Good article, Steve.

I have mixed feelings about certifications. It does give me exposure to features that I wouldn't get to try out otherwise.... I am more apt to study for a test and never take it, just to discover the tools that are out there and learn quick and concise ways to answer questions that I could be asked and need to answer immediately.

As a DBA who likes the development side of things, I spend a lot of time learning and trying things out to gain that IT Instinct. My company generally keeps people in silos, though, so I would never see a return in my current job, but maybe the next one that comes along.

I don't dwell on the possibility of losing my job to outsourcing or anything else. I'd rather keep an eye on the job boards to see what people want for skills and build those instead of trying to hang on until the next round of layoffs comes around.