Cert Up to Speed?
arning a technology certi-
fication requires some sig-
nificant investments of both
money and time. Candidates purchase
study materials, pay tuition for train-
ing programs, and renew certifications
with annual maintenance fees.
Pursuing a new certification
typically requires hundreds of hours
of preparation, while maintaining
existing certifications requires partic-
ipating in and documenting profes-
sional development activities. Is this
investment worth it? Are certifications
an effective way to learn new technol-
ogies and demonstrate that knowledge
to potential employers?
The fact that you’re reading Certi-
fication Magazine probably means that
you’re somewhere along your own
certification journey. Perhaps you’re
considering picking up a new certifi-
cation, or just keeping track of changes
in an evolving field as you maintain
your existing certifications.
As you reflect on your certification
path and plot next steps, let’s try to
answer a core question: Is certification
the most effective way to learn IT? As
we do that, we’ll explore the reasons
that people pursue technical certifica-
tions, outline the benefits of certifica-
tion-based learning, discuss the
relationship between certification
and experience, and look at the
types of certifications available
in today’s market.
Why get a certification?People pursue certifications for
many different reasons, but there’s
typically one core underlying ratio-
nale: to demonstrate mastery of an
area of IT knowledge, usually for an
employment-related purpose. Indi-
viduals pursuing certifications may be
building their résumés as they prepare
to enter the job market or pursue an
internal promotion.
It’s not uncommon to see job
postings that call for specific technical
certifications as either a direct re-
quirement or a preferred qualification
for new hires. Some employers may
even require existing technical staff to
earn specific certifications, such as the
Department of Defense’s requirements
for information assurance staff. What-
ever the motivation, the certification
journey almost always has a direct re-
lationship with an individual’s career
aspirations.
At the same time, certifications also
offer candidates a sense of personal
satisfaction as they earn external val-
idation of their technical knowledge
and skills. Some people choose to pur-
sue technical certifications as a path to
learning and acquiring new skills in a
structured manner.
Of course, certifications are only
one way to learn these skills, as tech-
nologists could certainly take technical
courses, read books, or partake in
many other professional
development opportunities
to build out their skills. So,
that leaves us still ponder-
ing our core question: is
getting a certification the
best way to learn technical
skills?Certifications offer
structured learningThe answer to that question is a
resounding, “It depends!” That’s not
a very satisfying answer, because the
question itself is complex and depends
significantly on the individual’s spe-
cific situation, learning style, existing
skillset, and purpose for learning. The
strongest selling point of certifications
as a learning tool is the structure that
they provide.
Every technical certification is
based on a series of learning objec-
tives, which often specify the knowl-
edge to be acquired with a high level
of detail. For example, the exam objec-
tives for CompTIA’s Security+ certifi-
cation come in the form of a 20-page
document that specifies the knowl-
edge expected of a certified individual.
Let’s isolate a single section from that
document, Section 5.5, which outlines
the knowledge of digital forensics that
is required for Security+ certification.
You will need to understand:- Order of volatility
- Chain of custody
- Legal hold
- Data acquisition, including the
following subtopics: capture sys-
tem image, network traffic and
logs, capture video, record time
offset, take hashes, screenshots,
witness interview
E
Pursuing a new certification
typically requires hundreds of hours
of preparation while maintaining
existing certifications requires par-
ticipating in and documenting pro-
fessional development activities. Is
this investment worth it?