Certifications that keeps IT workers in Demand

[Larry Chung]

Well, 2010 is almost 1/3 over and here is an article that lists SCJP as one of 21 important IT certifications for this year (I never heard of the others): April 15, 2010 eWeek article

Any opinions and thoughts on this list?

[Ulrich Vormbrock]

Hi Larry,

I'm not sure if SCJP guarantees a job or a contract ... but I still remain optimistic ;-)
Nevertheless, I believe that such certification may improve the chances to be selected or preferred among other candidates - although I dislike thinking in categories like "competing at any rate" or even "outpace and displace someone else".

My personal experience is that all my past co-workers (all freelancers from Germany and Switzerland), who are in possession of the SCJP (and maybe even of the SCWCD) certificate are still involved in projects, not being affected (ok, maybe their hourly rate has been reduced a little bit, I'm not sure ...) by the crisis like me ... replying something like "which crisis?".

Analyzing this situation has motivated me to get prepared for SCJP and for SCWCD, too - tightening my experiences acquired within my last projects.

During the last 10 years, I've worked in the Java-/J2EE environment, but it seems that now, recruiters and head-hunters are likely to mistrust a CV from "only" an experienced candidate (and perhaps, they're even right: for example, a HTML and JavaScript developer may embellish his CV with something like "hard-core Struts-development"), giving the preference to those who can prove their proficiency at an independent, incorruptible and neutral level ... SUN!

Another aspect concerning credibility: as a certified programmer, nobody will ask you awkward questions (I hope it, at least - on the other hand, the only fact of cramming for the exam may turn the term "awkward" into "easy") during the interview ... I mean questions covering the very basics, covering SCJP ... so you can use the whole preparation time (mostly a couple of days) with specialties like Struts, Spring, Hibernate, SQL, etc ... according to the job description.

Please take into account that all my statements reflect my personal experience ... another person may have a total contradictory opinion concerning certification issues.

[Larry Chung]

Hi Ulrich,

Thank you for your perspective as well as the European perspective regarding the benefits of certification, which seem to match what I see in the U.S.

You make a good point about the relationship between certification and the awkward technical interview questions that a developer faces. It would be unusual for a certified developer to be spared the tough questions just because of the certification. However, I have noticed that the questions do seem easier in job interviews after having prepared for those tricky SCJP exam questions.

edit: Are you working in IT on Gran Canaria and is there a Certification Test Center located on the island? I imagined that the island in one mini-continent of nature preserves with no industry.

[Ulrich Vormbrock]

Hi Larry,

I'm not working in Gran Canaria (because job opportunities seem to be rather poor there), I'm living there just between two contracts.
My goal consists in performing a project in Germany or Switzerland, and to enjoy sunny Gran Canaria when such project is over ... in order to prepare myself for a new challenge ... and so on!

There is a Prometric Test Center, indeed - not in Gran Canaria itself, but on the neighbor isle Tenerife.
Exactly there, I'll take my first exam ... let's touch the wood ;-)

[Simran Dass]

Ulrich Vormbrock wrote -


Another aspect concerning credibility: as a certified programmer, nobody will ask you awkward questions (I hope it, at least - on the other hand, the only fact of cramming for the exam may turn the term "awkward" into "easy") during the interview ... I mean questions covering the very basics, covering SCJP ... so you can use the whole preparation time (mostly a couple of days) with specialties like Struts, Spring, Hibernate, SQL, etc ... according to the job description.

Ulrich what did you mean by - "nobody will ask you awkward questions (I hope it, at least - on the other hand, the only fact of cramming for the exam may turn the term "awkward" into "easy") during the interview ... I mean questions covering the very basics, covering SCJP " . Do you mean they won't ask you questions covering the SCJP ??

[Larry Chung]

Ulrich Vormbrock wrote:
I'm not working in Gran Canaria (because job opportunities seem to be rather poor there), I'm living there just between two contracts.
My goal consists in performing a project in Germany or Switzerland, and to enjoy sunny Gran Canaria when such project is over ... in order to prepare myself for a new challenge ... and so on!

There is a Prometric Test Center, indeed - not in Gran Canaria itself, but on the neighbor isle Tenerife.
Exactly there, I'll take my first exam ... let's touch the wood ;-)

Ah, no need to "knock on wood" for when you go to Tenerife. By the way, that's an island with certainly a lot of history.
I am very inspired by how you spend your time on Gran Canaria between contracts. It's quite an attractive idea as a software engineering lifestyle. Perhaps for us Americans, some islands in the Caribbean Sea that are closer to the U.S. can serve as good places to rest before the next project.

[Prithvi Sehgal]

Hello,

I think so SCJP atleast makes you distinct among the league. Tough questions i don't know, because people do pass the
certifications dishonestly also. I think so being certified will increase the toughness of your interview, but on other hand i
believe, Sun Certifications toughens you up.

Best Regards,

[Ulrich Vormbrock]

Simran Dass wrote:

Ulrich Vormbrock wrote -


Another aspect concerning credibility: as a certified programmer, nobody will ask you awkward questions (I hope it, at least - on the other hand, the only fact of cramming for the exam may turn the term "awkward" into "easy") during the interview ... I mean questions covering the very basics, covering SCJP ... so you can use the whole preparation time (mostly a couple of days) with specialties like Struts, Spring, Hibernate, SQL, etc ... according to the job description.

Ulrich what did you mean by - "nobody will ask you awkward questions (I hope it, at least - on the other hand, the only fact of cramming for the exam may turn the term "awkward" into "easy") during the interview ... I mean questions covering the very basics, covering SCJP " . Do you mean they won't ask you questions covering the SCJP ??

Hi Simran,

it deals only with a supposition: two months ago (before even having acquired the famous K&B book), I had a technical phone interview with a German company - they asked me a lot of things concerning Collections, Singletons, access modifiers and JSP scopes. Due to the fact that I was not able to answer all these questions satisfactorily, the interviewer recommended me to pass the SCJP exam first. He literarily said: "once we have a certificated candidate, we won't bother him with these questions concerning the Java basics - instead, we can immediately "go in medias res". That's the reason why I believe (or at least, I can imagine) that "nobody will ask you awkward questions ...."

@Prithvi: you wrote "people do pass the certifications dishonestly" ... that's completely new to me - I can hardly imagine how to cheat (and of cause, I don't want to know how) ...