Spiceworks Community Digest: Certs don’t hurt

Are certifications like CCNA, AWS, and CISSP truly essential tools for career advancement, or are they just pieces of paper that pale in comparison to real-world experience? A recent conversation on the Spiceworks Community tackled this question, noting that the real value of a certification lies not just in the passed exam, but in the real-world experience to back it up.

Certifications can be your key to an interview

The primary value of a certification, according to most IT professionals, is its ability to get you in front of the hiring manager.

• Rod-IT: “Qualifications and certificates, show willingness to learn and follow processes, it’s not the same as hands-on practical, however it does open the right doors.”
• aJason: “In my area, which is very rural, if you are searching for a job with an MSP, then yes, certs will likely help get interviews. However, if you are looking for an IT job for an SMB, such as my current job, then I’d be surprised if the company even knows what certs are typical.”
• Random Parts: “certs without experience are worthless. Unfortunately, recruiters don’t know the difference, and I keep mine on my resume even though they are out of date.”

Certifications demonstrate an eagerness to learn

Beyond the resume boost, there are several tangible benefits to earning a certification.

• Gorfmaster1: “Certs can be useful to show you have a desire to suffer through a tedious class to take a test you will most likely forget 80% of what you memorized the following month. It can also show you if it is afield that you might be interested in.”
• caballo2000: “Certifications also reflect dedication, discipline, and effort — not just raw technical knowledge.”

Ultimately, the best strategy for certifications is a balanced one: Use certifications to gain structured knowledge and open doors, but focus relentlessly on gaining the hands-on experience and problem-solving skills necessary to keep them open.

So, what’s your opinion? Are IT certs still worth it? Join the conversation to let us know.