Certifications: Some Thoughts

A large part of my entry back into IT was earning certifications.  The short version is that between my certifications and my volunteering at Free Geek I was able to get a job back in IT relatively quickly.  I was fortunate and had my first certification almost land in my lap.  A friend had a copy of the Network+ book, and he recommended Professor Messer.  Between the two of those (and about 200 note cards) I had my Network+ in hand relatively quickly.

Moving on!

I won't get into detail about different certifications too much, instead I will just share my thoughts on them.

There are two main theories behind certifications:

Big help, that certification..

1. They are not worth the time since an employer is looking for experience and skills, not 3rd party certification.  

I would never trust an uncertified Ninja.

    2.  They are an external way to validate skills and give people confidence in your abilities.

I subscribe to a mix of both these theories.  I believe that certifications are required to get you foot in the door.  I certainly wouldn't take my car to a mechanic who wasn't certified by Honda or another agency.  Neither would I take my cat to an un-certified vet.  How then can I expect a potential employer to take a  serious look at my resume?  True, someone may vouch for me, or I may have the chance to prove my skills, but having CompTIA, or Cisco, or PMI backing me up carries a lot of weight (it also increases the pressure a bit!).  

Of course, I need to be able to back up that piece of paper with the skills.  Certification, to me, is a foot in the door.  It tells someone I have the discipline and drive to get that piece of paper saying yes, Robert can do what he says.  The next step is proving myself.  This is where I agree with Theory 1 above.  Even with my A+, I still need to keep my skills up.  I can't just stop practicing and sit back.  I need to show whoever is interested in me that I can do what my certifications claim; it is a potent combination when you can blend certification and skill.

This is not to say you cannot or will not find a job  just having skills, or just having certifications.  Indeed, I know several individuals who are very skilled at technical services who are happily employed.  I also know a few individuals who have certifications just to have them.  In truth, it is up to you to determine which path you want to take.  Personally I have found a mix to be the best combination, but there are certainly opportunities for any combination of the two.

I began my journey into IT with Network+ purely by luck.  A combination of Network+ and volunteer experience landed my first job.  From there I got more hands on experience working in Tech Support (and on servers!), and more certifications (A+, then Security+).  The growth of my hands on skills and the growing list of certifications kept me moving forward at work and has helped ensure I am consistently getting new experiences to grow with.

There is no right or wrong way to go about IT.  Find what works for you and go with it.  Just keep in mind, you may run into people who ascribe to a different philosophy.  Just smile and tell them what has worked for you.  They may have a differing opinion, but that's their path.  Follow yours.