Re: Certifications: Not worth the paper they are printed on?

["Jimmy Brokaw" <hedgie () hedgie com>]

> http://certcities.com/editorial/columns/story.asp?EditorialsID=176&page=9

The first thing I notice is this guy says he's taken 100 certification exams,
but not that he's passed 100 exams.  Small but subtle detail.

Neilson claims he took the exam to broaden his knowledge in an area he doesn't
have experience in, then complains that the exam has questions so obscure that
only an expert could answer them.  I wouldn't ask someone who admits they
don't work in the field to judge the difficulty of an exam, would you?  I
don't even understand his complaint that some of the questions are easy, while
others are difficult.  Isn't that a good way to determine the knowledge level
of an applicant?

Are certifications worth anything?  Of course a lot of people get
certifications without having adequate knowledge or experience in the field. 
But who among us hasn't met an Ivy League graduate with the management skills
of a stale doughnut?  I wouldn't equate that to mean college degrees are
worthless.  Likewise, some holders of certifications are underqualified, but
that doesn't mean certifications aren't worth pursuing.  It just means
managers shouldn't use them as the sole means for judging applicants.

Jimmy Brokaw

-- 
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