Submitted by Chris Johnson (not verified) on Wed, 10/15/2008 - 07:11.
I'm with Gerhard. Over the nearly 30 years I've been in the software business, I've interviewed a lot of people for various jobs. Not once have the applicants with certification been better than the applicants without it.
Usually the "certified" folks had a narrow view of things and were unable to function or think outside their very specific certified boxes. I want software developers who are great problem solvers first, flexible in their thinking and solution creation, and engineers in their attention to all the details and completeness. Having the ability to learn quickly and refine the result is more important than demonstrating you know the obscure, optional 4th argument to some random function, which is the sort of knowledge certification usually produces.
Certification for software development skills is vastly over-rated. Its primary purpose in the marketplace is to provide a way for a number of companies to make money by selling training.
I'm with Gerhard. Over the nearly 30 years I've been in the software business, I've interviewed a lot of people for various jobs. Not once have the applicants with certification been better than the applicants without it.
Usually the "certified" folks had a narrow view of things and were unable to function or think outside their very specific certified boxes. I want software developers who are great problem solvers first, flexible in their thinking and solution creation, and engineers in their attention to all the details and completeness. Having the ability to learn quickly and refine the result is more important than demonstrating you know the obscure, optional 4th argument to some random function, which is the sort of knowledge certification usually produces.
Certification for software development skills is vastly over-rated. Its primary purpose in the marketplace is to provide a way for a number of companies to make money by selling training.