tech talk

inside News and views on training and certification in the IT community

Case Studies:
IT industry
professionals
make the case
for certification
Brought to you by CompTIA
Why
Certification
Matters Five IT managers cite their own
experience to explain why, when
it comes to pursuing job opportu-
nities in the field of information
technology, getting certified
should be your first priority.

“What certification gives the A view from IBM

Why do so many employers insist on certification—and why is it
individual and the vendor is a so vital for your career? Just ask Chuck Cooper, program director
baseline measurement of the skill for certification at IBM. “If you’re going to become proficient in
you attain. Certification provides a a technology, you need to do one thing in all cases—build your
consistent measure that is designed skills and take some training,” he says. “What certification gives
the individual and the vendor is a baseline measurement of the
to validate the skills you achieve.” skill you attain. There’s a wide spectrum of what people take
out of classes. Certification provides a consistent measure that
Chuck Cooper, Director is designed to validate the skills you achieve.”
IBM Certification Program Cooper emphasizes the fact that certification builds
confidence on the part of prospective customers, sellers, and
business partners. “In the academic world, a college degree
is good. However, if I look at a company’s proposal and see
certifications listed, then I have increased confidence that these
are people who have the skills to deliver my solution,” he says.
“Certification is a legitimate way for you to demonstrate cur-
rency of skills. It helps create a level playing field.”
Cooper notes that given today’s unsettled marketplace,
certification takes on greater importance. “People out of work
will look for every possible edge on their résumés,” he says.
“I believe certifications are listed [on résumés] now more than
in the past.”
 Certification the standard at an international
business hub
“My students were beating out What does certification say about you? Michael Rhodes,
four-year college students for principal of Media Tek Ltd., who provides computer training for
jobs. The big question was why. multinational corporations on the idyllic North Atlantic island
of Bermuda, has a compelling answer: “If you’re certified,
I started contacting companies you’re proving that you’re serious, determined, and willing
and found out that certification to see something through to the finish. These certifications
carried a lot of weight.” say something about you as a person—that you’re willing to
achieve this to get a position.”
Terry Hand, CIS instructor Rhodes says that incoming class participants range from
Ogeechee Technical College the unemployed and those in dead-end jobs to industry
Statesboro, Georgia veterans seeking a refresher course or a leg up on the
competition. And though he offers a variety of certification
courses, Rhodes says the entry-level CompTIA A+ for IT
technicians and Network+ for network professionals serve
as a solid foundation.
Word gets around in Georgia “Often what people do in the IT industry is jump straight
Given all that we’ve heard about the value of a college
into the Microsoft level or Cisco level,” says Rhodes. “If they
education, how might an IT-certified two-year student fare
haven’t done the CompTIA certification, I don’t think they have
in a head-to-head competition with a graduate armed with
that base knowledge.”
a four-year degree?
Rhodes observes that CompTIA certification focuses on
Very well, as it turns out. In fact, it happens all the time,
broad, on-the-job issues that are relevant whether a person
according to Terry Hand, CIS instructor at Ogeechee Technical
goes on to work at a company’s helpdesk or make the rounds
College in Statesboro, Georgia. Hand says the entire state took
as an IT technician.
notice shortly after CompTIA certification courses were added
“The certification classes do a good job of providing not
to the curriculum. “My students were beating out four-year
just theory, but real-world knowledge,” he says. “They prepare
college students for jobs,” says Hand, whose school produced
students for going immediately into the industry.”
70 certification graduates through the CompTIA A+, Network+
and Security+ programs in 2008. “There were people with
four-year degrees in IT, yet I had two-year students who were
defeating them for jobs. The big question was why. I started
contacting companies and found out that certification carried
“If they haven’t done the CompTIA
a lot of weight.”
That wasn’t all. “We also noticed that people who did certification, I don’t think they
interview [and] who had certification were hired at a greater have that base knowledge.”
rate,” Hand says. Once the news spread, Ogeechee Technical
College found itself deluged with applications. Certification Michael Rhodes
classes have been overflowing, and the school has even had Principal, Media Tek Ltd.
to turn applicants away. “We’ve never had to do that before,”
says Hand, who has been with the school for six years.
Meanwhile, the college’s portfolio of partnerships has
grown to include some of the state’s biggest employers,
including CNN, Verizon, the Georgia Board of Education,
and Walmart. Many of these firms didn’t even bother to
interview prospective candidates who didn’t have certification,
Hand reports.
 In Texas, certification is on a roll
At Goodwill Industries of San Antonio, Texas, Mark Milton
“Certification was very heavily has witnessed his share of career makeovers. Now, the service
emphasized for the whole provided by Milton and his team is about to kick into overdrive.
As Director of People Services and Career Academy at the
organization. It was required
agency, Milton operates a career resource center that helps
to maintain employment and roughly 30,000 people annually. He recently partnered with
to move up the career ladder.” CompTIA to roll out a technical certification program. The
initiative resulted from community requests and a report from
Alex Fogel, Senior IT professional the Texas Workforce Commission projecting industry demands.
Ricoh and Samsung “Obviously, technology is taking off everywhere, but it’s
growing here in San Antonio,” says Milton. “That’s one of our
top three in-demand industries right now.”
He said that offering the recognized brand of a CompTIA A+
certification class was an easy decision for the nonprofit, given
A certification strategy worth copying its intent to provide a more educated and qualified workforce.
Alex Fogel, who managed the Japanese copier giant Ricoh’s
test development bulletin board from 1988 through 2005,
recalls that each of the company’s 5,000 employees in a
technical role was required to obtain the appropriate certifica-
tion within 90 days of being hired.
“At the end of the day, it all boils
“At Ricoh, we weren’t going to spend months training down to certification being
them on the basics,” Fogel says. “We expected them to have an internationally recognized
that going in. Certification was very heavily emphasized for the credential. If you can put that
whole organization. It was required to maintain employment
and to move up the career ladder.”
on your résumé, you’ll have a
“People walk into a Best Buy and see A+ certified techni- competitive advantage over
cians,” he says. “CompTIA is recognized. The layman is starting another individual who doesn’t
to see the value of the professional service. It’s invaluable from have it.”
a service marketing perspective.”
Speaking of IT certification as a professional credential Mark Milton, Director of People
(and proof of job-specific skills) on a résumé, Fogel says it often Services and Career Academy
carries far greater weight than a college degree. Goodwill Industries of San Antonio, Texas

IT certification in a class by itself

Whether you’re an IT newcomer, technician polishing up your
skill set, vendor, or business partner, insiders say that CompTIA’s
certifications in the areas of security, network administration,
and computer repair are rapidly becoming the industry standard.
Visit us online at www.comptia.org to learn more about
getting IT certification and to purchase vouchers that you can
redeem for the cost of your exams.
While you’re at it, take a moment to learn a little more about
CompTIA. We’re the voice of the world’s IT industry. Our mem-
bership includes companies on the cutting edge of innovation.
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