Friday, October 17, 2008

Certification vs Google Developer

 

I have seen this thread so many times.  Those who don't have certifications always batching those that have them. Yes there are lots of paper certs developers out there.  Braindump sites has brought the core values of the certification down.  But consider the facts:

Certification Preparation Facts:

  1. to become certified you need to at least study the preparation guide for the exam
  2. you will need to read at least one book on the subject
  3. you would probably take some simulation test before taking the exam

 Summon the vast power of certification - Dilbert

A certification WILL not get you a job.! There are lots of factors that influence the decision to hire someone.  However, having achieve a certification in a new technology goes a long way to show that you have the Passion and Commitment to stay on top of the technology.

Yes, writing a blog entry does show that you are into technology.  But having to study to pass a test is a different beast.  A blog is written on your spare time, and there is no commitment to when you need to blog.

I hate when someone will tell me that they don't know something, but they are fast learners and they can find it really quick on google.  That's great, but when you are in presenting in front of a client, they expect you to know EVERYTHING right there.  When hiring a developer, there should be a base level knowledge that they should have. Knowing the basics first and then knowing how to find information in the internet for other stuff is fine with me.

Basic knowledge like how to use the xmlWritter, or what the background worker is? or creating a delegate. Using globalization and resources?  About ClickOnce deployment?  All of these concepts and more are required on the certification exam for .NET.

When you start getting into the Enterprise playing field, certifications are more valuables in terms of knowledge, rather than chrome on your resume. i.e. knowing what can be done and how it can be done in BizTalk is more important to a client, than the actual detailed implementation of it.  This is because every client out there has a different problem that they want you to solve, and they are looking at you for answers.

Once again, certification alone does not qualify ANY developer to get a job, but at least it shows that this person has the determination to study and learn the basic to do his job.  Which one will I hire?  The one that has a black belt in google searching or the one that took the extra time, to learn something.

Do you have the time to study?  Do you have the determination and commitment?  Do you have the experience? and most important of all Are you Passionate about Technology?

Certification Pros:

  1. your team will only move as fast as the slowest developer.  Requiring a certification, will set the base by which you can start moving forward.  You don't have to start guessing what level is each of your team members.
  2. Invest some training $$ on your team, they will feel appreciate [read more...]
  3. Think like an owner..!! Everyone wants to work for a Gold Certified Partner. Well, getting those Microsoft competencies takes some requirements:
    1. Customer references
    2. CERTIFICATIONS Requirements...!!

If you think that certifications are used only for evaluating a prospective candidate, think again. How does your company benefits from having certified developers?  Can you company truly stand out among other companies out there without certified people? If you want to be a Business Partner with some of the big companies out there like Microsoft, IBM, Sun, guess what?  You need certifications...!

The guy that study and did that extra effort is the one I want on my team, and in my Company [Quick Solutions, Inc.]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Having fought hard to obtain my MCPD in .NET Enterprise Application Development I can say with utmost confidence, I wasted my time and money. I have been in so many arguments with developers that have poo-pooed my certification. Forget the time or the thousand of pages in 5 books I had to read. Forget the training and the sample tests. Forget all the past experiences. My certs appear to amount to nothing. I would have saved my time and energy and money had I known that up front and not bothered. I've been going on 9 months with the certs and I have yet to find a single prospective employer that has given any credence to the certs. There was a time when there was a lot of brain dump sites for MCSEs certs on the web. I know MS has clamped down and it is virtually impossible to get brain dumps on the current certifications. I challenge anyone to dispel the myth that those brain dumps sites exists for the current certs. As long as this myth continues, the respect given to one that has endured the sweat, time and ambition of pursuing an MS certification will never be given. It really busts my chops when people who don't have certs rail on them. The legitimate effort put forth to obtain these certs should qualify one for more respect than what is afforded by the "brain dump phoney certs" crowd will ever acknowledge.

Arnulfo Wing said...

Dean, congratulations on getting that MCPD. It is a LOT of work to get that.!

You are right, the value is not on the actual paper you get from MS that says you are certified. Instead, the real value is on the effort involved getting that Certificate.!

Those without certs, are always trying to rationalize the process of the certifications.

The more experience you have, the more valuable the certification is, since it measures your passion for technology. [after all, if you have the experience; why you need certs, right?... :P

thanks for your comments.

A>Wing