Microsoft Certifications - Worth it?
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I stumbled across this:
http://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/2h8nbu/microsoft_certified_exams_can_now_be_taken_online/
In short, some of the Microsoft certification exams can now be taken online. Here's the list from reddit.
- 70-410: Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012
- 70-411: Administering Windows Server 2012
- 70-412: Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 Services
- 70-687: Configuring Windows 8.1
- 70-680: Configuring Windows 7
- 70-688: Supporting Windows 8.1
- 70-346: Managing Office 365 Identities and Requirements
- 70-347: Enabling Office 365 Services
- 70-640: Configuring Windows Server 2008 Active Directory
- 70-461: Querying Microsoft SQL Server
- 70-462: Administering Microsoft SQL Server Databases
- 70-463: Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server
- 70-480: Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3
- 70-481: Essentials of Developing Windows Store Apps Using HTML5 and JavaScript
- 70-482: Advanced Windows Store App Development Using HTML5 and JavaScript
I was never too interested in Microsoft's (or anyone else's) certifications. Always seemed like a waste of time. Needless jumping through hoops to get some imaginary cookie.
Now that I can conceivably take them without much effort, the question arises: is it worth it?
Is the idea of these corporate certificates a leftover of a bygone era, or are they still relevant? Anyone here has some? Did you find them they useful in job hunts? Which one would you take?
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If you're trying to get a job: Yes
For general purpose: NoKnowing the material required for cert: Yes
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If you're trying to get a job: Yes
Not even that, for any savvy employer. I've interviewed a ton of cert recipients who can't do jack.
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But it looks good to hr drones to favor you to get to next step.
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That's true enough. It might open doors.
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Not even that, for any savvy employer. I've interviewed a ton of cert recipients who can't do jack.
Some savvy employers recycle-bin any resume they give that references MS certifications for that very reason.
Filed under: in my experience they're not wrong
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Hmm, that was my impression too.
Seems like these things are falling out of favor rapidly.
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IME certifications don't mean much. I'm not remotely certified for any of the IT jobs I've had/have.
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I'm not even a college graduate.
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I basically failed IT at college level then dropped out of university level. I'm still doing much better than people with actual 'qualifications'.
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If you think your resume would leave a potential employer doubting your capabilities, a certification might get you out of the "no" pile and into the "yes" pile. If you are already comfortable that your experience speaks for itself, the value of certification ranges from worthless to harmful.
For a while I had every IT Pro certification Microsoft had. I had them for the only reason that any sane person would; I taught Microsoft certification classes. The contacts I made in class were a thousand times more helpful in my subsequent job searches than anything I learned.
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Just to drop in my 2 cents.
I have a degree related to Software Engineering (I expect quite a few others on the forum have a degree in software engineering, computer science etc etc) and I have never really been asked about my degree in any position I have interviewed for.
A lot of certs are for employers to say "Everyone is certified in X". I have a certification in Sitecore because work wanted to be able to say they had X number of Certified Sitecore developers to clients.
TBH I've found my previous employer's Lynda account to be more beneficial (there are some really good starter courses in the newer web frameworks where you can get up to speed within an afternoon).
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One of the reasons this was on my mind is, today I went through 2 more junior / intern CV-s. One of them had only a university report card with grades. Even though the kid had all top grades, I recommended we don't waste our time with him.
These schools and grades just feel like such a poor indicator of someone's ability to program. I'd rather see one miserable github project than 10 certificates.
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Is this for a junior code-monkey position or a junior-gopher position? I'd say the certifications are good for gopher stuff because they should cover a wide-enough range that the gopher can probably fend on his own.
It is amazing the number of people/customers/engineers I run into that say, "But how do we automate a configuration/file/registry/whatever change to hundreds of Windows machines?" to which I have to reply, "So...you have Active Directory...but you don't know what it does and doesn't do?"
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I have a certification in Sitecore because work wanted to be able to say they had X number of Certified Sitecore developers to clients.
Also because Sitecore won't answer your support questions if you're not certified, so you'd have to have someone else file it for you.
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If you're trying to get a job: Yes
That if: you're early in your career or you're re-branding or trying to break away from your current job title. A cert or training could add some credibility to your future employer.
Exactly the reason some external placement bureau's demand their people to obtain certain certificate levels or a certain number of certificates.
A smart employer won't be bedazzled with it however.
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I have a degree in a very, very non-technical, non-IT field. Never did anything with it. I reoriented myself into IT and at that point I did get some MS certificates. I also found those good for: forcing myself to study certain boring parts and focus more on the business side, uphold a timeframe and by getting the certs I felt much more confident that I actually knew that shit.
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Tbh it only forum support which is generally useless. It is all a load of bollox because the only reason you need a certification is because the documentation is shockingly shit.
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forcing myself to study certain boring parts and focus more on the business side, uphold a timeframe and by getting the certs I felt much more confident that I actually knew that shit.
This is a good point. Google coding and learning as you go is useful, but you'll never get into the really nitty gritty details that way.
On the other hand, I was a really crappy student and could never quite get into learning the shit I wasn't interested in. I only started getting good when I was out of school and learning on the job, by actually doing things. Not sure I could bring myself to get back into that school mentality at this point.
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Not sure I could bring myself to get back into that school mentality at this point.
I don't think it would work for many anymore too.
I got certs for XP & 2003 when those where still rather new. I don't think it's worth it if you are already established and have a career track.
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I don't have any MS certification, but I do have from Cisco, Sun and Scrum Alliance, which have been pretty much worthless except to solidify foundation knowledge and I guess gives my employers some sort of insight into my basic skills. Not in many interviews I've been asked if I have any certification.
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I'm not even a college graduate.
Nor am I, but it's virtually impossible for me to hire anyone who isn't.History Major, yes- I can hire those just fine.