A newbie in Java.

[Suzie Russell]

I am currently pursuing my Bachelor's in computer Engineering, and have just started up with Java. I'd like to know your opinions if I should opt for OCJP or just get higher scores and waiting for a job by starting up a project on my own?

[Saif Asif]

Greetings Suzie and welcome to the world of JAVA .

Well you cannot absolutely rely on certifications to guarantee you a job in the industry , they do , however, increase your chances of acquiring one. Of-course good grades along with a professional certification will dfinitely look good in a resume.

As far as the certification itself is concerned , the OCJP is all about your understanding of the syntax and semantics of the core JAVA. So I suggest you visit the SCJP Forum forum to get a better understanding of the certification.

If I share my experience , I passed both my certification ( OCJA and OCJP ) before graduation and once I stepped in the industry and started appearing in interviews and all , the logo of the certifications did make my CV stand out in the crowd. Yes , it did help me acquire a "better" job in the market.

[Suzie Russell]

Saif Asif wrote:Greetings Suzie and welcome to the world of JAVA .

I suggest you visit the SCJP Forum forum to get a better understanding of the certification.

If I share my experience , I passed both my certification ( OCJA and OCJP ) before graduation and once I stepped in the industry and started appearing in interviews and all , the logo of the certifications did make my CV stand out in the crowd. Yes , it did help me acquire a "better" job in the market.

Thank you.
And also, thanks for the forum info. Will try to do my best.

[Campbell Ritchie]

And welcome to the Ranch

[fred rosenberger]

I came across an article not too long ago that says for recent grads, the SINGLE most important criteria for getting a job is whether or not they had an internship...

here

Just something to consider.

[Suzie Russell]

Campbell Ritchie wrote:And welcome to the Ranch

Thank you.

[Suzie Russell]

fred rosenberger wrote:I came across an article not too long ago that says for recent grads, the SINGLE most important criteria for getting a job is whether or not they had an internship...

here

Just something to consider.

Thanks, that helps.

[David S Hansen]

Suzie Russell wrote:I am currently pursuing my Bachelor's in computer Engineering, and have just started up with Java. I'd like to know your opinions if I should opt for OCJP or just get higher scores and waiting for a job by starting up a project on my own?

Cert = worthless;

Knowledge and experience is far more valuable to most employers.

[David S Hansen]

Saif Asif wrote:Greetings Suzie and welcome to the world of JAVA .

Well you cannot absolutely rely on certifications to guarantee you a job in the industry , they do , however, increase your chances of acquiring one. Of-course good grades along with a professional certification will dfinitely look good in a resume.

As far as the certification itself is concerned , the OCJP is all about your understanding of the syntax and semantics of the core JAVA. So I suggest you visit the SCJP Forum forum to get a better understanding of the certification.

If I share my experience , I passed both my certification ( OCJA and OCJP ) before graduation and once I stepped in the industry and started appearing in interviews and all , the logo of the certifications did make my CV stand out in the crowd. Yes , it did help me acquire a "better" job in the market.

Maybe they helped you a little in your job hunt. But its good enough to be a really "awesome" developer without certs and still get a good job. Certs don't really tell us if the person has the aptitude for the job. Most of these certs can be cracked easily using the numerous
books and guides created exactly for that purpose. In the end, you learn a little, but its only an exam.

[Henry Wong]

David S Hansen wrote:
Cert = worthless;

Knowledge and experience is far more valuable to most employers.

David S Hansen wrote:
Maybe they helped you a little in your job hunt. But its good enough to be a really "awesome" developer without certs and still get a good job. Certs don't really tell us if the person has the aptitude for the job. Most of these certs can be cracked easily using the numerous books and guides created exactly for that purpose. In the end, you learn a little, but its only an exam.

I agree that there are tons of certified candidates that can't code their way out of a paper bag. And when it comes to the interview process, I too, don't make any assumptions with having the certification.

However, that doesn't make getting a certification completely useless. Some people don't have a chance to get experience (especially with zero experience) -- and need something to do. Studying for a certification is a great way to look into all the subjects, have reasons to write test code to figure stuff out, and most importantly, have a goal to shoot for. Granted, people who learn by rote, do little coding on their own, and not continuing coding after the certification, will likely fail the interview -- so don't do that, use the certification process as a learning process (and not just have the cert as the target).

Henry

[Suzie Russell]

Do certs with someone with low grades make a difference if he is a good programmer?
And does the Math HAVE to be good?!

[Campbell Ritchie]

Not sure, but probably no to both your questions. There are many fields where you hardly ever use maths.