Specialized Certifications To Boost Career
Posted on October 10, 2007
In the government technology industry specialized certifications have become commonplace for employees as well as employers seeking out specific skill sets and to meet government requirements. Obtaining these certifications have become a necessity for employees trying to advance their career and stay abreast of the current trends in the industry. I have completed two of these in the last two years and just last week passed my second one (hence taking a couple of weeks off blogging to study each night). It definitely feels good to have it behind me and be done with the studying for a while until I go back to grad school. The certifications I completed are the Project Management Professional (PMP) and the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).
As I am studying I have to ask myself how much will these certification really help my career. It is valued by my current employer so that is reason enough to get it, but past that in my field valuable experience is much more marketable. Without the real world experience to back the certification up, the cert itself is pretty much worthless. Not to mention these have become somewhat expensive to obtain and it feels more like a money making scheme than an actual secondary education. There are study prep materials, training courses, test fees, association fees, annual dues, and many other fees just to keep your name attached to the certification. Nevertheless I am glad to be done with the certs at least in the short term. I am sure another will crop up as the next “must have” cert.
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2 Responses to “Specialized Certifications To Boost Career”
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Where did you go to get your PMP and your CISSP? I am interested in both of them as well since my employer and myself would benefit from these. Esp. the CISSP. I already have the Net+ and A+. MSCA is almost done as well.
Tyler:
My employer sent me to a training course at New Horizons for both the PMP and the CISSP. The training course itself is not all encompassing and requires some self study prior to and afterwards, but the course is a very good foundation. I would say I put in between 2-3 months of self study for each, just taking my time and slowly reading a couple of books, then memorizing, and finally cramming a few nights before the exam. They are both very attainable if you put the time in, read the material, and absorb it well. Try not to rush it if at all possible. Congrats on the certs you already have.