Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?
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So I'm trying to keep my options open with my upcoming move/job-change, and I'm considering having something in the software development or IT fields as a fallback. But my degree is in Physics, and is pretty specialized.
Are there any certifications worth looking into? Things that generally look better than "coding camps" or other such non-sense? Things that (hopefully) don't cost a fortune and can be studied for/gotten at home/online?
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
Are there any certifications worth looking into?
It's not of any direct use to you, but I know that one of the Masters degree programmes we offer is for people wanting to study CS who have a degree in something else (and we always welcome mature students as they don't have to be taught to think for themselves). Perhaps there's going to be a local university near to where you'll be that will offer that sort of thing? Worth a look…
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
Are there any certifications worth looking into?
Yes. But their value is going to vary wildly depending on what you want to use them for. Resume/CV building using certifications is totally possible, but the value of any particular certification is pretty narrow. A certification for C++ developement is not going to apply to a Java based job.
In general I categorize these certifications into three groups (that admittedly have a lot of overlap between them)
- The Coding Camp
- These certifications are very low value to me as a hiring manager. They show interest, but content wise they are not impressive
- Udemy courses by default go here, not that there aren't good courses on Udemy, but many courses aren't good and Udemy does have a history of pirating content freely available elsewhere (or even available for pay elsewhere) If you can pick somwhere different, like Pluralsight, that does not have the reputation udemy has
- These courses can be valuable to the individual, for example as an introduction to a language or platform, but they don't do much for your resume or CV
- The Vendor certification
- These are higher value if they are up to date and for a product in use at the company you are applying for. They demonstrate that you have passed the vendors own certification courses which in the absence of knowledge to the contrary is to be assumed to be more rigorous than third party certifications
- These can usually be paid for by your company as part of their continued education or training budgets. Some strings attached for obvious reasons, but still the cost to your purse can often be negated or significantly offset
- If you are taking these on your own dime, look for technologies that you want to work with in future, or that you know well now.
- The Continuing Education
- These courses show you have an interest in developing your knowledge above and beyond your current job. they often don't have much weight on the Resume/CV on their own but they add up to a trend of continued development and improvement. They can absolutely take you from an okay candidate to an outstanding one.
- For these certifications focus on non language specific certifications. Things like design patterns, project architecture, software engineering, maybe even design methodologies. The idea being that these certifications are transferable to large numbers of situations. If you know good project architecture in C, then that's far more applicable to a project written in Java than your `C Coding Master Neckbeard` certification will me (not that your neckbeard certification is worthless mind.)
Cost wise, in all three categories there's the cheap way and the expensive way. you're going to have to do your own research and budgeting there I'm afraid.
The good news though it there are a lot of free resources you can take advantage of for training that will help you up your skills to the next level, and a lot of paid certifications (not all, not even most, but still a lot) allow you free access to the course material, so you can prepare for the exams for free and only have to spend money to take the exams. so that's neat.
Best of luck!
- The Coding Camp
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Years experience usually trumps degree. I think for getting past hr, recruiters and hiring managers they're quite useful when you're a graduate. When your cv hits my inbox I'm more interested in what you've done with your time and can you actually debug worth a damn.
*edit have you experience to fallback on or are you starting fresh?
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@DogsB said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
Years experience usually trumps degree. I think for getting past hr, recruiters and hiring managers they're quite useful when you're a graduate. When your cv hits my inbox I'm more interested in what you've done with your time and can you actually debug worth a damn.
*edit have you experience to fallback on or are you starting fresh?
I have the following programming-related experience (all self-taught, and not directly paid, although most was used as part of professional stuff):
- I did my dissertation work in Python (using NumPy and the Intel math libraries), but that was a long time ago.
- I solo-wrote and have maintained an iPad app in Swift (a basic calendaring app but that uses some web APIs for updates). ~600 users (a school environment)
- I've written and maintained a simple web-app including
** MYSQL database
** PHP 7 backend and API, including routing using the Apache configuration
** Bootstrap and vanilla JS/HTML/CSS front-end, including some AJAX and JSON for API calls. - Several smaller C# hobby projects, source on Github
I've also taught a beginning HTML/CSS class for several years and an introductory Python class a couple times.
I'm comfortable with Visual Studio, VS Code, and XCode. I used Matlab and Maple and Labview, but that was way back in the day and I'd rather never use them again.
So, professionally-speaking, I'm starting from scratch as far as anything that can go on a formal resume as far as I can tell.
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So you've started many years ago with Python/Numpy in a science environment, are now accomplished Apple mobile dev, manage the LAMP stack (look, devops!), do web-frontends on multiple gigs, besides open-sourcing Seesharp projects? You're a fully multi-stack, penta-lingual experienced Rockstar dev! And do I see teaching experience as a bonus?
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@gleemonk said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
So you've started many years ago with Python/Numpy in a science environment, are now accomplished Apple mobile dev, manage the LAMP stack (look, devops!), do web-frontends on multiple gigs, besides open-sourcing Seesharp projects? You're a fully multi-stack, penta-lingual experienced Rockstar dev! And do I see teaching experience as a bonus?
But I'm too darn honest to feel comfortable writing that on a resume. I hate self-promotion, especially when it's stretching the truth. That, plus a huge case of impostor syndrome has really hobbled me...
But seriously, for those of you who have hired juniors, how much does it matter that none of my experience is directly "professional"? Both the major projects (the iOS app and the web-app) were self-directed/on-my-own-initiative (and also served as learning projects, since I'd never touched any of that before). The python stuff was dissertation related. I've never worked in a group for programming stuff--everything's been solo.
How would I put that sort of experience on a resume without looking scattered or making promises I can't keep?
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@Benjamin-Hall as @DogsB said, most of the credentials stuff is for getting past the HR gatekeepers. Most subject area hiring people will be more interested (IME) with the sorts of things you've actually done.
The next level is the "auxiliary" stuff like gathering requirements, interfacing with end users, etc and any other project management sort of stuff.
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
So, professionally-speaking, I'm starting from scratch as far as anything that can go on a formal resume as far as I can tell.
you just listed five things there that absolutely should feature on your Resume/CV!
Not only are they verifiable (even if not for a company for pay) they are great experiences to draw on for IT!
Your dissertation should absolutely be listed either under the education section, or under a relevant experience section (i'd do this one myself). Because that's an experience you can draw on in your career.
Your iPad application should absolutely be listed. With links to the appstore if it is publicly listed. That'll black mark you from some rabidly anti apple jobs, but you don't want to work for them anyway, and the rest of the jobs this would be a great positive, not only because of the development that goes into that but the demonstration of adhering to another's standards (in this case Apple)
Those webapps, list them under relevant experience. Include links to any that are still live or to GitHub/bit-bucket repos if that shit's public. Those are experiences that absolutely apply to IT
Your GitHub link. should absolutely be on the resume. it won't do fuck all to get past HR, but once in the hands of the hiring manager they'll definitely want to check that out if they're at all good at hiring.
your teaching experience should be listed as well, it's hard enough to find a developer that can do as well as teach. and when you find one is worth their weight in gold pressed latinum.
you might be starting from scratch having a blue collar on your shirt, but that doesn't mean your resume can't be chock full fo other relevant experience!
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@boomzilla said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
@Benjamin-Hall as @DogsB said, most of the credentials stuff is for getting past the HR gatekeepers. Most subject area hiring people will be more interested (IME) with the sorts of things you've actually done.
The next level is the "auxiliary" stuff like gathering requirements, interfacing with end users, etc and any other project management sort of stuff.
Getting past HR is my fear. Because last time I was searching for a job, I got black-holed way too many times. Shouting into the void is not my favorite thing.
I'd love more auxiliary training, but don't know how to get it.
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
Shouting into the void is not my favorite thing.
Don't worry. Even with lots of experience, that's a regular occurrence... sigh.
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@dcon said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
Shouting into the void is not my favorite thing.
Don't worry. Even with lots of experience, that's a regular occurrence... sigh.
Yeah. Sigh. Even getting a refusal form letter would be better than absolutely nothing.
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
@dcon said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
Shouting into the void is not my favorite thing.
Don't worry. Even with lots of experience, that's a regular occurrence... sigh.
Yeah. Sigh. Even getting a refusal form letter would be better than absolutely nothing.
Yeah, I hear that. It's an unfortuante trend for companies to do that.... they don't usually mean to ghost you.... but they don't really tend to do things to actually prevent ghosting you either....
Aou may find it useful, or at least interesting to read Alison Green's blog https://www.askamanager.org/
Particularly some of the tags such as Resumes and job searching
YMMV applying the advice to non US, but a lot that isn't legal advice (which Alison usually answers "talk to a local lawyer specializing in employment law" anyway) will transfer.
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
ow much does it matter that none of my experience is directly "professional"?
I have been involved in selecting hires for decades. One of the best I ever had was a young man (just graduated high school) looking for a (very) junior position. He had NO experience, except what he taught himself on his Commodore (including Assembly!)... He seemed bright, so I asked if he could come back with his 'puter and let me take a look.
Honestly it was crap, but it was innovative crap, and based on what he had as baseline learning material it was quite impressive. He was hired...
Fast forward (quite) a bit of time, and he ended up as a Senior Technical Executive at a major (worldwide) financial firm. It was very gratifying to watch him progress throughout his career.
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Are there any programming/IT certifications worth anything?:
But I'm too darn honest to feel comfortable writing that on a resume. I hate self-promotion, especially when it's stretching the truth. That, plus a huge case of impostor syndrome has really hobbled me...
My rule is: No negatives in the initial communication. For the CV that means sell my knowledge, experience and accomplishments. And sell hard. That's how the game is played. Expect the other side to expect you selling yourself. Always repeat to yourself: They would be disappointed if they missed me because I understated my skills. I did write in the CV that I'm looking for a place where I can develop skills in certain well-defined areas. Which is a tacit admission that I might not be perfect in those areas. That made me more comfortable with the rest of the CV.
Don't forget: In further communications, especially when you deign accept an interview with them, you can answer all their questions and reservations truthfully. If they read your CV at the best possible interpretation and hire you with no questions, you'll probably be working with people who overstated their skills considerably! So you'll be the most qualified if you stayed true to your skills
also you'll be working with hacks 
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The job searching system is badly broken, but it's kind of the best we've got. Yet another case of "the worst possible option, except for all the other things that have been tried." (And it comes with the usual caveat: at scale. At small scales, there are plenty of better alternatives that work quite well, but they don't grow well.)
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@Mason_Wheeler it's basically tragedy of the commons. Everyone being honest with everyone would yield the best result for everyone involved. But
lyingembellishing your resumę gives you an edge over other candidates - and the same goes for job offers. Everyone knows it, so everyone does it, and everyone expects it, solyingembellishment has become the only option - making the entire system very inefficient.
