[TriLUG] Are Certifications worth it?

[Shane O'Donnell]

Certs are third-party validation that you have passed the
certification process.  Nothing more.  There is no consistency between
certs, so a cert is not a cert is not a cert.  Unfortunately, some
employers feel differently.

Is it worth spending $3K to get an RHCE so you can get a job. 
Probably not, unless you know specifically that the hiring company is
looking specifically for RHCEs (for whatever reason) and you REALLY
want to work for that company.

Otherwise, and I'm painting with a real broad brush here, most
employers fall into one of two categories:

 - Your having a cert means nothing, or
 - Your cert means a "plus" to the hiring manager, but they don't know
how to measure that plus

So, having a cert would be a great "tie-breaker" if you're in a
neck-and-neck contest with another candidate, but usually, those
contests get decided by "general impressions" and personalities.

My general recommendation is that if you are in an industry that
mandates them, get them.  If you want to work for a specific employer
that requires them, get them.  If you have the opportunity to pick
them up on the cheap, get them.  If you're staring down a big-ticket
cash outlay to go get them on the hope that it will mean something to
someone, don't.

Shane O.

On 8/26/05, David McDowell <turnpike420 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I agree with Mark on many points.  December this year makes 9 years
> for me in IT and I don't have any certifications, much less a college
> degree.  Have I been lucky, or hired by educated HR depts?  I dunno.
> I don't care at this point.  I currently admin Microsoft ADS with
> WinXP clients and Linux web servers and Linux based firewalls.  ...
> and I KNOW I know less than most people on this list when it comes to
> Linux!  :)  I also manage a digital fax server, document management
> server, multiple database servers (MSSQL, MSDE, mysql), Exchange (no
> laughing LOL) and quite a large amount of backups due to the nature of
> our business (tied to the FDA and all).
> 
> In 1997, the first company I worked for was a Microsoft ATEC, so I got
> to sit in on the NT 4 MCSE courses... I didn't get much out of it and
> refused to take the tests.  I have looked into RHCE in the last year+
> or so, even bought a book... but I think that might be as far as I
> take it unless I have an employer who wants to put me through the
> paces and pay for it for me.  Speaking of, gotta decide if I'm gonna
> ask my $boss to next LUG meeting!
> 
> have a great evening folks,
> David McD
> 
> 
> On 8/26/05, Mark Freeze <mfreeze at gmail.com> wrote:
> > My take on this, and what I think the original post was asking between
> > the lines is this:  "Is it easier to get a job with a RHCE or with
> > LPI?"  The answer to me is the same as the older question of "Why do I
> > need a degree if I have been working in $industry for 10 years?"  If
> > someone is going to hire you just because you are a RCHE then they
> > must not know what they doing themselves. On the other hand, if you
> > have tons of experience but no RCHE I feel you should be interviewed
> > honestly, based on your experience. I once knew a personnel manager
> > that told me that they wouldn't even consider an applicant that didn't
> > have a MCSE.  When I asked them what an MCSE was... Surprise!  They
> > had no idea. They told me that it meant that the applicant 'knew a lot
> > about computers.'
> >
> > Now before I get flamed on this let me explain my point.  I know that
> > everyone in this group is VERY technically minded, and some of you are
> > in positions to hire people.  But I would almost guarantee you that if
> > you gathered all of Raleigh's HR people from non-technical companies
> > together only about 2% would have ever heard of a RCHE, and then 1% of
> > that 2% might know what it means.
> >
> > With that being said I think that the best answer I could give to this
> > question is this:  It depends on where you are trying to get a job,
> > and who is doing the hiring.  If you are applying to a company that is
> > using Red Hat, or has a very technical-based HR department then a RCHE
> > with some experience is a huge step up from other applicants.  If you
> > are applying at $large_co with a standard HR department you might
> > could skip the $3000 course and just tell them you have a ABCD
> > certification from the First Internet College of Linuxtry.  They
> > probably wouldn't know the difference. The question then changes to
> > "What certification will actually help me do my job?"  And we all know
> > the answer to that one.
> >
> > I know probably 98% less Linux than most of you on this list and
> > before I posted this reply I asked myself how many of the people on
> > this list who have provided me with dead-on accurate answers to my
> > questions and consistently give brilliant advice to others have an
> > RCHE or LPI certification.  I could be mistaken but I'd probably guess
> > less than 30%.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Mark.
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-- 
Shane O.
========
Shane O'Donnell
shaneodonnell at gmail.com
====================