CERTIFICATION FAQS

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General Certification Questions & Answers

3. Who Benefits From Certification Programs?

Certification programs can benefit people and organizations that work in the computer field, sell to the computer market, or employ technical people to perform computer-realted tasks. Those with the most to gain are:

Computer professionals
Certification sponsors
Employers
Clients and customers

Virtually any IS professional can get something (in addition to the official piece of paper) by pursuing a well-chosen certification. Most will reap many benefits. The payoffs may come in the form of a salary increase, better job, added confidence, or additional skills that allow you to move into a new area or perform your current functions more effectively. Course work often includes hands-on exercises with up-to-the-minute software and/or equipment, exposure you might not otherwise have.

This is not to claim that every certification program is equally valuable. But when the urge strikes to branch into something new or simply to escalate your level of expertise in something you already know, certification is a good way to go.

Certification sponsors benefit from the deal too. In addition to revenue from training courses and materials, certification programs generate product and company recognition. Every Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) is a confirmation of the power and importance of Cisco, every Certified Banyan Instructor an endorsement of Banyan. By establishing the A+ Technician Certification and the Certified Document Imaging Architech (CDIA) designation, the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) has enhanced its own value and reputation.

The more people vendors can teach to master their product, the more likely it is that the product will be successfully utilized to its fullest extent, an added plus for both.

To employers, certification serves as independent evidence that you have demonstrated the skills and abilities required to complete the program. It also offers a method for bringing employees up to speed on the latest technologies, as well as a way to provide for the continuing education computer people often crave. Certification training can reasonably be billed as an employee benefit. Research has also shown that certified employees are more satisfied and more productive than their non-certified counterparts.

Customers benefit, too, because a certification gives them additional evidence of your qualifications and suitability for the task at hand. Nontechnical clients especially find that reassuring. Witness that some reseller programs require certified personnel to be on staff.

4. Will Certification Help Me Earn More?

Although increasing income isn’t the only reason for obtaining certification, it’s certainly a frequently cited motivator. In some cases, certifications can translate directly into increased rates. Several recent salary surveys reveal the power of certification to boost income. The American Society for Quality (ASQ) reports a salary differential of $14,136 between Certified Software Quality Engineers and their non certified counterparts. Guess who earns more? MCP Magazine reports that individuals who hold a basic MCP/operating system title report an average salary of $61,200; $4,600 more than professionals with no Microsoft certifications.

But even when a certification doesn’t translate readily into a pay increase, it can be used as an effective tool to accomplish the same thing. Even if you’re not a consultant or contractor, as your technical skills grow, you can command a higher paycheck. That’s a fundamental of the job market. Your current employer can be "encouraged" to face up to your greater value. Or perhaps you might discover that to get that salary increase, you’ll have to move on to another position.

If you don’t parlay your certification into a raise in the short term, it will, nonetheless, add to your base of knowledge and qualifications, which should pay off in the long term.

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