Gregory Seidman wrote:
> Back to the topic at hand, though, what are your reasons for getting a
> certification?
>
> Do you think you'll learn more that way than learning on your own? You
> might, but that isn't a good reason to list it on your resume or bring it
> up in an interview.
>   
I think a cert like any degree is a talking point. I have a B.S. in 
Computer Systems Engineering and an M.S. in Computer Science and will 
add my UW certificate experience to my resume because it opens a line of 
conversation with the interviewer. If I were a job seeker, I would want 
them to know what I've done and for them to ask questions about my 
experience. If I am applying for a Ruby programmer position, why would I 
want to shoot myself in the foot by not listing including my UW Ruby 
certificate? I want the HR person to say, "Check this resume out." 
because they are the ones screening resumes and are looking for degrees, 
certs, and other "keyword" matches. This gets me in the door. Now any 
smart company will perform due diligence with a true technical interview 
that will assess knowledge, abilities, personality, fit and anything 
else relevant. If they don't do their due diligence and hire someone not 
really qualified, well then they get what they deserve.
> Do you think it might come in handy as a backup or safety net? Maybe, but
> you're probably better off investing your time and money in learning as
> much as possible rather than taking a test and paying for a piece of paper.
>   
I agree that the paper based "I took a 3 hour test at the [fill in the 
name] testing center and passed and now I've got my certification" is 
completely shallow. Not all certifications are equal though. The UW 
certification I detailed in my original post is 90 hours of classroom 
instruction over 8 months. I'm only a third of the way through and I'll 
be releasing my class project as a gem in the next few weeks after the 
first quarter (of three) wraps up. I sense a real hostility by a lot of 
people on certs in general without making the distinction of what I'll 
distinguish as the test based cert versus the experience based cert. 
Admittedly, the experience I'm getting as I pursue my UW cert is not the 
same as someone who codes Ruby daily for a living but it should not be 
completely discounted either.

Another way I choose to look at it is on a standard double sided resume, 
there are about 100 lines of text. Three to five lines of that is 
probably devoted to degrees and certs with 75% of the remainder 
dedicated to work experience. Clearly if a cert is listed but has no 
relevant work experience tied to it, that also says a lot.

Regards,
Jim