When I was a college student, I
decided that a career in IT would be
an exciting way to work in a technical
field and offered some great employ-
ment opportunities. I thought that a
professional certification would help
me stand out from my peers and give
me an edge when I entered the job
market. So I went to the bookstore and
browsed the shelves, looking for my
first target.
I wound up buying a book on
the Certified Novell Administration
(CNA) certification, even though I had
never used NetWare and didn’t have
access to a NetWare environment. I
tried to learn the material by reading
through that book, but the effort was
futile. I wasn’t passionate about Net-
Ware and didn’t have the opportunity
to reinforce my reading with hands-on
practice.
Needless to say, that book sat
unused on my shelf for years. Don’t
make the same mistake. Pursue certifi-
cations in fields where you have deep
passion and the opportunity to get
some hands-on practice!
Certifications are Effective Across
Technical Fields
The structured approach offered by
certifications provides technologists an
appealing path to build their profes-
sional knowledge in new areas, as well
as demonstrate their existing skills.
IT professionals who pursue certifi-
cations that align with their passions
will likely find the experience highly
rewarding.
The self-paced approach to certifi-
cation-based learning may be more or
less effective, depending upon the na-
ture of the certification. I like to group
certifications into two major buckets:
those that cover general knowledge,
and those that apply to a specific tech-
nology product.
General knowledge certifications
include credentials in project man-
agement, cybersecurity, auditing,
quality assurance, and other broad
technical disciplines. They are typical-
ly vendor-agnostic and don’t require
hands-on experience with any specific
technical tools. These certifications are
ideal for self-paced learners because
they often can be learned entirely from
books and videos without any special-
ized technical resources.
That doesn’t mean that real-world
experience in these fields isn’t a critical
aspect of building professional knowl-
edge. It does, however, make the
learning process easier for individuals
who lack access to expensive technol-
ogies.
Certifications covering specific tech-
nologies do cover tool-specific content.
For example, if you pursue a Tableaucertification, then you better have
hands-on experience with Tableau!
Don’t try to walk down the same path
I did 20 years ago and attempt the
modern-day equivalent of earning a
Novell certification without ever using
NetWare!If you’re aiming to use a certifica-
tion that addresses a specific technol-
ogy as part of your learning journey,
then do it with that technology at your
fingertips. If you don’t have access
at work, then see if the vendor offers
a demonstration license or student
learning environment that might give
you free or discounted access.Certification for the winLet’s return to our root question: Is
getting a certification the most effec-
tive way to learn IT skills? I believe
that it is, particularly for individuals
who want the structure provided by
certification objectives and have the
discipline and motivation to complete
their studies on their own.
I’ve earned quite a few technical
certifications since my failed attempt
at the CNA credential two decades
ago, and I can proudly say that I’ve
learned many new things each time
I’ve pursued a new credential. Best
of luck to you on your certification
journey!Cert Up to Speed?
I wound up buying
a book on the Certified
Novell Administration
(CNA) certification,
even though I had
never used NetWare
and didn’t have access
to a NetWare environ-
ment. I tried to learn
the material by reading
through that book, but
the effort was futile.