The State of Technical Certification

Cushing Anderson knows as much about technical certification as anyone. As program vice president for Project-Based Services research for market analyst firm IDC, Anderson follows trends in certification, how they help the vendors train their workforces, and how certified employees help their companies. Suffice it to say that if he testified in a certification lawsuit, he'd be considered an expert witness.

Given that background, About.com spoke to Anderson about the current state of U.S. certification, and got some fascinating insights.

Vital Signs are 'Mixed'

Anderson described the health of the certification industry as "Mixed. The potential for the market is strong, and the desirability [of certification] is stronger than it has been for several years."

Certification vendors, however, may be missing an opportunity to market more to companies than individuals. "They [often] pitch certification as a way to maximize an employee’s earning power," Anderson says. "They should be selling its value to employers to improve organizational value."

To that end, Anderson believes vendors need to realize that the value is not in certification as much as selling its own wares. "Certification sponsors could be doing a better job of marketing it to the enterprise. Cert sponsors are not in business because they’re selling more certs," according to Anderson. Rather, certified employees "drive the adoption of their technology ... the more certified folks they have on a staff, the more value they have in that technology."

The other side of that coin is the employees – or those looking to be employed – who get the certifications. Anderson feels that technical certification still has strong value. "Some IT pros get three, four or five certs; that’s what they're after. But most folks get one or two," he says.

Those credential holders, Anderson says, "Are not doing it to pass a test -- they perceive [certification] has value to their pocketbooks. They read salary surveys in earnest. They look at it from a hire-ability or promote-ability" standpoint.

Three Types of Certification Seekers

That's more important than ever in a recession as severe as the current one. Anderson says there are three basic types of certification-seekers right now:

• Those who have been laid off from non-IT work that want to get into IT
• Those laid off from IT jobs who want to stay in IT
• Those still in IT, looking to maintain their employed status or gunning for raises and promotions

The non-IT folks, Anderson says, are interested in certification "to demonstrate their passion for IT, [their desire] to get into it."

The unemployed IT workers "Are looking for something to do while they’re unemployed, so they’re trying to figure out what makes them more employable," Anderson explains. "That population goes up in recession time." That is borne out by Prometric, a major certification test delivery company, which Anderson says has seen a "steady increase" in tests taken for the past year.

Top Certification Vendors

That, of course, is also good for the vendors who rely on a certified workforce to recommend their products. Anderson points out some of the vendors who he thinks have very strong certification programs in place. "Cisco, Microsoft, Oracle and IBM, just because of the vast size of their installed base and the number of people in the program."

Microsoft, for its part, is "Much more focused on end-users," Anderson says. "They have a very wide range of skills they certify [on]. Oracle is narrower still, but they do a good job with folks in that career path getting certified. Red Hat has a good program, but it’s not real big. But they’re narrower in focus."

Even though Red Hat's certification program is smaller than some others, Anderson says "I like the fact that Red Hat uses assessments to help enterprise clients figure out where they are and where they need to go. Cisco is doing interesting stuff with simulations and emulating their devices. All the vendors are using remote labs for the most part."

Get in the Right 'Pile'

And once those credentials are earned, how will they help you in the job market? "None of these things actually get you jobs," Anderson says. "They get you in the pile. They don’t hire you by the resume. The fact you have an MCP or MCSE doesn’t get you the job. You’re trying to stand out in the pile. If a recruiter is looking at two piles, 'Those I’m going to interview and those I’m not', certification can help you" get in the right pile, Anderson says.

It won't get you the job by itself, however. "You do have to know the material," Anderson asserts, alluding to the famous example of a certification-holder with no practical IT experience. "'Paper MCSEs' were people who couldn’t do the work. To the extent you have a certification and can’t do the work, you don’t deserve to get hired."

Do It for Love

When asked about which technical certifications are in demand at the moment, Anderson suggests a different approach. "I think people should be in jobs they love, and should pursue areas they’re interested in. If they love system administration, they should pursue that."

Although growth areas exist, Anderson cautions against pursuing a certification just because you think it will help your career. "There are hot areas. Virtualization is very strong, and security’s been hot for several years. Development has fallen off a lot in popularity, but there’s still a lot to know. I think you should find a job you love and get good at it."