Small is Beautiful

Certifications are a hot topic for anyone involved the field of Information Technology. Certifications are a great way to stand out in a crowd and show that a person or a company has knowledge in a particular field, technology or product. In some scenarios one cannot work with a particular product or technology unless they hold such certifications. In some cases certifications could provide the edge over a competitor while in other situations could be completely useless.

So how does one decide whether to get certified and choose a certification path that will be of use and not fail from the start? First, obtaining a certification does not necessarily mean that you will get that raise you’ve been waiting for or that you will land that dream job. Like most business decisions there is risk involved in choosing to go down the certification path but using common sense and a bit of market study there are guidelines that can help make the decision process easier with little or no risk.

Before venturing into any certification there must be demand. There is no point in getting certified for something that will not be used so always make sure that the respective certification is recognized and useful to those whom you wish to impress. Making a few phone calls to recruiting agencies or looking around in the newspaper could reveal what the market is looking for. Also make sure that your efforts will be rewarded as obtaining some certifications can be very costly, time consuming and challenging.

With demand for a certain type of certification or skill one needs to choose a path to obtaining it. Remember that some certifications could take years to obtain and be a very big financial burden. Always look at things from a perspective and make sure that once you obtain your certification you can put it to use. Do not let your certification approach revolve around one vendor either. Be open and flexible. Being able to work on more than one vendors solutions will make you more valuable to potential employers and clients.

Gaining a certification does not mean that you are capable of managing the job you intend to land. Nor does it make you an expert in the respective field. Certifications are a vendors way to set a standard competency level for their products, solutions, etc. Obtaining a certification is a bonus and should be treated as such. Most companies will ask for experience alongside any certifications. If you are at the beginning of your career you must be able to find a smart way to gain that experience either by working cheaply, attending workshops or even working for free.

A certification will set you apart from the rest so long as everyone else doesn’t hold the same certification. Certifications should be used with care and in the right situations could be the difference between landing that raise or job. Along with a certification will also come the inevitable need to update and stay updated. Obtaining a certification is not a one time thing. Most people that start getting certified will constantly be updating those certification to reflect updates and changes in their respective fields. If you choose to go down the certification path be ready to dedicate a good portion of your career to keeping updated. Doing so with a bit of forethought could be one of the most rewarding decisions you make so make it with care and remember to try and look at the whole picture.