


I sat and scratched my head for ages about this and realised: it is up to you. Who do you want to work for? Academics? Public sector? Dynamic go-getters? Bull-tulipters?

What sort of person are you? Academic? Hands-on? Happy to do a OU degree? Can't be arsed filling in a crossword?


Eight years ago I decided to convert myself from a hands-on, unqualified, very experienced, tulip-hot and unemployed nearly-40 techie into a qualified, professional, project manager on damn good money. I now have a page on my CV just for training, qualifications and my professional standing. As a consequence, I now get brief interviews for public sector roles and get offered them but can no longer get a private sector interview at all.

Sadly, the miracles I performed when doing 100 hours a week as a techie now just amount to about three bullet points.


What sort of person do you want to come across as? I would recommend you work out what kind of person you want to be. I decided I could wear a smart suit, sit on professional body committees, that I would put aside a £3,000 per year personal training budget and become a post-40 year old IT bod who can stay in the industry I want to work in for another ten or 20 years.

While you're thinking, have a look at SFIA.

Mind you, I'd rather be filling in COBOL coding sheets coding year-end processes that can run in a mere 8 hours but nobody will pay me to do that any more.

[Area-51]

Thanks very much for your input.

I will attempt to combine both elements within my CV.

I look forward to positing more on this forum, so far it has been a very valuable resource to be in my setup phase.

Regards,
Andy

[HYpno27]

When I look to get people into a team I want experience over qualifications.

Sometimes all it proves is they have the ability to do really well at tests. Not how to apply it it in the real world