IT qualifications: where to start?

Ugh, certs are worth nothing. The A+ cert I took has meant nothing to me at all, and some of the information on it is just plain retarded. Who still uses 5.2" floppy disk drives, and who cares how they are connected?

I had my CCNA 2.x, for a month before Cisco decided to roll out their v3.1, which invalidated my cert, did the first 2 semests of CCNA v3.1 and then called it quits. It is a waste of time. I know the material, and if I don't remember I know how to look it up. Certs show you were able to remember a few key bits of information for a short amount of time. I know a guy that has all these magical certificates, and he did not get the job over a just out of college graduate with a degree, with 0 cerst. Certifications prove nothing.
 
:mad:
Ugh, certs are worth nothing. The A+ cert I took has meant nothing to me at all, and some of the information on it is just plain retarded. Who still uses 5.2" floppy disk drives, and who cares how they are connected?

I had my CCNA 2.x, for a month before Cisco decided to roll out their v3.1, which invalidated my cert, did the first 2 semests of CCNA v3.1 and then called it quits. It is a waste of time. I know the material, and if I don't remember I know how to look it up. Certs show you were able to remember a few key bits of information for a short amount of time. I know a guy that has all these magical certificates, and he did not get the job over a just out of college graduate with a degree, with 0 cerst. Certifications prove nothing.

Couldn't agree more, but without a cert. you can't prove to prospective employers that you know your stuff.
 
I agree with that statement also. Certs are worth nothing but to prove you can do the things you say you can do. UNLESS you have some years of background experience that has been proven. I have no certifications but I've had places look at my resume, and talk to me and understand that I know a thing or two. For a job, sometimes certs aren't EVERYTHING.
 
Ugh, certs are worth nothing. The A+ cert I took has meant nothing to me at all, and some of the information on it is just plain retarded. Who still uses 5.2" floppy disk drives, and who cares how they are connected?

I had my CCNA 2.x, for a month before Cisco decided to roll out their v3.1, which invalidated my cert, did the first 2 semests of CCNA v3.1 and then called it quits. It is a waste of time. I know the material, and if I don't remember I know how to look it up. Certs show you were able to remember a few key bits of information for a short amount of time. I know a guy that has all these magical certificates, and he did not get the job over a just out of college graduate with a degree, with 0 cerst. Certifications prove nothing.

To say that they are worth "nothing" is not a fair statement. It all depends on how an individual goes about attaining them. I, for example, did not get my certs (A+, Network+, MCP, MCSA) just for the sake of attaining them...but rather to provide a pathway for truly learning the material. I have worked for MCSEs that didn't know how to install RAM...no joke! THEY are the ones who memorized information and passed the tests. These are the "book professionals." My certs may mean "nothing" to me, but they certainly do mean something to HR departments (as does my BS degree)...and that is all that matters...hence the reason I'm in grad school now...money.
 
Without going into too much detail: In the two days since I started job hunting (more to cover all bases - again no details). I've had employment agencies phoning me 4 or 5 times a day offering me posts. I have no certs, the highest education I achieved is College (which over here is one step before University for ages 16 to 18) with one subject.

What I do have is 4 years industry experiance. Thats what counts.

Get on the bottom rung of the ladder, get some experiance, jump to the better jobs, either at the same company or elsewhere.
 
Without going into too much detail: In the two days since I started job hunting (more to cover all bases - again no details). I've had employment agencies phoning me 4 or 5 times a day offering me posts. I have no certs, the highest education I achieved is College (which over here is one step before University for ages 16 to 18) with one subject.

What I do have is 4 years industry experiance. Thats what counts.

Get on the bottom rung of the ladder, get some experiance, jump to the better jobs, either at the same company or elsewhere.

Agree...there is no replacement for experience. I have found that in my immediate arze, however, that one must have experience, college AND certs...as the marketplace here is very competitive. I often wonder why anyone has anything bad to say about certs...is there any harm in getting them (even if one thinks of them as worthless)? ~edited for crappy spelling~
 
Certs are usually a cop-out for people who don't have sufficient education/experience. That's the general consensus, at least as far as I have seen so there is definitely a negative connotation.

I think it stems from the whole Y2K thing where people with certs and no knowledge were hired for huge sums and did jack all.
 
Certs are usually a cop-out for people who don't have sufficient education/experience. That's the general consensus, at least as far as I have seen so there is definitely a negative connotation.

I think it stems from the whole Y2K thing where people with certs and no knowledge were hired for huge sums and did jack all.

That's very interesting...I've never heard that before. Anyways, around here, you cant get a job as a "lowly" desktop tech without a BS and a cert (usually A+). HR depts here (as a general rule) do not even consider candidates who do not have both. I can say that my certs were by no means a "cop out," and are generally respected. Some were very difficult to obtain...but then again I think that one gets out only as much as one invests. They certainly CAN be the difference between landing a job and being passed over. By the way, I'm interviewing for a job with NASA on Monday (required BS and MCSA), so everyone wish me luck! :)
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
Xie wrote on Electronic Punk's profile.
Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
Electronic Punk wrote on Sazar's profile.
Rest in peace my friend, been trying to find you and finally did in the worst way imaginable.

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