--Originally published at Ce qui est chouette
Do I really have to take an exam? But I already know this, can’t you just ask me some questions to test me? These are some of the questions one may be thinking when the topic of IT Certifications comes up. In this post I’ll try to put forth both sides of the argument regarding this topic, I’ll link some resources at the end so you can read more about the topic.
We don’t need certifications
Certifications have shown to work well on industries like engineering, where one can specialize and get certified for various aspects of civil engineering, while another might go for the electrical engineering route. Both can go their merry way getting certified on bridge-building or electrical systems—I think at this point, its evident that my sources of information about these careers are limited to college brochures—because no one would expect an electrical engineer to build a bridge, and he might not be that excited about it, either. But in the software industries, areas do get intertwined, so perhaps certifications aren’t meant for us.
Experience in multiple areas is a plus, it’s an asset that can come in handy in attacking a problem from several angles. For industries like engineering, most things are set in stone, but software is in constant evolution, a certification you might get today may be obsolete come next year; at that rate, is it really worth the time and money required? Some may argue that a certification just means you’re good at passing tests—sidenote: that’s an issue I personally have with the way some companies handle job interviews.
On the other hand. . .
Some employers do look at certifications as a measure of quality and commitment to the area. Certifications serve the purpose of preventing the self-proclaimed expert from ruining your system. As stated in my previous post—about Ethical Hacking—certifications establish and keep track of minimum standards for specialists, and recognizes the individual as credentialed for whatever the topic of the certification may be.
If you’re willing to go through and get certified, here are some of the most requested for IT Security professionals:
- CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional
- CISM: Certified Information Security Manager
- CompTIA Security+
- CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker
- GSEC: SANS GIAC Security Essentials
To read more on the topic, head over to references.
– Laters, alligat(e)rs.
References
Bolton, D. (July 9th, 2015). 5 Reasons Certifications Aren’t Worth It. On Dice. Retrieved from https://insights.dice.com/2015/07/09/5-reasons-certifications-arent-worth/
Tillman, G. (June 8th, 2010). Why IT certification is a really, really bad idea. On Computer World. Retrieved from https://www.computerworld.com/article/2518765/it-management/why-it-certification-is-a-really–really-bad-idea.html
Tittel, E., Lindros, K. (December 12th, 2017). Best Information Security Certifications 2018. On Tom’s IT Pro. Retrieved from http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/information-security-certifications,2-205.html
