[nylug-talk] certs and such

[Ron Guerin]

etamme at optonline.net wrote:

> I am about to graduate with a BS in computer technology.   I am
> looking to become less of a "jack of all trades" and become more
> specialized, specifically in linux systems administration, to make
> myself more marketable.  I am looking at RHCE and LPI certs to both
> gain some credibility, and to further my learning.  I have used linux
> soley for about 5-6 years, and have used in in mission critical
> server environments too.. but only on small scales, 2 servers or so,
> and for small companies.  I am essentially looking to move up from
> the power user to the systems professional administrator level.  I
> dont believe a cert ( or a degree ) will make magically make me
> better, but I think that at my age (23) and only having "jack of all
> trades" experience working for small companies, studying for cert
> such as the RHCE might help me to learn some more specialized skills,
> and make me a more credible to an employer.  Any path I take, I am
> going to invest some time and money, so I wanted to get some feedback
> from some of the people who do this stuff for a living already.  I
> really appreciate your constructive advice and feedback.-Eric Tamme

We've beat this horse far beyond dead on this list many times.

Q: Will certs help me get a job?
A: Yes. It makes you look more credible to the human resources people.

Q: Will they make me better at what I do?
A: Extremely unlikely, though you probably will learn something.

Q: Overall, aren't certs a scam on both employers and employees?
A: Yes, but that's really beside the point. You're trying to get hired.

- Ron