| slinthi 2003-11-29, 10:51 am |
| At the risk of offending Cisco, I am beginning to question the value of vendor specific certifications. Let's take Cisco as an example. A survey of their website lists 32 different certifications (see:
http://tinyurl.com/wzqd ).
Cisco sets as a requirement for many of these certifications a limited life span, often imposing a retake policy in as short as two years. In many instances their exams are product specific, limiting their value in a multi-vendor environment.
I sometimes question whether they spend too much time marketing their program, more concerned about selling certification than whether what they provide certifications that actually helps students get jobs out in industry. Let's face it. How many router experts do you need in a medium size network? I know at my college, when we have an issue with a router (and that doesn't happen very often), we call in a consultant who bills us for a couple of hours for fixing the problem.
Your thoughts,
Steve Linthicum
Professor, Computer Service Technology
Sierra College
Rocklin, CA |