I'm pursuing my first big boy IT certification (CISSP) and, boy, does it suck and I am hoping to never do it again! What are your thoughts on certifications for work (IT or otherwise)? Worth it? Did you make more money? Learn anything?

I took an ISTQB (test engineer) exam 2 years ago. Work paid for it, and I got a small bonus out of it. The practice exams were fucking hard, I took it 2 or 3 times and didn't pass so I bought a Udemy 'practice taking the test' course. The real test turned out to be fairly easy, WTF.

I put it on my resume now but no one seems to give a damn. I've heard a few outspoken-types in this field speak out about what a scam it is and how irrelevant it is to the job at hand. I learned a few 'proper' terms for things every tester does (or should do) but otherwise I'd agree with that assessment.

YMMV of course.

When it comes to "soft skills"; like communication written/verbal, conflict management, self management, analysis and problem solving, divergent thinking, planning, leadership or social/cultural intelligence, etc., etc... I go for every certification and training I can access. (day job=department of Agriculture)
These types of things cross all kinds of jobs and industries, and since most of them rely on group participation and peer engagement, I actually tend to learn and benefit.

Most technical certifications I have obtained were pursued as a means to supplement my résumé, or make myself more "employable" in my field.
I'm not sure it's ever made much difference, and these things have usually consisted of things I could teach myself.

My wife and I have been talking about this a lot lately. She is a software developer for a big e-commerce company and has been waffling on whether or not to pursue a degree in Computer Sciences. But considering the cost and intensive requirements of a 3 or 4 year university degree, when all is said and done will it be worth more than 4 years of tenure and learning on the job?


But CISSP is a good thing to have, no? It's current at least?
I understand it sucks, but do you feel like you are learning anything?

In my industry (wine & spirits) unless "Advanced" or "Master" (both of which pretty much guarantee higher pay) is in your certification level, work experience is more valuable, and who you know. "Certified Sommelier" is an indication of a certain amount of knowledge, enough to pass a particular test, but everyone has that these days and I'm continually amazed how little they know.

The narcissism of small differences and fragmentation of society continues.

brownreasontolive wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 8:20 am But CISSP is a good thing to have, no? It's current at least?
I understand it sucks, but do you feel like you are learning anything?

My theory on why the CISSP is worth it is that the security world is absolutely flooded with people who have figured out that simply prefixing "security" onto their existing job title can command a higher salary. I don't fault them for doing so but recruiters are hip to it now and are looking for ways to filter those people out. Ctrl+F' "CISSP" on a resume is one low-effort way. I am learning things but reading about how to set up SAML can't possibly beat actually configuring it yourself. It seems like I have to learn these concepts the CISSP Way which can sometimes directly contradict real-world experience. It takes a lot of mental effort to put myself in an abstract headspace to answer some of these questions and I almost always trip up when doing so. And this is supposedly testing me on my applied security skill!

I would say, try to only do one major one (CISSP, one of the Cisco ones of CCNA/CCDA level or above, GSEC) because you’ll never be able to maintain more than one of these demanding ones at a time. Adding on something more vendor-specific is fine.

In most states, my industry requires an initial course of study, sitting for state and national exams, an apprenticeship, licensure, continuing education, and oversight by a board made up of government, industry, and civilian members. In Wisconsin, where I did my schooling, it was a year of prerequisite courses, a two-year degree, and one year of apprenticeship (that could not be served concurrently with the schoolwork). So, a four-year commitment prior to full licensure. I had been working at a couple of funeral homes in Wisconsin and then Oregon, and the most I made before I was fully licensed was $7.75 an hour (1999 money). There are some states that are more lenient with others with regard to how long you can continue to work under an apprentice license (and for apprentice wages) and some allow you to take an embalmer's license but not a funeral director's one (or vice versa), but I would say that if you want to work in death care, all-in is the way to go.