Tectonic -- The Real Value of Certification

Tectonic -- The Real Value of Certification Alan McKinnon writes a good article about the value of certifications in a job environment. His main point is that competency is an ability and it is hard to measure an ability.

He also talks about how certification holders who use brain dumps as their main means of passing an exam actually dimminish the quality of the certification.

I believe there are two kinds of certificaiton exams the first kind of certificaiton is a begining level certification similar to the CompTIA or LPI level 1 or the CCNA. Each of these certifications looks to measure a basic understanding of certain concepts. These certs are designed to help get your foot into a company's door and then allow you to build your career from there with experience and additional certifications.

The second kind of certification is designed to mesure an advanced competency level. These certifications only have value when they are combined with the appropriate level of experience. Having one without the other is meaningless.

In his next article Alan promises to talk about some of the Linux certifications which do a better job of measuring competency than other OS certifications.