Re: certification for engineers/developers?

["Joe Teff" <joe () joeteff com>]

Depending on the specific certification, some do have benefits. Depending
on the degree, some do have benefits. Neither guarantees that an
individual can play a good game, only that they can talk a good game. If
the job requires talking a good game then degrees and certs are great.
I've met way too many that can only talk a good game and that is just as
prevalent (maybe more so) with degrees than with certs.

Having certs/degrees can get you a level of respect when dealing with
people that don't know you. Is that fair? That is really irrelevant as
that is just how the world works right now. I've met plenty of CISSPs that
don't know what a hashing algorithm is or why you would use that over a
reversible algorithm. I've met college grads that can explain how a
compiler works, but cannot get a fairly simple business application even
close to working as needed.

Bottom line. When interviewing, I could care less if they have a degree or
are certified. I ask questions that require thought, understanding, and
longer explanations. It allows them to demonstrate their understanding of
the topic and proof of their resume. Ask to see some of thier coding and
to explain how it works and why they made some of the choices that they did.

Given certifications, degrees, or experience, I'll take experience every time.

jt


-----Original Message-----
> Yeah, I give certifications weight; *negative* weight. The more 
> "certifications" someone advertises, the *less* clueful I assume that 
> they are. All other factors being equal, that is; I certainly know 
> people who have both certs and clue, but I find that is the exception, 
> not the rule.
>
> Advanced degrees are another matter:
>
> P.S. I am totally serious about the certificates, they go to the 
> *bottom* of my resume pile.