Experience or Certs?

[tillytalker]

Just curious as to everyone's views here, as everyone seems to have their own opinion. Obviously a balance of both would be preferred but what's more significant these days when transitioning over to contracting - perm experience or certifications? Do you believe certifications still have a big worth when applying for contracting roles?

[SimonMac]

Just curious as to everyone's views here, as everyone seems to have their own opinion. Obviously a balance of both would be preferred but what's more significant these days when transitioning over to contracting - perm experience or certifications? Do you believe certifications still have a big worth when applying for contracting roles?

Experience > Paper

[oracleslave]

Do you believe certifications still have a big worth when applying for contracting roles?

Yes, but only so that your profile turns up in the results when some recruiter searches his database. From a client perspective I'd agree with SimonMac

[sal]

Skills/Knowledge > Experience > Certs

Unfortunately in many cases long experience doesn't equals high skills / better knowledge. Now days most certifications (especially MSFT) can be obtained with couple of days cramming for the exam(s) so worthless unless backed by the actual knowledge/skills. And if you are in position to assess the knowledge/skills the whole idea of having the certs becomes rather daft.

Personally i'm still doing them because there is the odd client who looks for/demands them.

[TheFaQQer]

Experience every time. I have DBA certifications, but there's no way I'd take me on as a DBA

[dragonkid]

I agreed experience is more important than cert, of course this also depends on which role you do.

[JRCT]

Yes, but only so that your profile turns up in the results when some recruiter searches his database. From a client perspective I'd agree with SimonMac

i was studying for a cert, last year. It was on my CV as Current Study but I never claimed I had the cert. I got tons and tons of agencies contacting me saying they want an expert like me.

Hmmm.

[sal]

i was studying for a cert, last year. It was on my CV as Current Study but I never claimed I had the cert. I got tons and tons of agencies contacting me saying they want an expert like me.

Hmmm.

Did you ever got an interview based on that? Personally i bin the CVs of people trying to pull something like that, no matter the fact they went past the agent. The whole notion of "study for a cert" is daft, you study to learn the tech and then potentially go to exam with so an independent authority that awards you the cert so as prove you learnt it.

[JRCT]

Did you ever got an interview based on that? Personally i bin the CVs of people trying to pull something like that, no matter the fact they went past the agent. The whole notion of "study for a cert" is daft, you study to learn the tech and then potentially go to exam with so an independent authority that awards you the cert so as prove you learnt it.

It's never been a deal breaker, but a 'nice-to-know' kind of thing. I wasn't trying to 'pull' anything.

Aspects of what l was learning have proven to be very useful.

I'm sure if you applied for a job as a warehouse man and you said you were currently learning to drive a forklift truck, whilst not as good as someone who CAN drive a forklift, it's got to be more advantageous than someone who hasn't even started to train in that.

[gigahoe]

You need to have a base level for whatever your profession is. For example as a PM I have Prince 2 which loads of roles ask for, without this I doubt I'd get 10% of the interest that I get. Once you have this though having additional certs will not get you as far as years of experience in relevant roles and industries.