information technology certifications mba 605 nelms ... a dime a dozen in the technological world....
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Information Technology Certifications
MBA 605
Nelms
September 28, 2006
Katie Bullock, Tiffany Bradshaw, Daniel Brooks,
Melanie Beebe
1
Preface The connotations of certifications have
evolved in recent years. They were once something
thought to be an essential tool for success, but
are now being surpassed by experience and
expertise. With information technology
certifications becoming more common and attainable
everyday, they are no longer sought after as they
once were. Certification along with experience is
the ticket to success these days, as time, cost,
and value present problems concerning
certifications. People can no longer rely solely
upon certification to ensure success; experience is
the bigger attribute.
2
Background of Information Technology Certifications Information technology certifications are
similar to degrees or diplomas in the computer
world. With these certifications people are
supposed to be able to get better jobs and have the
ability to advance in their organization. These
credentials also allow for businesses to bring in
potential customers and impress them with the
skills that they have received. While these
credentials are not exactly necessary, they do show
some that they have put forth effort and have proof
of what they are capable of learning or in some
cases, memorizing. Certifications are important to
a lot of employers, but experience and talent has
become even more important. A person may have the
paper that says they are capable of computer
expertise, but there are many people out there
without the credentials that are more capable of
handling a job based on experience. Acquiring a
certification consists of loads of studying, time,
and tests that put an individual in potential,
life-like scenarios. This is a good way of
teaching, but until a person has to actually face
the pressure of handling a system or server they
3
cannot fully understand. All Certifications
require that an individual pass a certain amount of
tests in order to obtain. These tests can be very
expensive, but can eventually benefit the
individual, and their future employer, that
receives them. Certifications are becoming more
and more common and this does not help an
individual stand out in the technological world.
While many employers require certification for
employment, many more are starting to ask for a
higher-level of certification. These require even
more tests and more money. With this type of
certification it allows a person to look more
credible among other candidates and coworkers.1
Certifications are supposed to help an
individual get a job or a promotion. This is a
claim that many people have believed and have
fallen for. While this may have once been true, it
no longer seems to be. Having experience is
extremely important, but can no longer impress a
manager to hire. The combination of both
certification and experience is now what most
employers are looking for.2 They want to know that
1 Keston, G. (June 2004) IT Certification Options. Retrieved September 6, 2006 from FAITS database. 2Hoffman, Thomas. (2005, February). Demand for IT Certifications on the Rise.
4
a person has taken the time to acquire their
certification and has also worked in that type of
environment. Having a certification also gives
that individual and their company recognition and
respect. It allows for them both to admit their
capabilities and have it nicely framed on paper.
Certifications, over time, have changed.
They once were something that was not required, but
very impressive if a candidate obtained one. Then
they began to change into something that was
required and important for a position. Now they
are a dime a dozen in the technological world. Not
only are certifications extremely common, people
are now beginning to receive higher level
certifications in order to stand out in their
field.
Computerworld. Vol. 39, No. 8. Retrieved September 14, 2006
5
Certification Concerns
In the post-dot-com-bust era certifications
were seen as a method to maximize employment
opportunities and salaries.3 Today certifications
are not viewed as highly as they were in the past.
Rober Miano, president and CEO of Harvey Nash USA,
says that the value of certification has gone down
because they are more easily obtainable now than in
the past. “Companies realize certification isn’t
as meaningful as it used to be.” As a result,
companies are putting more emphasis on experience.
William Butler agrees with Miano. Butler has 20
years of experience in IT. In the past
certification was a way to gauge an individual’s
proficiency. Now most certifications are awarded
by vendors. Conveniently, it is a great method for
promoting the vendors own products.4 Having
certifications is no longer a guarantee for IT
professionals. There are actually cons to having a
certification or certifications. Three of the
drawbacks to IT Certifications for individuals are
3 Rothberg, D. (2006, April). Study shows downside of IT certification. eWeek.com. Retrieved September 15, 2006, from LexisNexis database. 4 Pratt, M. (2005, September). Certifiable. Computerworld. Retrieved September 14, 4006, from Computer Source database.
6
time, cost, and value (lack of help in the job
field).
Robert McMullin, the IT Coordinator at
Micrologic Business systems spends about 4 hours a
week preparing for certifications. He usually
studies in the evenings and on the weekends. This
time factor can definitely be an inconvenience for
individuals. Individuals already spend the
majority of their time at work. When preparing to
take certifications they have something else to
devote a large portion of their time to, which
interferes with their time to spend with family and
have a personal life. McMullin says that studying
for certifications is so time consuming that it is
something you need to schedule and treat like a
part-time job.5
Taking certification tests can be very
expensive. In her article for the Information
Executive, Deborah Lovell lists the average prices
for certifications offered by three, large, well
known vendors. The prices are as follows:
5 Moad, J. (2003, March). Solving the cert puzzle. eWeek.com. Retrieved September 15, 2006, from LexisNexis database.
7
• Microsoft Certifications $4,500 each
• Cisco Certifications $2,500 each
• Oracle Certifications $1,500 each
In addition to the initial fee for taking the test
for a certification you also have to pay to stay
current. A certification that has been allowed to
lapse can be viewed worse than no certification.
Mark Phelps has been looking for a position as a
lead network administrator since being laid off
from his job. In 1999, he earned his MCSE in
Window NT. Now employers will not hire him until
he is certified in the latest Windows operating
system. Mr. Phelps says that certification can be
a detriment if you do not keep it up. The Texas
Workforce Commission is paying for Mr. Phelps to
get the newer MCSE 2003 certification. The four
week certification course costs about $8,500.6
With such time and costs involved it is
reasonable for IT professionals to think that
advancement or job opportunities will increase.
However, that is not always the case. A dilemma to
certifications is that after investing the time and
money there is no guarantee that pay will increase,
6 Pratt, M. (2005, September). Certifiable. Computerworld. Retrieved September 14, 4006, from Computer Source database.
8
advancement will occur, or that you will be hired
by an organization. Bob Fors, the associate
director of Matrix Resources, a recruiting firm in
Dallas, says that of the job orders their company
currently has, only about 10% require
certifications. Eric Lenington, CEO of Intelmedia
Communications Inc., has become cynical about
certifications. “All a certification says is that
the person was able to pass a written test.” He
has interviewed candidates with lots of letters
after their names that lacked the most basic
skills. Intelmedia now uses its own test to filter
through candidates. John Estees, vice president of
Robert Half Technology says that top candidates for
premium jobs will often have many certifications
but without experience they will most likely not be
viewed as hirable. Also, having a certification
will not necessarily do much to increase pay. In
April, Foote Partners, an IT compensation and
workforce management firm, released a
Certifications Pay Index. In a six month period
spanning 2005-2006 pay premiums for non-certified
IT skills grew three times faster than for
certified ones. According to David Foote, the
president and chief research officer for the
9
workforce research and consulting firm, this is the
first time skills have been more of a prevalent
factor than certifications since the firm began
surveying tech skills pay in 2000.7
The Dallas Chapter initiated a survey to
determine whether or not someone without
certifications has a chance in the IT profession.
One question the survey asked of about 80
participants was how to do your present or past
employers feel about Certifications? Of the
participants 10.98% responded that their employers
felt certificates were a must have while 30.49%
considered them unimportant. A second question
asked on the survey was whether employers view
certifications or experience as being more
important. About 50% of the participants felt that
employers still rank experience higher than
certification. Close to 22.22% believe that
employers view certification more highly than
experience. A third question on the survey was,
should not having a Certification disqualify you
from an interview? Nearly 80% of the participants
responded no to this question and 0% responded yes.
7 Rothberg, D. (2006, April). Study shows downside of IT certification. eWeek.com. Retrieved September 15, 2006, from LexisNexis database.
10
A fourth question inquired which is more valuable
between experience and certifications. Over 30%
voted that experience is more valuable while 1.23%
thought certifications are more valuable to IT
professionals. 8
Survey Questions Responses
How does current or past employer feel about
certifications?
NOT IMPORTANT
30.49%
MUST HAVE
10.98%
Employers are giving more importance to certifications
opposed to experience?
DISAGREE
50.62%
AGREE
22.22%
Should not having a certification disqualify you
from an interview?
NO
78.82%
YES
0%
Which is more valuable experience or certification?
EXPERIENCE
33.33%
CERTIFICATIONS
1.23%
Certifications definitely have drawbacks.
They require time and money and produce minimal
reward. Employees have little extra time to devote
to obtaining certifications and the monetary costs
are significant. For organizations, certifications
8 Lovell, Deborah. (2006). The votes are in: results from IT certifications survey! Information Executive, 9(2). Retrieved September 14, 2006, from Computer Source database.
11
do not ensure a skilled employee. It is relatively
easy to earn a certification by studying exam preps
and taking practice tests without gaining the
skills needed to operate in real-life situations.9
9 Keston, G. (June, 2004). IT certification options. Retrieved September 06, 2006, from FAITS database.
12
Lasting Effects of Certifications
What once was a part of education for the
future of employment, has now become an endless rat
race for some people leaving them with a bitter
taste in their mouth. Certifications have become a
never ending battle for some engineers. As certain
exams for certifications are retired, people are
finding it harder to keep up with what is required
for them in the technological field. A company may
require a certain certification for a particular
system or software to be employed with them. If
the exam for that certification is retired, then it
forces that business to move to another system or
software costing them a large sum of money. Not
only do they have to transfer everything to this
new system, but they also have to send their
current engineers to be updated in their
certification, which costs them even more
financially. Many companies, such as Microsoft,
that has forced other businesses to do this, have
profited greatly. They are continuously making
money by forcing people to keep up with their
technological advances. This makes engineers and
13
companies very angry, but they seem to have no
choice but to advance with them.
Smaller, more “mom and pops” businesses, which
cannot afford to keep up, have simply been sitting
with the technology that they have and refusing to
change until absolutely necessary. This has
kept them outdated, but able to stay afloat
financially. Other companies have been satisfied
with the current technology that they have and
simply choose to wait.
All in all, the constant update of
certifications has not left a good vibe in the
technological world. Certification processes cost
quite a bit of money. Buying the new software
costs money. The training of a business on a new
system costs money. All of this takes time away
from their business as well costing them even more
money. It is not that companies are against the
update of certifications and the advances in
technology that are continuously happening. They
are more along upset that the old certifications
are expiring and are no longer available for their
needs.
14
Recommendation
The high cost of information technology
certifications, along with the time required to
obtain them, and the lack of value that they
possess, are all problems surrounding the question
of the necessity of certifications. One with
proven, quality experience cannot be overlooked for
someone who is certified. With ever-changing
certification programs, it is a challenge for
people to keep up, and for those who are certified,
they are simply a number among many, as certified
personnel become more common. Perhaps the best
choice is experience working congruently with
certifications, leading to a successful employee
and company.
15
Bibliography Hoffman, Thomas. (2005, February). Demand for IT Certifications on the Rise. Computerworld. Vol. 39, No. 8. Retrieved September 14, 2006. Jacobs, M. (2006, February).How important is certification? The Dallas Morning News.
Retrieved September 14, 2006, from Computer Source database. Keston, G. (June, 2004). IT certification options. Retrieved September 06, 2006, from
FAITS database. Lovell, Deborah. (2006). The votes are in: results from IT certifications survey!
Information Executive, 9(2). Retrieved September 14, 2006, from Computer Source database.
Moad, J. (2003, March). Solving the cert puzzle. eWeek.com. Retrieved September 15, 2006, from LexisNexis database. Pratt, M. (2005, September). Certifiable. Computerworld. Retrieved September 14, 4006,
from Computer Source database. Rothberg, D. (2006, April). Study shows downside of IT certification. eWeek.com.
Retrieved September 15, 2006, from LexisNexis database.
1
Abstract Certifications are earned through a series of
tests that allow engineers to become specialized in
a certain area of expertise. The tests can be very
difficult and also expensive. The tests may only
ask for the minimum requirements not preparing an
individual for what could possibly happen once they
are out in the work field. Certifications are
becoming more of a common trend in the
technological world making them seem not as
valuable. This may be true to some, but to others
it is not. Certifications are still a viable asset
in engineering, but today it is more important to
have a higher-level certification to even be
noticed and valuable experience. Training and
experience is the hands-on type of learning that
businesses are looking for. A person may have
their certification, but if they do not know how to
handle situations, then they are not as valuable as
they seem. Once a person has their certification,
the exams for their certification could expire
making them lose value. In order for a person to
acquire a certification, they need to be
1
Style of Paper
The style of our paper is considered
“functional yet fun.” We did not want to prepare a
document that was a run of the mill, boring paper.
However, we realized the importance of making it
look professional and knowledgeable. For the actual
text of the paper, we decided to use the Lucida
Sans Typewriter font. We thought it would be
interesting, unique, and a bit ironic to use a
typewriter- like font while discussing highly
technical information systems. The Board of
Directors will hopefully produce a chuckle over the
ideas and allow for a bit more of a laid back mood.
The dark blue font color, slightly larger than
normal 14 font, and 1.5 line spacing were used to
give the “old-fashioned” text a bit of a modern
look, as a link transitioning between the past and
present. We used page breaks for each heading, as
to allow easier reading of the document by diving
sections in a simple manner. The headings
themselves are a bit more elaborate. We created a
style based on a Message Header and used Script MT
Bold 18 font. This presents a more sophisticated
look to contrast with the rather simply styled body
2
text. The table used in the document was made using
Times New Roman and Times New Roman Bold 14 in
order to stand out from the rest of the document
and really make an impact. The bibliography was
produced using Times New Roman 12, as we wanted the
paper itself to be the main focus and stand out
from the references; the footers were also
approached in this way. The top, bottom, and both
side margins are 1.25 in order to give the document
some uniformity and nice empty space as a border.
We feel as though the several contrast elements of
the style of this document symbolizes the
contrasting yet interesting points of view
pertaining to information technology certifications
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