To Certify or Not To Certify, That is the question?

I recieve at least one question a week from students regarding certifications and what cert that they should pursue. As with almost every technology related question, the answer is "depends". No, not the diapers for adults, but it really does depend on multiple factors. I plan to use time during one of the Business Information Technology Students, BITS, meetings this semester to give a presentation over this topic but thought I would get the ball rolling here with some of my findings at this point.

Who should certify? My personal opinion on this matter is that all "techs" should have a certification of some kind. While demonstrating ones abilities is important in the world, it is important to have a piece of paper that says you have completed all of the necessary requirements to be "X" certified. This does not prove anything by itself but it does complement experience in a very positive way. I don't think that possessing a certification can hurt you in any way.

What to certify in? This is where many people, especially inexperienced people, do not know in which direction to turn. I would say that the first thing you need to consider when considering a certification is to talk to your supervisor about the directions he/she thinks you should pursue. While you may not agree with their advice, obtaining a certification in an area you boss thinks is the right direction will only help you. If you plan on staying with the organization for a while, this is probably even more important. If you have their "blessing", they may pay for study aides, give you time to study or work towards your cert during work time, and/or give you an incentive in terms of pay to add this cert to your resume. How cool is that?

If you do not know which certification is right for you or are looking for a cert to get you in the door, a non-vendor specific cert may be the way to go. In doing this, you get a broad scope of a area rather than focus on a particular hardware type or company. For example, don't get Cisco Certified if you are not planning on going into networking. Certifications, at least the ones that are worth something, will make you earn them. Don't waste your time, effort, or $$$ on something that will not benefit you in multiple ways in the long run.

How do you certify? Blood, sweat, and tears. Really, there are several options to do this and each deal with an inverse relationship between time and $$$. Previous experience and knowledge also pay a big part in these as well.

The cheapest option that takes probably the most discipline and time is self-paced study. This is done by getting a couple of books related to the subject, practice exams, and lots and lots of note cards if you learn like me. This method IMO is best utilized if you have a study partner. Just like exercise, having someone to encourage and push you to achieve a goal is much easier than doing it alone. I also feel like you probably will learn the material the most in this method. The drawback is that it is much more difficult to teach yourself and you still have to take care of all of your obligations in life during this as well.

The most expensive option that take little time other than the course is a boot camp. Boot camps are not lots of push ups and running at 5am. They are intense, but only on the mind. My MCSA boot camp actually made me gain weight! These courses are designed to get an individual prepared for the exams and then to take the exam during the time you are there. The end result for the majority of these people is the certification before you leave. This can be a good option however there is a caveat to this. If you do not have a good amount of knowledge AND experience PRIOR to going to one of these types of courses, you WILL struggle. If you do pass, your certification will be worth much less than someone that actually knows their stuff. If may help you to get a job, but if all you know is the answers to the test questions, you may be looking for another job rather quickly.

There are other courses out there that are not boot camps that can aid in getting certifications, but their purpose isn't necessarily to get the certification. These are designed more for individuals that desire both knowledge and the cert. After the course, some self-paced study is required but it is something that is easier if you took good notes during the course.

Questions? Comments? I will sharing more things related to our IT majors during the presentation that will hopefully be during the early part of February.