This has been gnawing at me for a while and I really want to know. I want to know how many certifications is enough. I see people taking certification test left and right. The thing that gets me is that they are taking test that just to take test. For example, if a person is Microsoft or Novell certified, why take the Network+ test? If you are a trainer/instructor I can see it, but other than that it is overkill.

To me, the whole certification idea is losing it's luster. Why? All you have to do is buy a book, study...oops...MEMORIZE a few braindumps and BAM, you have a certification. The orginal purpose of certifications were to ENHANCE a person's experience with a product. It looks better to a recruiter to have a MCSE and have actual work experience with Microsoft products than to have a MCSE and no experience administrating a network.

It is a trip to see someone with a MCSE boast on how much they know about NT or 2000, but have not clue on actual hardware support or technologies scuh as UNIX. I know a guy who swears he was a NT guru. He had his MCSE and you couldn't tell him anything. That is until he had to deal with UNIX, shell scripting, and Perl. He didn't realize that it takes more than one product to run a network.

I know I jumped off the subject a little and I know that I will "offend" a few people, but I really want to know the truth about certification overkill. Does having five or six certifications really help your career? Is multiple certification better than an Associate or bachelor degree? WHASSUP??????????

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I think prospective employers like to see more certs on a resume. The more the better. But, the value placed on some certifications does seem too high in many cases. The value has to measured by an employer, or co-worker, in light of many things.

Is the interviewee familiar with our product?Most certification programs only introduce a tech to the operation of the product and familiarize the tech with the terms he/she will see in the field. I've usually found the "real world" scenario questions to be of narrow scope, but they at least serve to introduce some possible fixes. They are not a substitute for experience, and I can't see how they ever would be, unless a certain length of field experience is measured and required to earn the certification, but they can indicate what an individual's learning curve may be.

Does the tech have an ability to learn? Will they learn if presented with the opportunity? If a tech has more certs, or a college degree for that matter, on their resume, it doesn't mean he, or she, will be the better tech, rather it shows the person has motivation, ambition, and a willingness to learn. These are personal qualities that are difficult to measure in a 30 minute interview if a tech has only work experience or no education listed on his/her resume.

How well do they work with others? Personality should be a big factor as well. Most of my computer work has required a huge amount of customer interaction. You have to talk to a customer to learn about their problem and needs, and you should be, even at those all to often difficult moments, sensitive to a customer's needs and feelings. I've seen a couple techs who were much better technically than me get escorted to the office door because they have the personality of a horse's butt. The boss at my first computer job hired me because, "It is apparent that you can handle the customers, and we can teach you the rest."

Certainly, I believe there can be cert overkill. Many of the certs. are redundant, so some level of focus should be aimed for. As for me, if I interviewed someone who was certified out the wazoo, I would wander if other things in there personal life are suffering, which hints at some personality problems, in my book. There is much more to life than endless test-taking and working.

However, sometimes taking a redundant test seems reasonable. For example Net+ and Networking Essentials, one is a vendor neutral, non-retiring exam (right now anyway), and the other is Microsoft's and retires. If I'm job hunting between the NT 4 exams retiring and I just haven't had the time for the 2000
tests, then the Net+ will be a handy carry over. Also, much of the material is redundant, so taking both means less study time, and some good review.

Getting certified has ENHANCED my career, as has going to college, experience at work, and dealing with customers. All these things make me a more valuable employee, not the certifications alone. I, and many others, have moved up because the skills we possess make us valuable employees. And certs are one tool that is used to measure employees.

It sounds as if you've had bad experiences with a boastful MCSE who needs some deserved humbling. I find that I better not boast too loudly about what I know, in case I have to ask the guy next to me to help me with something that he DOES know, and I DON'T. But I've had those same bad experiences with workers who "have years of experience", and no certs.

By the way, I have a B.A. and a couple Associate degrees in Computer Science, but I believe I've learned more about computers self-studying for certification exams, but even more through experience. If it's as easy as a little memorization and "BAM" to get a cert, I've been going at it all wrong.

My opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

DarthW MCSE, MCP, A+, Net+, i-Net+, CDIA (These aren't listed to boast, only to show that I have some experience with certifying)

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This is an interesting topic you bring up. I do believe at some point you can be overcertified, and just know a lot about nothing. I think as long as you're staying in your area of expertise it's OK to get as much certification as you can get. For example, if you're into networking then it looks to good to have CNE, MCSE, CCNA, and N+ on your resume. However a resume that looks like MCSD, MCSE, A+, OCP, CCNA might make me scratch my head and wonder how much they really know. On the other hand, if you have the project experiance to back it up then you're going to be considered very knowledge and deserving of your certification. After all, project experiance is really what it all boils down to. That's going to be what recruiters look at first. However, if you have no project experiance than certs are a good way to get your foot in the door.

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T.J. McDonald
Instructor
New Horizons
A+, I-net+

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The thing I want to know is if you are already a CNE or MCSE why spend th etime and money on taking the Network+ test. If you are a CNE, wouldn't it be more worth while to pursue the Master CNE? If you earn a CCNA, wouldn't it be more valuable to go the full Cisco path to the highly respected CCIE?

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How about E-commerce or E-business?

What certfications should I get if my job will cover e-commerce?

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I agree Bobby with your second post to this thread, but I offer for your consideration that maybe some of the certifications were acquired prior to attaining MCSE or CNE status. I acquired my A+ and NEt+ certifications prior to becomming MCP. But it does make more sense to get the entry level certs before putting all the effort into MCSE or CNE and especially CCIE. Its sort of like backing up. My two cents worth.......

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I agree with your point Fubar, but there are some are already MCSEs or CNEs. That's why I cannot see taking a "step back" to take the Network+ test. If you work your way up from A+, to Network+, to i-Net, to an MCSE, CNE, or Cisco I can see the value in that path.

From what I have seen, many people get a multitude of certifications believing and hoping that high salary will come with it.
A lot of people who are trying to get in the IT field have unrealistic expectations of high salaries with certain certifications and little or no experience. They believe this because of the shortage that the media is always reporting. How many recruiters would actually hire someone with an MCSE and NO experience let alone hire them with a salary of $40,0000 to $50,0000 a year?

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***Please excuse the errors in my last posting. I'm on my lunch break****

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As far as getting the N+ goes if you're already an MCSE, it's something that will only help you and not hurt you. If you already know the material why not pass the test. Especially if the company is paying for it.

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T.J. McDonald
Instructor
New Horizons
A+, I-net+

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Bobo, I would look at the i-Net certification first if your area is e-commerce. I'm not that familiar with it,but from what I've heard it is geared towards people who work directly with the Internet and e-commerce. Someone correct me if I am wrong. Another possiblity after that is the CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster). It all depends on what direct you wish to go.

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