Certified

[Today’s run: 3.4 miles]

It is the trend these days in the IT field (information technology) to get certifications.

A certification usually consists of a class and an exam. Both cost money.  But if you pass the exam they will let you say you passed the exam.  And if an employer is looking for a Custom Certified Computer Professional (CCCP), you’ll be all set when your resume hits their in-box when you have that particular certification.

A couple of weeks ago I took a week-long, live, on-line course in computer security.  It was live because we had  a real instructor and real students but everything was done in a chat-room kind of environment.  The only person I could see and hear was the instructor.

Then last Monday I took the exam.  And I passed.  So now I am Certified.

I already did something similar for our radio station project this past spring, went to two weeks of classes and took exams to become a Certified Broadcast Radio Engineer (CBRE).

There you go.  Now I should go to the boss and ask for a big raise or something.

The knock on certifications has always been that they are not a substitute for experience.  You can study the book or take a class, go through the exam, and not really have time spent working on that subject.  I’ll say that is true.  So much of job hunting in technical fields consists of having the right buzzwords and acronyms in your resume, and certifications.

Ok, so I am now CompTIA Security+ certified.  Just in case you wanted to know.