[NTLUG:Discuss] Which Certification to pursue first?

[Kelledin]

On Monday 03 February 2003 07:22 am, Val Harris wrote:
> Vaidya, Harshal (Cognizant) wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> >    Guys I need to know how much these certifications hold
> > value in the job market. If I go with a some cool Linux
> > certificate for a job do I stand a higher chance than an
> > other person who does not hold a certificate?
> >
> >    Any thoughts on this?
> >
> > Harshal Vaidya
>
> My Solaris certification doesn't seem to be a compelling
> reason to hire me.  I've been out of work for almost 18
> months.

Going on two years here.  I feel your pain. :(

> The value of the cert depends on the decision makers
> involved in the hiring process.  My opinion is that a cert can
> be viewed from one of two perspectives:
>
> 1. It says that the applicant is knowledgeable, more likely to
> do a good job and therefore less of a risk to the hiring
> manager.  (Presumably, a GOOD thing.)
> 2. It says that the applicant is knowledgeable, more likely to
> expect a larger salary, and therefore, more of a risk to the
> hiring manager. (Definitely, a BAD thing.)

In the current job market, employers can pretty much pick and 
choose, so #2 kind of gets ruled out.  Even if you're a Linux 
god, you're only one of thousands of unemployed Linux gods.  

Every job is likely to have a LOT of applicants.  A college 
degree or a certification tends to get you past the initial 
triage.

> Presumably, a cert would tip a balanced scale in favor of the
> certified applicant; but an applicant has no way of knowing
> who the competition is, or the decision making process of a
> potential employer.
>
> The short answer is "It doesn't seem to have been valuable to
> me.", but maybe I've just been looking for work in all the
> wrong places ;-)

Currently I don't have any certification, and I got laid off 
before I could finish my college degree.  I've already been 
through at least three interviews where they required some form 
of certification/degree though, and I see a lot more that 
stipulate that requirement in the employment ad.

It also seems to be helpful if you have specific experience that 
the employer is looking for and have demonstrated this in a 
publicly viewable work--i.e. you're more likely to be hired as a 
kernel developer if you currently independently maintain some 
driver in the kernel.  That at least gets your foot in the door.  
Which is more valuable...I'd say in the Linux world, specific 
experience is more valuable.

-- 
Kelledin
"If a server crashes in a server farm and no one pings it, does 
it still cost four figures to fix?"