Will Cert's help me transition my career?
I am a 25 yr old Analyst/Data Modeler in the US with a BA in MIS(managament information systems). I have 2 years work exp. in the current position but I'm trying to get into app. development or some other kind of programmer job. The reason is because I think with the tecnical know-how I can obtain as a developer I will be able to reach my goal of becoming project manager or IT director faster if I'm a "technical person with a business degreed" instead of " a business person who took a few IT classes in college"...which is what I am now :( .
Right now I would judge my technical skill as like a beginner book level. Meaning, I know all the easy array,looping,and called function stuff....but not stuff on a higher level.
Because of this and my lack of real world programming exp. I don't think anyone will hire me as a developer. I use to get called in for interviews when I was in the job hunt...but that was about it.
So I'm hoping getting one of the .Net Certs will make me more "legit" to ppl looking to hire.
I have a few questions about the Certs and my prospects:
-How much are the certs? I can't find real info on the MS site, but I'm assuming a class is $1000+ with the actual test being $100.
-What's the best way to study? I'm not paying $1000 for a class. Will one of the $60 official training books be a realistic approach?
-Is a Cert basically as good as a CS degree? I'm hoping that a Cert combined with MIS degree will make me MORE attractive then a CS person
-How long does the Cert process take typically?
-How much of a difference will getting a MS IT specialist cert be vs. getting a MS professional developer be? I'm assuming a pro dev. cert is harder to get.
-Lastly out of :web app's,windows apps,and distributed app's; which cert will be easier for a novice like me to actually get while at the same time look most attractive to potential employers
Re: Will Cert's help me transition my career?
Do you have .Net experience?
All of the tests and certs say that you will need 2~ years real world experience (with .Net) to pass them. The books alone won't answer all of the questions (From what I gather, they test alot of applied knowledge; not just memorization).
Re: Will Cert's help me transition my career?
the cost of the exams (at last check) is $125...
Honestly.... for the most part, certs don't mean a whole lot.... generaly, if there are two candidates, both with the same experience, education and skill set.... with the only diff being one has cert and the other doesn't.... then it typicaly falls to the one with. Some weight is given to it, since MS has tried to design the exams so that the only real way to pass is with experience. IE, you can't learn some of it from a book.
-tg
Re: Will Cert's help me transition my career?
Wow this whole "only way to pass is with exp." may put a wrench in my plans.
Yea I just was on the MS site and like one or two of the subjects weren't covered in the official books. But maybe I can get that info here.
Do I have .Net exp.?
Uh not real world. Just simple app's I built in school or home.
I guess proceeding to study for the Cert can only help me.....but dang. $125 is worth taking the chance I suppose.
What would be the best way to "prove" my knowledge without a cert? Would an interviewer care if I told them a took the test and failed?
Re: Will Cert's help me transition my career?
Quote:
Originally Posted by sevenhalo
(From what I gather, they test alot of applied knowledge; not just memorization).
Wouldn't doing practice examples and problems from the book = applied knowledge? Obviously I don't expect to go there and write a bunch of definitions.
Re: Will Cert's help me transition my career?
Hands on experience is whats going to help as well as the studying. Real world professional experience in a production environment is more valuable then implementing book tutorials. If you tell them you took the test and failed it may hurt your chances rather then help.
Re: Will Cert's help me transition my career?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RobDog888
Hands on experience is whats going to help as well as the studying. Real world professional experience in a production environment is more valuable then implementing book tutorials. If you tell them you took the test and failed it may hurt your chances rather then help.
can some one give me an example of a problem they could ask me in question form on the test that i could not solve using book based concepts? I'm not saying I'd know as well as a professional......but what kind of questions could they ask that a person who "technically" knows all the concepts couldn't figure out, assuming the questions are not industry specific and apply to the generic IDE that everybody has access to.
that's what i'm not getting...they TELL you what is on the test, it's just that some of it is not in the book. but i assume u could learn and practice the concept somewhere.
if I am wrong let me know,because i may be wasting my time pursuing the cert
Re: Will Cert's help me transition my career?
Its hard to come up with experience only type of scenerios but it sounds like your just looking for a quick fix to get the cert. In that case it would not probably benefit you as much as school would.
Re: Will Cert's help me transition my career?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RobDog888
Its hard to come up with experience only type of scenerios but it sounds like your just looking for a quick fix to get the cert. In that case it would not probably benefit you as much as school would.
I already have a MIS degree, I just want to supplement my education. I'm not looking for a quick fix, I think the process of studying will take me months maybe even a yr ( i study 2-3 hours a night now) before I am comfortable paying/risking the $125 per test.
Maybe the best bet will be just to apply to entry level jobs ,let them give me the standard "make and call a function in your main" type of test and see what happens. but then I will likely lose salary,etc.
Re: Will Cert's help me transition my career?
Yes, you will loose salary as your changing from one type of career to anotherwith very little experience. The tests are designed to test knowledge as well as experience. This is why MS recommends about 2 years practical experience with each technology.
Re: Will Cert's help me transition my career?
When you go for a shift like this, you are to assume that you are now at a beginner level. Think about it, an airplane mechanic might have worked for 20 years on the Boeing 7** line, but he can't fly a plane just because he knows the plane. There's much more to it. Training, experience.
My advice is to shift to the new line, try to get whatever you can. Perhaps, go for a software training course so that you have some sort of a minimal certification to mention that you do indeed know .NET. After a while, either ask your company or do it on your own: study for the certification. If you've got 2 years of solid experience, you should be able to combine the experience with the books and pass the test.
