Success is relative. It is what we can make of the mess we have made of things. - T. S. Eliot
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Certifications Alone Do Not Make the Pro Written by Mitchell D. Garvis September 5, 2007 An interesting post appeared in a newsgroup that I monitor today. A desktop support technician in the United Kingdom lamented a colleague who had attended a two week MCSE boot camp and indeed earned that certification. Unfortunately he later encountered a number of simple issues that he could not resolve, including one with regard to network connectivity; it seemed he tried everything he could think of but never checked that the network cable was tightly connected. She of course had a good laugh at his expense (well deserved) and commented that at last we see the true value of certifications. She very quickly (and to my knowledge unbidden) clarified that she meant that her boss would see that certifications alone would never make an IT professional valuable. She is right of course. Every Microsoft Official Curriculum course lists prerequisites for taking the course. For 2151 (Microsoft Windows 2000 Network and Operating System Essentials) it lists:
In turn, course 2151 was a prerequisite for all subsequent courses. In other words, Microsoft Learning expects you to know these concepts, and will not teach them to you. Let me repeat that last phrase for those who want to blame Microsoft Learning for the shortcomings of some MCSEs: There are basic computing and networking concepts that they expect you to know as prerequisites, and will not teach you. This is one of the reasons that boot camps tend to make me nervous. If you have someone with strong computer skills, a background in troubleshooting, or even someone who has passed CompTias A+ and Network+ certifications, and you send them to an MCSE boot camp, chances are they will come out a more knowledgeable IT Professional. On the other hand, if you were to send a relatively intelligent person who picks up information and concepts quickly and can cram a lot of information into their consciousness over a relatively short period of time they will probably be able to pass the exams required to obtain the MCSE certification... but that will not necessarily make them an IT Pro. There is a conundrum in the IT industry; you need to have experience, knowledge, and certifications to get many of the good jobs. The knowledge you can get from books, the certifications you can get once you have that knowledge by passing a number of exams, but the experience you will only get from working in the field. That is why companies cannot rely solely on a professional's MCP Transcript, they also require a CV and a series of interviews. This often frustrates people who ask me why it is that even with their shiny new certifications they cannot find work. When I explain the situation to them they get even more frustrated and ask how they can get experience if nobody will hire them? My advice to these people is usually very simple:
Over the past few years I have been a very vocal proponent of the value of certifications. I have worked and continue to work closely with Microsoft Learning to increase the value and to protect the integrity of the certification program. I honestly feel that certifications are an important aspect of an IT Professionals growth. I do not, on the other hand, feel that certifications alone are proof of knowledge or ability. I would never hire anyone based solely on certifications, and would not hire someone without proof of a firm knowledge of how things work in the real world. On the flipside of the same coin I would probably not hire an IT professional with the real world knowledge but who lacked the certifications. I have said before and will say it again: Certifications are not proof of knowledge. They are a demonstration that someone has the respect for his or her profession to pursue not only the knowledge but the credentials which attest that they are not simply computer guys, but IT Professionals. Mitchell D. Garvis, MCT Microsoft MVP: Windows Server - Customer Experience Click HERE to visit my blog. |
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