jsync | Java Staffing Specialist

Certification vs. Experience - A Recruiter's Perspective

04/11/2006

by Dave Fecak

When speaking with Java professionals at all levels, we often hear the question, “Should I get certified?” Good question, and the answer will vary based on several different factors. While getting certified will typically never hurt you, it will not always help you.

For less experienced professionals:

Certifications without experience are dangerous if your expectations are high. It is quite common for developers to spend a good deal of their own money on taking training classes to get some type of ‘certificate of completion’, then spending more money to get a certification from one of the many companies that offer them. Most of the people in this category are programmers who have experience in other languages and want retool to get into a Java job. Believe it or not, this actually worked for some people! Unfortunately, those people got their jobs in 1999…

This formula (Java training + Java Certification = Java job) is a thing of the past. Certifications and training are simply not enough to get you a job in today’s market for Java professionals, but we would recommend pursuing certification for Java programmers with between one and three years of experience. So that brings us to the famous ‘Catch-22’ – “I can’t get a job without the experience, but I can’t get experience without a job.” What should people do without any real world experience?

There are several ways to get the necessary experience, and these days it is easier than ever. Nothing is preventing you from building whatever type of application you want in the privacy of their own home, and you can get many of the tools to build these applications for free. Pick something you are passionate about and build a website using Java technologies, or build an application that you can use in your daily life (balance your budget, calendar, etc.).

Participating in open source projects in one form or another is also a good way to get exposure. At least you will have some samples of work to show a potential employer, and although it is not professional (paid) experience it will be more valuable than a piece of paper.

For experienced professionals:

Certifications for experienced professionals may seem to be a good way to give you an extra advantage over others who may be applying for the same position, but usually certifications are not considered in these situations.

We do know of a few local companies who ask specifically for certified developers, but this is quite a rare exception. If you have a few years of experience with Java, but perhaps your job has multiple responsibilities with other languages, a certification might be a good idea to bring your Java expertise into the forefront.

Can a certification potentially work against you? Our opinion is yes, but in only one rare circumstance. Some candidates take several certifications (mainly web-based tests) to try and juice up their resume. Recruiters and hiring companies are a bit wary of candidates that have several certifications on Java technology but very little professional experience, so be careful. If you have several years of experience, you probably don’t need any certifications at all but they won’t hurt.

For everyone:

Where should I get certified? Although we do not officially endorse any products or services, the Sun certifications are the ‘gold standard’ and have the highest degree of credibility.

A certification can be a good way to emphasize your Java experience on a resume and studying for the test is often helpful for keeping your skills sharp, but in general a certification will not result in a higher compensation package or more career opportunities.

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