[TriLUG] OT: Certifications - Education

[Mark Freeze]

> Hmmm...I don't know that you've provided enough information for us all
> to make the same decision here.  And I don't think that a
> high-schooler that spent the summer cramming for an RHCE cert is
> the obvious choice over a college grad with no work experience.

Without any particulars and assuming that the high school person was
fairly mature, I'd probably hire the high schooler who crammed.  I
haven't personally taken the RHCE, but I do know those who have, and I
have read the study guides and it is definitely not just a paper
certification.  It's a testament to your knowledge. From what I've
seen, if you can 'cram' for a couple of months and pass the RCHE... 
Well, to put it plainly, you know a butt load about Linux.  And not
just Red Hat Linux.  However, I am speaking more about how individuals
who hire and HR departments perceive certifications and online
degrees.  People can say what they want, but HR people at a large
percentage of companies still view cert's and online degrees as a
cop-out from college.

Some HR departments are fair...  In 1988 I applied to AT&T Bell Labs
in Miami. I was asked to write a small program in basically any
language that I wanted that would add a series of numbers from an
input file, then print the subtotals onto a line printer, breaking the
page whenever the total reached 1000 and then start over.  Later, they
told me that the purpose of this dumb little routine was to see if you
would actually give it a try.  They said that you would be surprised
at how many people would balk at the test.  They didn't know why these
individuals freaked out, but if you cant play along, at least in the
interview, you probably won't work out with the team.

Some HR departments are idiots...  I applied at another company for a
job as a COBOL programmer.  During the interview I was NEVER asked
about my abilities or experience.  However, I was asked where I went
to school.

As I've said, everything really depends on where you are trying to get
a job.  (And who's doing the hiring...)

Regards,
Mark.