# IT people what certs do you hold? **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [January 6, 2009, 10:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829 "2009-01-06T10:13:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/1 "2009-01-06T10:13:27Z")
ACSP(10.5) Citrix XenServer CCNA shortly along with a Juniper cert…Taking the certified pen testing specialist course in a few weeks also. Honestly I am not a huge fan of certs but work pays for them and gives raises after you pass. ---
**Author:** ![zwarbyt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/zwarbyt/32/7623_2.png) [@zwarbyt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/zwarbyt)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/2 "2009-01-06T10:13:57Z")
none ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/3 "2009-01-06T10:16:05Z")
screw certs BS Computer Science \> Certs ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/4 "2009-01-06T10:17:40Z")
I am :tif: on the degrees ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/5 "2009-01-06T10:18:10Z")
![http://bawden.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/certs.jpg](http://bawden.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/certs.jpg) Only ones I’ve ever held. Not that I’m IT… ---
**Author:** ![BillysRevenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@BillysRevenge](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BillysRevenge)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/6 "2009-01-06T10:18:11Z")
Hopefully get A+ (for the fuck of it), CCNA, MCSE, maybe a few more. ---
**Author:** ![neonglh](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/neonglh/32/4951_2.png) [@neonglh](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/neonglh)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/7 "2009-01-06T10:22:08Z")
Never cared too much for certs(since I do minimal networking), but I have a BS and MS, and working on my Ph.D. If I get bored sometime, I will start doing certs. ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:23am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/8 "2009-01-06T10:23:13Z")
I’ve got: A+ Net+ some MCP stuff some ACE stuff might be a few more I’m missing… they’re just icing on top of the B.S. right now I’m working on lean six sigma stuff… ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:27am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/9 "2009-01-06T10:27:25Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > I am :tif: on the degrees don’t want to be a dick, because I am sure you are very good at what you do, but the things you learn with a Computer Science degree are way above the certifications that you get. ---
**Author:** ![ryanmcell](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ryanmcell/32/7510_2.png) [@ryanmcell](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ryanmcell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/10 "2009-01-06T10:29:59Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > I am :tif: on the degrees +1. So many people I know in the IT field who make well into 6 figures a year who don’t have any and are all self taught. As for me, I don’t even count my A+, Net+, Server+ as “certs” and my college degree.( which I didn’t learn shit and graduated 1st in my class with a 4.0 with minimal effort ) Our new VP is pro certification so right now working on getting CCNA and MCSE certified. ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:30am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/11 "2009-01-06T10:30:11Z")
> [@boardjnky4](#): > > don’t want to be a dick, because I am sure you are very good at what you do, but the things you learn with a Computer Science degree are way above the certifications that you get. I know a lot of people who got out of college with a computer science degree and hit the real world…can’t program for shit…skill set is way behind the times… The only thing the degree shows is some ability to learn… 90% of all college programs are wayyy behind the times. I wasn’t really interested in turning this into a debate about certs vs college…neither is going to hurt you…but they don’t make you anything special either. I was interested to see if anyone had any really obscure certs… ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/12 "2009-01-06T10:33:28Z")
a cake without icing is ugly, a cake made of only icing doesn’t taste good… from a higher perspective looking down - it’s nice (sometimes required) to say to a prospective customer (say the US govt, GM, staples etc) that when they call for support they get somebody with an industry cert. It doesn’t make you an expert, but it guarantees a minimum level of knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![neonglh](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/neonglh/32/4951_2.png) [@neonglh](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/neonglh)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/13 "2009-01-06T10:36:11Z")
School is where one can learn the basics of any skill, and then adapt them to the real world situation. I learned Java in 2000, and when I cooped I had to learn a completely new language, and then when I graduated, they did everything in ASP at the job I landed. Once you learn the basics of OOP, or just the basic concepts and terminology you learn in college (or the work force, doesn’t matter where you learn them), you can adapt them to a life-long career. Its true though, it does help to get a degree from a good school, if you are going that route. Pay raises are usually more though from degrees than certs, so if its a money issue, do both! Even a masters in IT or CS is pretty easy, so you could totally do both that and a cert while working. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/14 "2009-01-06T10:36:18Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > I know a lot of people who got out of college with a computer science degree and hit the real world…can’t program for shit…skill set is way behind the times… > > The only thing the degree shows is some ability to learn… > > 90% of all college programs are wayyy behind the times. 90% of the “IT Professionals” that I know, are complete wastes of space. The same thing you say about degrees, can be said 10-fold about “certified” IT Idiots. IMO, in order to be a truely good in this field, you have to have in-depth knowledge of computers, not just know how to configure some stupid server applications. That is all a certification is, the knowledge to configure a piece of software. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:38am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/15 "2009-01-06T10:38:21Z")
> [@neonglh](#): > > School is where one can learn the basics of any skill, and then adapt them to the real world situation. I learned Java in 2000, and when I cooped I had to learn a completely new language, and then when I graduated, they did everything in ASP at the job I landed. Once you learn the basics of OOP, or just the basic concepts and terminology you learn in college (or the work force, doesn’t matter where you learn them), you can adapt them to a life-long career. > > Its true though, it does help to get a degree from a good school, if you are going that route. Pay raises are usually more though from degrees than certs, so if its a money issue, do both! Even a masters in IT or CS is pretty easy, so you could totally do both that and a cert while working. word. Getting a degree is all about understanding concepts. The real world is where you apply the concepts. I actually do not work with ANY Computer Science graduates, and people are always amazed at how I can learn systems so fast. It is easy when you have a solid background. ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:38am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/16 "2009-01-06T10:38:45Z")
I’ll say it again, a cert is not for you or your employer, it’s for the companies that your company does business with. ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:40am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/17 "2009-01-06T10:40:08Z")
> [@boardjnky4](#): > > 90% of the “IT Professionals” that I know, are complete wastes of space. > > The same thing you say about degrees, can be said 10-fold about “certified” IT Idiots. > > IMO, in order to be a truely good in this field, you have to have in-depth knowledge of computers, not just know how to configure some stupid server applications. > > That is all a certification is, the knowledge to configure a piece of software. I guess your understandings on certs is limited to MCSE, A+ and so on? Look into… CCIE JNCIE-ER CISSP ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:43am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/18 "2009-01-06T10:43:31Z")
> [@theblue](#): > > I’ll say it again, a cert is not for you or your employer, it’s for the companies that your company does business with. Degrees also come into play…I know when you bid on government contracts they like to see all your employees have degrees… The ironic part of that is very few people I worked with in DC had degrees yet the company had the contracts for the Pentagon datacenter and the DoDs SAN and a few other projects. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/19 "2009-01-06T10:45:29Z")
> [@theblue](#): > > I’ll say it again, a cert is not for you or your employer, it’s for the companies that your company does business with. I do not fully agree. Perhaps, maybe I should clarify my stance, because I think that I sort of came out attacking the idea of certifications, which I shouldn’t have done. IMO, A degree should come first always. Just my opinion, and it is highly biased. However, I do believe that certifications have their place. There are certainly some great certs out there. MCSE, CCNA, RHCE are the biggest that come to my mind. If you take them seriously, they give you a great foundation on which to build to become an expert. you will need experience to truely master anything in the IT field though. Also, some Certifications are just plain BS ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:48am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829/20 "2009-01-06T10:48:05Z")
> [@boardjnky4](#): > > I do not fully agree. > > Perhaps, maybe I should clarify my stance, because I think that I sort of came out attacking the idea of certifications, which I shouldn’t have done. > > IMO, A degree should come first always. Just my opinion, and it is highly biased. > > However, I do believe that certifications have their place. There are certainly some great certs out there. MCSE, CCNA, RHCE are the biggest that come to my mind. If you take them seriously, they give you a great foundation on which to build to become an expert. you will need experience to truely master anything in the IT field though. > > Also, some Certifications are just plain BS I completely agree with this… IT is weird because I have met people with no certs that and don’t have a degree who clear 175k+ [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/it-people-what-certs-do-you-hold/60829.md?page=2)