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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?

#281

Post by imadethis »

meristem wrote: post #223
imadethis wrote: post #39

Getting my EMT cert was pretty important for getting a job as an EMT. In all seriousness the difference between getting hired for my tech jobs vs as an EMT was interesting. I’m used to the standard multi week interview process, but for EMS the only question was if I had my certs.

Do you plan to go the paramedic route? I let my EMT lapse once I moved to CA; the scope of work was more restricted than East Coast, where many states rely on volunteer fire and EMT.

Yes, if I can get into a program that allows for nights and weekends study while still being rigorous. Still need the tech paycheck for now.

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

#282

Post by gcheong »

matsemann wrote: post #256
GuB-42 wrote: post #186

Driver's license. Maybe it sounds obvious, but if you don't have a license, you are crippling yourself. Even if you don't have a car, not having a license means you don't even have the option of renting one. Also, is is so "obvious" that if an employer notices that you don't have it, he will wonder why. Are you too stupid to drive? Crippled in some way? Economic problems? Have some criminal history? Alcoholic? You ma…

Is this some American car culture thing? Never heard someone mentioning it as an issue. If anything, in my circles owning a car is frowned upon.

Yes. I grew up in a fairly small town. If you wanted to get anywhere you basically needed to drive. Even today there is little public transportation in that area and only between a few key places. Once I got my driver’s license I was expected to drive me and my younger sister to high school. But with responsibilities come privileges as I had use of a car for going out with friends, dating, getting to jobs, etc. For much of the geographic US it’s really the only practical form of transportation. That said my wife has managed to get by all her life without having a driver’s license so it can be done and employers never ask about it unless it’s actually needed for a job.

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

#283

Post by dev_tty01 »

wonderwonder wrote: post #272
MerelyMortal wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got the cert 10 years ago (EPA 608, not automotive EPA 609). 60 minutes of studying two different study packets I found online. Found a local test-giver, and called them up to schedule the test.

And after that you felt competent to do your own repairs? If so I know what I am doing the next few weekends.

I watched a lot of videos made by technicians and did a lot of reading. It doesn't take too long to study enough to get the basic certification, but that is not the whole story. I have done lots of electronic prototyping and test system creation, copper plumbing, etc., so I felt comfortable with tools and electro-mechanical systems. If your entire career has been behind a keyboard, you have a lot more than an hour of studying ahead of you.

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

#284

Post by MerelyMortal »

SoftTalker wrote: post #278
wonderwonder wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And after that you felt competent to do your own repairs? If so I know what I am doing the next few weekends.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think 80% of it boils down to "do not release refrigerant gas into the atmosphere"

You're not wrong.

The test does not cover how to do repairs or fix HVACs. I learned that elsewhere.

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

#285

Post by MerelyMortal »

wonderwonder wrote: post #272
MerelyMortal wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got the cert 10 years ago (EPA 608, not automotive EPA 609). 60 minutes of studying two different study packets I found online. Found a local test-giver, and called them up to schedule the test.

And after that you felt competent to do your own repairs? If so I know what I am doing the next few weekends.

The test (and studying for the test) does not cover how to do repairs or fix HVACs. I learned that elsewhere.

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

#286

Post by ksm1717 »

GuB-42 wrote: post #186

Driver's license. Maybe it sounds obvious, but if you don't have a license, you are crippling yourself. Even if you don't have a car, not having a license means you don't even have the option of renting one. Also, is is so "obvious" that if an employer notices that you don't have it, he will wonder why. Are you too stupid to drive? Crippled in some way? Economic problems? Have some criminal history? Alcoholic? You ma…

A drivers license and a degree.. who would have thought of those

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

#288

Post by t_mann »

arinlen wrote: post #20
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…

Oh god your CV must be a headhunter's wet dream.

If your CV looks like that, you're better off omitting 80% of that stuff entirely, and putting another 15% in the 'interests' section.

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

#289

Post by hanly_paul »

rowanajmarshall wrote: post #94
geoduck14 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a couple of AWS certs. They really helped me when I went to the AWS conference and got some great swag

I got the _best_ multi-adapter charger at AWS Summit London thanks to my cert.

Yes! That was the best bit of swag in the whole place.
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