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Ask HN: Any certification that is worth it? Legitimately helped your career?

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Re: Ask HN: Any certification that is worth it? Legitimately helped your career?

#61

Post by kvirani »

robcohen wrote: post #11

I collect a lot of certs for fun, but most have not been helpful. I still like to collect them anyway. I think OSCP was the most legitimately useful in tech https://www.offensive-security.com/pwk-oscp/ PMP has been useful to take on Project Manager roles, but really PrM roles aren't all that exciting to begin with. Still helps when you want to run your own projects. I'm currently studying to be a certified parliament…

Good call on PPL. It's a lot of fun and opens up alot more cert opportunities (mountain rating, float planes, IFR, multi engine, CPL, etc) so you will be in heaven.

Re: Ask HN: Any certification that is worth it? Legitimately helped your career?

#62

Post by jyemeier »

I've met a lot of certified people who didn't know anything beyond the questions they crammed for to pass a test. When I see a cert on a resume, it makes me want to challenge it. Of course, there is a ton of nuance to these interactions, so I'm speaking very generally here.

No cert is a substitute for real practical experience. If you are trying to get a job and you don't have experience, then I can see how a cert might be nice to put on a resume. As a hiring manager, it doesn't make you more attractive to me to hire. The four years of experience doing a thing does. For tech stuff, I'd rather you have a home network with the thing and valuable time using it then the cert for the thing. The time spent pulling your hair out getting the thing running at home is a better use of the time then studying for the cert test.

However, I do put value in a liberal arts education. I don't even really care what that education is in. I feel people that come out of a four year program tend to think differently/more critically, on average.

Short answer, then: Get a liberal arts education. Get hands on experience. Skip the certs.

Re: Ask HN: Any certification that is worth it? Legitimately helped your career?

#63

Post by mdaverde »

robcohen wrote: post #11

I collect a lot of certs for fun, but most have not been helpful. I still like to collect them anyway. I think OSCP was the most legitimately useful in tech https://www.offensive-security.com/pwk-oscp/ PMP has been useful to take on Project Manager roles, but really PrM roles aren't all that exciting to begin with. Still helps when you want to run your own projects. I'm currently studying to be a certified parliament…

Why do you think cert collecting is fun?

I can see this being the case just for the fact that certs are usually paired a structured curriculum for learning a new skill. This takes a huge mental burden off and decreases time wasted in deadend exploration.

Re: Ask HN: Any certification that is worth it? Legitimately helped your career?

#65

Post by tomohawk »

TimPC wrote: post #15

I don't have a single cert of any type and have never needed them. My last role was at the Senior Staff level and I'm currently interviewing for a Principal position. I've found certs are mostly asked for by either very unusual jobs or bottom of the barrel employers that don't trust their own people. I'm not really looking for either of those things so I find I don't need certs.

> ... don't trust their own people

Yep, thats the DoD for sure. They require a lot of useless certs.

Re: Ask HN: Any certification that is worth it? Legitimately helped your career?

#66

Post by netaustin »

robcohen wrote: post #11

I collect a lot of certs for fun, but most have not been helpful. I still like to collect them anyway. I think OSCP was the most legitimately useful in tech https://www.offensive-security.com/pwk-oscp/ PMP has been useful to take on Project Manager roles, but really PrM roles aren't all that exciting to begin with. Still helps when you want to run your own projects. I'm currently studying to be a certified parliament…

As far as I know, CPA in most states requires 150 hours of college credit, of which many must be in accounting. My CPA friends largely joined the big four firm on the strength of their CPA, spent a little time in audit, then promptly switched to consulting. What you get from that certification is the ability to sign corporate audits, own an accounting firm, and the right to prepare and defend tax returns. Unless you are preparing for a second career in accounting, CPA seems like a lot to bite off, but good on you! I don’t envy you all the cost accounting headaches and audit rules.

CFA requires that you have work experience making investment decisions and can get references to that effect, but in all it would be easier than CPA.

Re: Ask HN: Any certification that is worth it? Legitimately helped your career?

#67

Post by kanonieer »

I don't think certifications will make a significant difference from the HR point of view (maybe in Enterprise) but one thing I observe in my network is that some people really benefit from certifications purely because it boosts their self-confidence or help them get over a nagging case of impostor syndrome.

I find that these people feel lost when you tell them they'd be better off just being curious and learning by doing the thing itself. They tend to find comfort in systems like the belt system in martial arts. So, if you feel this way- it might be worthwhile to pick up a few certifications just for yourself.

Re: Ask HN: Any certification that is worth it? Legitimately helped your career?

#68

Post by bawolff »

eranation wrote: post #5

As a hiring manager, I treat AWS certification (professional especially) as relatively a good heuristic. It does not replace hands-on experience of course, but it has good correlation with good hands-on ability. Another one that will catch my eye is any Kubernetes certification. Both are great additions to experience, the certification itself has much less value standalone, but it might be the edge that will help som…

Wow interesting. I got the security specialist one (work wanted me to and they agreed to pay for it). It was almost entirely memorizing what amazon product name corresponds to what generic name. And a bit about ACLs. I was left feeling it had basically nothing to do with my job or relavent skills.

Re: Ask HN: Any certification that is worth it? Legitimately helped your career?

#69

Post by amelius »

robcohen wrote: post #11

I collect a lot of certs for fun, but most have not been helpful. I still like to collect them anyway. I think OSCP was the most legitimately useful in tech https://www.offensive-security.com/pwk-oscp/ PMP has been useful to take on Project Manager roles, but really PrM roles aren't all that exciting to begin with. Still helps when you want to run your own projects. I'm currently studying to be a certified parliament…

driver's license?

Re: Ask HN: Any certification that is worth it? Legitimately helped your career?

#70

Post by jinto36 »

robcohen wrote: post #11

I collect a lot of certs for fun, but most have not been helpful. I still like to collect them anyway. I think OSCP was the most legitimately useful in tech https://www.offensive-security.com/pwk-oscp/ PMP has been useful to take on Project Manager roles, but really PrM roles aren't all that exciting to begin with. Still helps when you want to run your own projects. I'm currently studying to be a certified parliament…

The National Association of Rocketry which supports model rocketry clubs and such has a tiered certification for High Power Rocketry (HPR) which is where you get into building very large models and packing your own motors. These certifications involve the usual written exam, but you also have to design a rocket in your target class- and get the design reviewed, and then build it- and get the build reviewed for safety, and then fly it. Since it's more than a book -> test certification and involves an actual hands-on engineering project, I'd consider it a fun one.

https://www.nar.org/high-power-rocketry-certifications/

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