The Truth about IT Certifications
July 12th, 2011
By Angela Slezak
You’ve probably heard that IT Certification - taking a course or an exam to be certified in a particular concept or principle - boosts your salary or increases the likelihood of being chosen for a job. Is this true?
It depends.
Information Technology professionals are advised to carefully research certification information. Many sites, companies and articles touting the benefits of certifications are also vendors selling them. IT Pros must assess the value of the certification against their personal goals and the needs of their market to know the true value.
In February 2011, D. Scott Hunsinger, Michael Alan Smith and Susan J. Winter published an academic paper on the use of certifications by hiring personnel. The researchers found a certification's value depended on a number of factors including:
· The size of the market – larger markets tend to reward applicants with certifications
· The applicant to position ratio – the more applicants, the more a certification will stand out
· The level of the position – certifications are more useful when applying for entry-level positions than leadership roles where problem solving is non-routine
· The products used by the company – some companies use one or just a few vendors and want expertise in a particular product
· Hiring manager familiarity with certifications – some hiring managers may be familiar with certifications and have a preference for hiring those with certifications; other hiring managers may not
There is one thing certification will not do – make up for lack of experience.
“Certifications identify a person as having achieved a level of understanding sufficient to pass a test," Valerie Miller, managing director of Talent Acquisition at Genesis10 in Cleveland said. "This doesn’t necessarily equate to experience. Experience, ultimately carries more weight than a certification.”
While certifications don’t make up for lack of experience, Miller admits that it does “highlight [your] potential to recruiters and gets you through the screening process.”
Studying the current market is key to determining which certifications are advantageous. IT Martini consulted experts in several markets and found a few differences.
Northeast Ohio
In Northeast Ohio, the growing industries are health care, finance, energy and raw materials.
“Application development people typically look to development certifications in Java and .Net. Infrastructure folks acquire Microsoft, Linux, Cisco and UNIX certifications,” Miller said.
Central Ohio
In Ohio’s capital, legislative changes drive the top three growing industries.
“With all of the legislative changes recently put in place,” Amanda Spires, professional recruiter at TEKsystems, said, “there has been a very high demand for IT professionals with specific skills related to the healthcare and financial markets. We have also seen continued growth in insurance. We find that the majority of our clients like candidates to have certifications and to go through the necessary training that is available in their field. [Certification] shows that they are motivated in improving themselves professionally. Some clients that we work with will specifically require certain certifications in order for a candidate to be considered for a position.”
PMP is the hot certification in Central Ohio, Spires said. “A PMP is probably the most common certification that we see,” she said. “Others that are in demand include CCNA, CCNP, CISSP and MCSE.”
Indianapolis
“I think experience is the most important thing for candidates to have,” says Paul Rothwell of Smart IT Staffing in Indianapolis. “Certifications help validate the experience, but without the experience, certifications don't mean much. A candidate with good experience, but no certification gets hired before the candidate with a certification, but limited experience. But if you do have the experience AND the certification it helps set you apart and commands a higher salary.”
The hot certifications in Indianapolis vary by industry. Rothwell said the top three growing industries in Indianapolis are insurance, professional services and healthcare.
“Developers want certifications in their area and network people want certifications in their area.” Rothwell said. “In general, I would say the more specialized the skill set, such as security or Cisco, the more value the certification has to solidify that you are an expert.”
To certify or not to certify?
Certification can help to set applicants apart from others in the field with comparable experience, but its influence varies according to the demands of specific markets. Before making the time and financial investment, make sure certification adds value and aligns with long term career goals.
Angela Slezak
