Ever since the industrial age, companies have had to train their employees to operate or maintain equipment or machinery designed specifically by or for these companies. Employees would be presented with some type of certification that would attest to the fact that they have either attended these specialized training events or that they attained some level of achievement and were deemed competent to operate or maintain these equipment.
Certifications Evolve
With the coming of the Information Age, certifications have been extended to not only include operating and maintaining equipment, but also to signify mastery or competency in programming specific languages, administering specific operating systems, configuring networks, etc. In fact, between the two more popular certification testing services: Pearson Vue and Prometric; more than a thousand different IT certifications are offered. Additionally, most of these certifications are vendor-specific; hence the scope of applicability is restrictive. Other issues that we need to consider is the timing factor; as technology develops, new certifications emerge, while on the other hand, old technologies fade and so does the demand for the old certifications. Re-certification is also an issue. For example, COMPTIA, one of the most recognized vendor neutral certification organizations, has moved away from lifetime certifications. Holders of COMPTIA certifications are now being required to participate in continued education programmes in order to maintain their status.
Certifications are easier to acquire than a degree, as the material is narrowly focused to a defined set of tasks, and therefore the time span to achieve them is far shorter than pursuing a degree. Ed Tittel of SearchSecurity.com states, “Depending on your goals and objectives, you can probably get certified more quickly than you could get a degree. But certifications must typically be maintained or renewed, and a degree lasts a lifetime. Ultimately, you should be able to figure out which path works best given the amount of time, energy and money you have to spend on its pursuit.”
The Value of A Degree
Steve Crandall, writer for CertCities.com writes “ But what is the value of a college degree – any degree? It demonstrates your ability to learn diverse information. Those of you with degrees probably remember semesters where you were taking classes in German, Accounting, World History and Operating Systems. The fact that you were able to keep such varied topics separate in your mind and succeed in all of them indicates, at the least, an ability to handle multiple projects and work to a deadline. Earning a degree shows a measure of determination and, yes, maturity that is valuable in any working situation.”
TONI BOWERS, HEAD BLOGS EDITOR OF TECHREPUBLIC writes “I asked Ramon Padilla, an experienced IT manager, what he looks for in a job candidate — a degree or certs, and he said it depends: “if I am looking at a highly technical position (DBA, Network Engineer, etc.) then I lean more heavily toward certification. Someone with experience and a CCNA or CCIE for Cisco equipment or Oracle certifications for Database Admin goes further with me than someone with a generic IT degree. However, if I am looking at a managerial, administrative, or analyst type position, the degree is more valuable.”
Joe Weber, managing consultant for Microsoft in Cleveland, uses a typical Microsoft metaphor to relate degrees to certifications. "I view a college degree as breadth and certifications as depth," he says. "People competing for top jobs must bring a complete skill set, not just skill. At Microsoft, sure, we grill people on their technical base. But that might be just two of seven interviews a candidate faces. The others are looking for breadth: The ability to sell ideas and yourself, the ability to react under pressure, the social skills that allow a person to empathize with customers. A college education provides the framework of that collection of skills that we’re looking for."
Which Is More Important For Me?
In response to the question on which is more important, Steve Crandall responds that the answer to the question is that it all depends, “so what does it depend on? Well, first of all, it depends upon what you want to be. Not just as an employee, but as a person? Are you the type of person who constantly seeks information, is always trying to learn something new? Or are you content to get by with the minimum level required to maintain your status, or perhaps to get one step up?” He further added, “Second, what’s your long-term goal? As you’ll see, the choice of certification versus college has long-term implications for your career and your life.”
Relating the Reality
I started out my professional career as a technician, and was far more attracted to certifications because the courses were shorter, they were focused, and it meant that I would be able to get into the work place much faster. Having got into the working environment however, I quickly realized that I was sitting on a time-bomb, and it would not be very long that I would become a proverbial dinosaur unless I continued to attend training courses to keep pace with the new technologies that were being adopted. Then came the realization that I was being “pigeon-holed” as I was continually being trained for specific tasks. I also concluded that my skill-set was not of much value outside of my area of expertise, and because of the nature of the technology, there would not be significant scope outside of the company, and so it diminished my ability to transfer to another organization. Then shortly afterwards I noticed something that I did not see before; a glass ceiling. Individuals with degrees did not appear to have had much difficulty in being promoted beyond certain levels; however, as technicians without degrees, we would need special supervisory and/or management training to move beyond these points in the organization. It was then that I decided that I needed to re-assess my career path by shifting priorities. I immediately enrolled to study for my degree.
Seriously, which would you rather have?
After the debates, and after all the pontification and rationalization have ended, which would you rather have; a certification or a degree? From a simple, personal status point of view, which one do you believe will do more for your self esteem or provide greater self-worth? Do you prefer to see your name written as : John Brown B.Sc.or John Brown CCNA? What about John Brown B.Sc, CCNA?
What is the REAL Choice?
My own opinion is that if your short-term goal is to seek a specialized non-managerial position, then the appropriate certification may be the way to go. However, you must regard certifications as steps in your career path and not the destination. The degree fits more as giant steps or milestones to your career. It is more part of a long term strategy to career planning. In addition, do not forget that there are also different levels of degrees. For the highly competitive individual, especially in technical fields like ICT, it is not a matter of certification versus degree; you must have both. In my mind the question is not whether certification or a degree, but when do I sit for my degree, and when do I sit for my certifications?
In the final analysis; the CHOICE is YOURS ….
References to Other articles :