IT Certifications Losing Their Luster
Recently CIO Insight released a slide presentation that outlined the loss of traction and salary command
As an Information Security professional I was disturbed by this study. Even though the IT Security certifications gained respect in this study it leaves the rest of the IT industry a bit more open to "less than industry accepted practices" when non certified personnel fill roles that impact the design and deployment of IT resources. The point of certification is not only to prove someone CAN do a job but also to prove they have the knowledge of how to perform their function properly aligned with industry norms.
More helpful than raw percentiles, this study should have dove into a root cause analysis of the decline in certification’s importance. If it was a monetary driven distain and salaries are at a peek, holding fast to the requirement of certification while offering set salary ranges could persuade certified individuals to fill the positions. As employment opportunities become scarcer, more qualified personnel will take the positions.
If the fact that certifications are seen as easily attainable and less effective then that is a whole different story. More concentration and effort would be demanded of the certifying organizations to ensure all recipients are well versed in the course material. More stringent testing and CPE maintenance may be demanded.
Either way, as an industry, Information Technology needs to maintain continuity and standardization to be effective. Interoperability and secure cross company/industry/border information sharing is dependent upon uniform methodologies and practices.
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