IT Qualifications

[MadSmiler]

My colleague at work says IT qualifications are useful and do nothing, he feels work experience is more important and will get you where you want in IT.

[FN-GM]

When getting a qualification you can learn quite a lot. The qualification proves you can do the job. If you are on a panel, 2 people say they can do the job one has proof he can do it with a qualification, who would you pick?

[NB9457]

When getting a qualification you can learn quite a lot. The qualification proves you can do the job. If you are on a panel, 2 people say they can do the job one has proof he can do it with a qualification, who would you pick?

 

Almost all the IT jobs I've applied for have included some practical tests and a small quiz to test your knowledge, because I'll be honest, if you went to my college, you'd see anyone could pass an IT Networking course without knowing a thing.

 

They are good to have, but I've found that experience given by my apprenticeship (after college) really gave me that foot in the door and I value that a lot more than the qualification I earned.

[Norphy]

To an extent, your colleague is right. Experience counts for a lot. However getting a qualification generally means getting some kind of training to get through it, whether it's doing a course, reading a book or watching some videos. The advantage to this is that you're learning the correct way of doing things rather than stumbling along and bodging something together that ends up biting you in the bum later on.

 

The right qualification can do wonders.

[synaesthesia]

I'd have to disagree with that. A qualification shows you can *theoretically* do the job (of course, depending on what the qualification is). Other than a piece of paper, the potential employer has no evidence of what you are ACTUALLY capable of doing, nor does that qualification give anyone else an idea of things such as common sense, logic, aptitude, speed, proficiency etc etc.

I have a Microsoft Certified friend who can barely defrag a hard drive, and a Cisco certified friend who could convert hex to binary off the top of his head but couldn't wire a cable up to save his life.

[bossman]

@MadSmiler

 

It is good to get the theory plus the qualification which coupled with experience is invaluable. To get an interview these days employers are looking for upwards of level 4 qualifications with the possibility of Microsoft certs, this is before you can get through the door.

 

Once through that door you can then use your experience to show them you are the right person for the job, in my eyes you require both.

[FN-GM]

, if you went to my college

 

That certainly isn't a proper networking qualification, anything like that at our place will not be recognised. Do a CCNA or CCNP and you will find they are not easy.

 

@synaesthesia the job of wiring a cable isn't what network professional would do in industry. That would be a job for the cablers. Your mate could probably setup complex dynamic routing, not many on here who can wire a cable can do that.

 

Education is different but if you where to work for a company many of them will throw away applications where people are not qualified.

 

Yes you can get a IT job without qualifications. But the vast majority of the best higher paid jobs require them and for them to be kept current.

Edited November 13, 2015 by FN-GM

[synaesthesia]

True of course - but you really should know how to bake a sponge cake before you can compete on Masterchef and the same applies with networking. He couldn't tell you the difference between a routing table and a spreadsheet either!

Qualifications are utterly useless on their own under *all* circumstances however experience is always useful. Not a one size fits all either way and one compliments the other perfectly. I am of course biased, with my highest qualification being a C grade in 5 GCSEs

[hardtailstar]

I've got a job before based on my experience, one of the other candidates had more certificates then me but less experience

[NB9457]

That certainly isn't a proper networking qualification, anything like that at our place will not be recognised. Do a CCNA or CCNP and you will find they are not easy.

 

@synaesthesia the job of wiring a cable isn't what network professional would do in industry. That would be a job for the cablers. Your mate could probably setup complex dynamic routing, not many on here who can wire a cable can do that.

 

Education is different but if you where to work for a company many of them will throw away applications where people are not qualified.

 

Yes you can get a IT job without qualifications. But the vast majority of the best higher paid jobs require them and for them to be kept current.

 

Whatever it was, it felt pointless as I learnt sweet FA!

[FN-GM]

with my highest qualification being a C grade in 5 GCSEs

 

That was me until 6 months ago. I honestly wish I did certifications long ago. I have learnt so much more.

[themightymrp]

I'm with @bossman on this - having both is what I would recommend. Qualifications get you through the door, experience wins you the job. The hardest part (unless your workplace is generous with funding) is keeping the certs current.

[chilbs]

That certainly isn't a proper networking qualification, anything like that at our place will not be recognised. Do a CCNA or CCNP and you will find they are not easy.

 

Depends what IT Networking Course the college is doing. Here we run CCNA as part of our BTEC Courses.

[FN-GM]

Depends what IT Networking Course the college is doing. Here we run CCNA as part of our BTEC Courses.

 

Yer I give you that, but some of them are a joke

[DalekSec]

I did the best of both worlds (PC WORLD!) I did an apprenticeship, got experience and various qualifications out of it. Passed it 2 months back. Would suggest it to anyone.

[rich_tech]

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/news/161960-professional-standard-ict-technicians-launched.html - I would recommend looking there as its free at the moment and work based certification of your abilities to go on the CV for nothing.

 

I do think qualifications play a part, as I am learning no end of stuff going for my CCENT at the moment, I think at the end of the day though, its the application of knowledge that it all falls down with once you have learnt it. I knew nothing about configuring cisco switches a few months back, now I would happily plug in and make changes as needed, despite it being fairly complicated and CLI based for the majority.

 

I too wish that I had not wasted my time when I was younger and actually went for a degree in IT (computer networks wasn't an option when I was at Uni the first time around) either that or I would have just gone straight for IT Certifications, but hindsight is wonderful there.

[dblight]

The two go hand in hand in my opinion. All of my roles have been based on years of experience, however I'm one exam away from getting an MCSA Server Infrastructure.

 

Nobody has forced me to get certified, nor am I looking for another role which requires them. It's a personal thing. I have learnt a lot from the certification paths using technologies I see everyday but hardly ever dabble in.

 

What does get my back up though is companies that offer MCSA/MCSE courses and then Jo Bloggs who has no real world experience does all the exams and gets the cert. I think that is wrong. However luckily most companies have wised up and see now Jo Bloggs has the correct technical certs but hasn't never touched a production server in his career!

[JoeBloggs]

This debate always comes around - Certifications or Experience. Both is the best answer!

[psydii]

It is usually helpful to understand how stuff works to at least a couple of levels more deeply than you need on a day to day basis.

 

If your knowledge only comes from experience, you will lack the knowledge to deal as effectively as you might with those cases where you are outside the day-to-day.

 

Developing that knowledge takes time. Some employers allow you this time freely. Others want to see something tangible in return.

[MatthewL]

All good and well having a bit of paper to say you can do something but if you haven't got the experience behind it, its no use I personally think.

 

I'm not interested in paper, more so what people can do hands on a bit like me.

[Nixon77]

I tend to agree that qualifications are not needed. You are either good at the job or not, if your good at the job you will learn on the go, work things out, and find out the information you need, as you need it. That only exception is jobs which could endanger other people. Obviously you cannot be trying to guess then.

 

At the same time qualifications are good for showing others the skills you have, or apparently have, with qualifications. You can't have one without the other, unless its for some corporate company. All they care about is show.

 

No qualifcation can make you good.

 

In other jobs, they are important, if you look at doctors, they have books etc around them, they need to do qualifications to show they are suitable and have a sound understanding, but they don't remember everything or know everything. They need the skills to make judgements and decisions, without that they would be bad doctors, no matter how many qualifications they have.

 

Its the same in any job.

 

My GCSE's are not worth the paper they are written on, I don't think I remember or have ever used a single thing learnt from my GCSE school years, even the IT GCSE was nothing to do with practical IT.

 

As soon as I hear "I have a degree in such and such", I know they are going to be crap if they are new. As we all were at one stage. What annoys me is when they start trying to act superior and not listening to what is being told to them. Even if they are new, they start talking a load of rubbish about what they can do, not much I'm afraid in the real world.

 

That being said, I would not mind having a degree under my belt. Maybe one day.

Edited November 13, 2015 by Nixon77

[elsiegee40]

My view as an old codger on here is that it is easy to dismiss the value of qualifications if you are established in your job or, like me, rather long in the tooth.

 

My original qualifications, starting with a degree that involved programming on punch cards, are barely worth the paper they're printed on. Though they do at least demonstrate that I have been around for decades. I admit that I am self taught on most of the more recent stuff.

 

If I am recruiting, however, those qualifications make it easier to tell who may have the knowledge I need particularly for a more junior role. At higher levels I would want experience and the qualifications are less important.

 

I can only compare it with GCSEs, A levels and Degrees. When you start out employers care about subject and grade which you list in detail with dates on every application. As the years go by, they note 3 A Levels and Degree which tells them something about you, but barely notice the grades and your employment history and experience play a bigger part

Edited November 13, 2015 by elsiegee40

[witch]

I agree with @elsiegee40

Experience is the key issue but if someone is young or inexperienced then qualification are a rough indication of what they might know.

My own qualifications are in Electronics (Marine) but I can't say they have been much help!

 

*and enough of the "old codger" remarks - some of us are older than you

[detjo]

Qualifications and experience may work well together or go hand in hand, but I'll take experience over qualifications.

Notice how all job ads say '.. or equivalent experience' ?

 

Qualifications show you did a course and passed a test. Doesn't mean you can do the job.

[MatthewL]

I agree with you @detjo, recently been proved with a colleague of mine that all good and well putting things on paper but when it comes down to it experience is what is needed.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

I agree with you @detjo, recently been proved with a colleague of mine that all good and well putting things on paper but when it comes down to it experience is what is needed.