Certifications Training-What Will the Market Bear |
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Why is there so much growth in training and certifications? Simple--jobs and money. You may already know about the hottest jobs in the IT industry. You certainly have plenty to choose from. Keep in mind the industry is wide open, and there are many popular and lucrative certifications out there. No industry is plagued with the kind of success being experienced in today's IT market. Jolene Perry, director of IT for Foamex, a $1-billion company headquartered in Linwood, Pennsylvania, says her company is always looking for those certified in MAI Open Basic (they run MAI on their ManBase system). They're also always looking for experienced or certified professionals familiar with J.D. Edwards, Pansofic, Comshare, Windows NT, CISCO, EDI, and Gentrain, to name a few. Another IT director from a mid-size company in New York says, "We're looking for NT Server certifications." This company is in the midst of converting to Office 97, so they are also interested in experienced Microsoft Office professionals. And he has already sent several of his staff to CISCO training. Scott Crager, information systems operations manager for Johnson Worldwide Associates, a Wisconsin-based recreational-products company with over 1,400 employees, says: "We're looking for a lot of things. For Novell we're looking for CNE certification. But we're also looking for NT Server experience or certifications, and IBM AS/400 experience, training, or certifications." However, he's quick to point out, "I consider certifications without experience suspect. We're looking for a mix of experience and training." Part of the reason Crager and other IT directors and managers are suspicious of inexperienced, certificate-waving professionals is because some certifications can be easily and cheaply obtained. Some work experience is always going to place you in a better position for negotiating a higher salary and benefits. But don't fret--if you walk into an employer who is looking for MCSE certification, suspicious or not, he or she is going to speak with you. Some certifications are widely recognized, some are not. But employers, who are in dire need of labor, are willing to pay for it, and are looking for some means of separating the shams and shameless from the well-qualified. | ||||||
| Last Updated ( Sunday, 08 March 2009 ) | ||||||
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