Training Misconceptions

Training and certification for computer job misconceptions.

A very important and highly misunderstood topic, training and certification for computer jobs is well worth doing, as long as it is done properly and that you understand that getting qualified does not guarantee you a highly paid job or a low paid entry level job either…..

Some of the brightest and most knowledgeable people I have worked with have never taken any certification exams but are the cream of the crop. They can walk out of a well paid contract at 11 am in the morning and be headhunted for a new one by lunchtime.

The most common training misconception people have is that getting a professional IT qualification instantly qualifies them for a computer job even if they have no experience.

The purpose of certification is to complement an existing skill set. Bottom line?

CERTIFICATION IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE

A result of this training misconception is a deluge of certified individuals with no experience. Training companies are selling intensive courses saying things like ’get MCSE and CCNA certified in 2 months and walk into a highly paid job guaranteed!(lots of small print).’

The above two certifications consist of 8-9 exams. 7 for the MCSE and 1 or 2 for the CCNA. The volume of information you need to know to pass all of these exams is colossal. It is by no means something you can effectively learn in 2 months.

It is possible to intensively cram the information, take each exam back to back and pass. But you will not retain any of the information and the certification will be useless. You’ll end up not having learnt the material properly and this will show in technical interviews and on the job- I’ve seen it and it’s painful to watch.

These two qualifications are highly advanced and intended to distinguish candidates as senior network administrators. They will not help you hit the ground running in your first job at all.

The validity of some of the more popular certifications has also been severely compromised by the wide availability of cheating materials or ’braindumps’ as they are known.

The combination of braindumpers and training companies putting people through expensive ’get [x] and [y] certified in record time’ courses have had a very negative effect on the job market and how employers view certification.

The once highly acclaimed qualifications that only the experienced and knowledgeable could acquire are now considered easy to achieve.

Take the MCSE for example. 7 exams covering Microsoft’s suite of networking Operating Systems and applications to run networks. When I started out this qualification was highly revered, it was the qualification of a 3rd line network administrator- the guys (and gals) who looked after the servers in an organisation. To get a full MCSE was an amazing achievement and the result of a long drawn out process.

Now you will see entry level and junior desktop support roles that state things like ‘Do not apply unless you are MCSE qualified’ and ‘Must have MCSE certification’. The training companies are selling the misconception that getting this high level certification will guarantee you a job with a decent salary regardless of whether you have commercial experience or not.

So what of the partial certifications that go toward an MCSE and the desktop support qualifications that are more suitable for entry level and junior support roles?

Surely the MCP, MOS and/or the MCDST should suffice for desktop support roles? Why do you need to know how to fix Exchange servers, Domain Controllers, Active Directory and DNS server problems when your day to day work will consist of fixing users desktop issues which will relate to their client Operating System, hardware, printers and application packages?

Of course having MCSE level knowledge will be very beneficial when diagnosing and fixing workstation network connectivity issues but for an entry level role you run the risk of doing more damage than good by getting a full MCSE.

Some employers may consider you to be overqualified for entry level and junior roles with an MCSE. They will also be concerned that you are looking to fast track your way up the ladder and will not stay with them for long.

I use the MCSE as an example because it is the most popular certification and also the most misunderstood. The job market is full of paper MCSEs who have either cheated and/or gone through intensive ‘get certified quick’ courses

A far more sensible option would be to get the CompTIA A+ hardware qualification as your first certification. A+ is really the place to start if you have no computing background and want to start ’at the beginning’.

A+ and Network+ are the entry level certifications that will benefit you the most at the beginning of your career.

Do your MCSE by all means but wait until you have some experience in an IT role and learn it at a sensible pace so you actually do learn it as intended and can demonstrate the skills you pick up.

That way you will have a very good qualification which is a complement to your working experience.

There is a huge market for qualified and skilled personnel and it is only growing. The is an equally huge number of unemployed paper MCSEs who employers will not consider for entry level roles.

Become the former and not the latter.

I am doing an MCP in Windows XP at the moment it’s an objective my employers have set me; I don’t expect it to take me less than 18 months, most probably 2 years to get all 7 exams.

You can follow my progress in my MCSE blog if you like.

It is not my intention to put you off getting certification as it will help you get into an entry level computer job, but it is critically important that you do not spend time and money on doing it wrong and falling for the misconception that training for a full MCSE will guarantee you a high paying job.

It is too easy to fall for the training companies tempting offers of ‘get rich quick’. In all walks of life and industries ‘get rich quick’ does not exist. Slow and steady wins the race. Work hard, work smart do not try to take shortcuts and you will succeed.

Looking for training books? - Check out the First Computer Job Book Store!

Back to Training for Computer Jobs