Hands on experience is definately the most important thing. However, the Microsoft certifications do give you a distinct advantage. About 2 weeks after I earned my MCDBA I was offered, and accepted, a job with a multi-national company. Along with the job came
a pay raise of $15,000 per year. My new company has offered to help me get my MCAD certification (they will pay for everything. boot camp, testing, materials...). The best part of this whole deal is another pay increase after I earn my MCAD. Obvisouly, I am
all for certifications.
LOL, just found out pay increase doesn't help that much. Had the chance to earn more than $20.000 more, but: - pay 200% more in day care - pay 150%-200% more for housing - my wife would make about 5% less - constant over time (up to 36 hours straight, can you
believe that? Their project management must be totally incompetent), at the unbelievably bad rate of $21 per over work hour (don't ask, a funny construction with base rate and additional pay for billable hours). Someone who is more desperate can have that
one :)
"Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes."
hi all, ok certifications do count... but what if a person doesn't have a college degree, but has certifications, and allot of experience in his area ? (web development in this case) how would you evaluate the persons status in the business ?
Hey. If you want to become a manager or ceo of a fortune 100 company then get a degree. On the other hand, if you are contented with just freelance programming then certification is ok but take note that when you apply to top companies, then its better if you
have both...for competition sake.
So what about someone like me who just got out of college with a CompSci degree, but minimal professional experience. I'm finding it tough to find a job. Would certification be a good idea for me or not.
Certification is a mixed bag. I've found it useful for systems engineers but not for developers. That said, for the first time in my 20+ years of software development someone asked if I was an MCSD, and meant it. I took the tests over a three week period and
got it, and got the contract. Am I more qualified for the contract? No. But it was a requirement and I did it. If you're new out of school, there are some people who will be impressed that you're certified, and that may make enough of a difference to get you
a job. Don
Don Kiely, MCP, MCSD
In the Last Frontier, Interior Alaska
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I know what you mean, and I've thought that the situatuon is like that, altho I am currently employed in a company that develops web solutions (web applications), I was planning to go out, and get a job outside my country (bigger salary, better living...),
but my biggest issue is that Iam afraid that I wouldn't survive without a college degree (not to mention that I would like to go higher and achive something in my professional career) and I know what the comment will be on this message: Get a degree !!!!!
but the problem is that I just don't have the time currently, Iam working here 9-17 regulary, everyday I stay atleast two hours after work learning new stuff, and getting with the flow, when I get home who's gonna study ? tommorow is again a work day...
So my whole piece with the certifications is that you shouldn't need to study more than some quick review of less common topics. Just because you can fill in the right bubble because you read the book doesn't mean you can actually apply the knowledge. If you
know the stuff, you should be able to take the exams and pass them. Like Don, I went and got them solely because some places look for such a thing - I'm not a better admin than I was before I went and took MCSE tests.
I think that certifications are excellent, especially for guys who are new to commercial programming (and by that, I mean anyone with less than two years in a job where code cutting and development is what you actually get paid for). Here's why: 1. You can
often get your employer to help fund them, even if all they do is buy you books and pay for the exams. 2. The vendor (whether it is Microsoft or another) normally has a good idea of what is important in their technology, and they test it. This forces you to
learn it. 3. Most developers don't get enough breadth in their development. I've met too many programmers with three or four years experience who have been doing precisely the same thing for those three or four years. What this actually means is that they
have one years experience repeated three or four times. Doing certs will broaden your exposure to the technology. 4. You normally get benefits, such as reduced prices on bits and pieces. 5. It's a hard world out there - why wouldn't you want any advantage
that you can get. 6. Some employers do recognise the extra commitment that gaining certs requires. They will pay more/offer you the job. Are they as valuable as a degree. Almost certainly not. But the last time I was recruiting development staff, one of the
candidates (with a BSc in Computer Science) wrote on his coding test that he couldn't write a 'C' function because he had been taught C++ at college. And as a recruiter. that should let you know what I think the real value of a comp sci degree is these days!
>2. The vendor (whether it is Microsoft or another) normally has a good idea of what is >important in their technology, and they test it. This forces you to learn it. I didn't feel that way at all when I did the Win 2003 MCSE track tests. The tests were focused
on non-realworld stuff like RRAS.
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