Experts: Certs an 'Interview-Getter'

There's an interesting article over at InformIT that discusses Cisco certifications in-depth with two prominent credential-holders.

They have many wise things to say about Cisco certs, and certs in general, but a couple of comments stood out to me. The interviewer asked about the value of certs plus experience. Here's what they said:

"You shouldn't expect a certification to be much more than an interview-getter in terms of employment prospects. I'd rather see people treat certifications as a motivator to increase their knowledge than as a check mark on a resume. The certification might increase your chances of getting an interview; after that you need to rely on your knowledge and experience to impress the interview panel.

[Second speaker]Yes, certs can get you an interview but you still have to prove yourself. There are too many cheat sites available for an employer to assume that your certification means you actually know the technologies. Also, having a certification means that you're someone who goes the extra mile to improve themselves; that you take responsibility for your own knowledge and your own career."

This conforms to what I've always believed about certifications: They can be a foot in the interview door, and definitely speak to a candidate's desire to improve and learn. But they're most effective when combined with experience.