charles.jacobus-765275 (9/10/2013)
As someone with a number of certifications (some for SQL Server) and a former hiring manager, I have to respectfully disagree. In my view, certifications represent a broader measure of one's willingness to spend considerable time pursuing a subject and their ability to follow through on it. The view that they guarantee some technical proficiency misses the point. Although I think they provide an excellent opportunity for strengthening knowledge and skills we already have and for exposing us to things we might not otherwise be exposed to. I’ve known very good developers who have no certifications, and I’ve known others who have them that weren’t so good. I’ve also known plenty of doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, etc. who weren’t worth their salt. But that doesn’t mean I think they shouldn’t need to demonstrate some level of mastery via schooling and certifications.Regarding Microsoft’s certification programs specifically: I’ve found them to be generally very good. I’m working on an Oracle certification currently, and the training materials just don’t seem to be quite as good.
Certifications do provide a good opportunity. They can show someone that's studied and improved their knowledge of the subject and is a better employee.
They can also not show that. They can be easily gamed, and passed after a couple weeks of study.
There isn't a 100% solution, but there are ways to do this better. While there are poor engineers, doctors, etc, that doesn't mean they aren't very knowledgeable about their field. They might not practice well, same as in technology, but doctors don't cram and pass a test in a few weeks.