Work Issues

Thanks for your insight.

My current work situation is kind of shaky (because of the company, not because I'm a loser), and I'm not sure what's going to happen. I am getting certified in several different things right now, to be prepared to go for a jack-of-all-trades IT job at a tiny company, where I might wind up the one-man IT team. I figure those kinds of jobs feature lots of real responsibility (somewhat lacking at my current job), and they can't be shipped overseas. I think it's a good idea for a programmer to have a DBA certification, and vice versa; with respect to your "major" skill I wouldn't carry more than two or three certifications, because of the risk of seeming like a dilettante. Of course, you can get certified in lots of things, then withhold certain certifications from a hand-tailored resume that you send with each job application. The only thing there is that you have to make sure you don't get multiple versions of your resume floating around on the net! My only current certifications are MCDBA (SQL Server 2000), MCSD .NET, and a Sun java certification. I am getting ready to become Oracle certified as well, just in case it'll be helpful; I wanted to practice my PL/SQL anyway. One last thing: if you plan to apply for a technical leadership position even at a big company, it probably can't hurt to be certified in zillions of things. Even better would be to actually have decent skill in each area. :) Regards, Jeff Varszegi

I have my MCSD for .NET and my MCDBA for Windows 2000 (along with other non-Microsoft certifications). I spent one day preparing for each exam: I scheduled each one for Monday at 10 AM, then started studying at around noon on Sunday and didn't let up until I left for the exam. I think people are different, but in my experience it's better to study very hard over a shorter period of time than to study for many short periods spread out over a long span of time. It's inevitable that some knowledge will be lost between short study sessions; I think that this knowledge is better cemented in place if more of it's taken at a time. What I'm trying to say is that I don't seem to suffer a loss of knowledge after the fact with my method, even though some would call it cramming; in fact, much the opposite. I wouldn't necessarily recommend just one session before each test, but you should also realize that a lot of the knowledge you gain in studying for these tests will never be useful to you. I have seen lots of Microsoft-centered shops where the people ooh and ah over Microsoft certifications of any stripe, but in my experience the most well-known to the general public are (in order of descending importance) MCSE MCSA MCDBA MCSD MCAD MCP and then all the rest. The bottom line is that all computer-related certifications are relatively easy to achieve (even Cisco certs), and they're not going to hurt your chances at all, unless you really don't know what to do with the stuff when you go for a technical interview with someone who does know. In general, the best thing that you can hope for from a certification is to show some level of familiarity with a certain topic. In my opinion, the resume format and interview are the most important factors when applying for a new job (although I try to stay highly certified all the time). It would also be bad to have ten different certifications on your resume, needless to say. I would pick two or three certifications that you think wouldn't hurt to have, study intensely for a short time for each one and go confidently to take the exams, then not worry about it all again for a couple of years! Good luck on your job search. Regards, Jeff Varszegi

I did. :) One benefit it that it focuses you to study area about .NET that you may not have worked in. The projects you are on may direct you to only a few areas of focus. Working on your certification can give you a broader understanding of .NET Eric Michel MCP, MCAD, MCSD Website: http://www.ericmichel.com eMail: theblueenergy-dotnetnews@yahoo.com

Not true. I have a 2-year Associate Degree in CPT and know more than most of the CS BA's at work. The trick is you have to enjoy development; it must be more than a job. If you are only looking for a job to make good money don't bother. Sink-or-swim, I am sticking to my IT career wherever it goes, and most of the employers I talk to respect that kind of professional commitment.

$40-$50k starting salary in the mid-west.

Can I know what are your primary skills?

Is there a passing scores for MCAD exams? Thanks! norm

got it forget it