What are some good IT certifications to get?

[Sting]

I have a BS in Psychology currently, but I'm looking to go back to school (2year) to get some sort of IT degree. I talked to a guy today that told me not to waste my money, he stated that just getting certified holds more weight. Any of you certified? What are some good fields that would almost guarantee a job?

[The GIGGAS]

Re: What are some good IT certifications to get?

I have a BS in Psychology currently, but I'm looking to go back to school (2year) to get some sort of IT degree. I talked to a guy today that told me not to waste my money, he stated that just getting certified holds more weight. Any of you certified? What are some good fields that would almost guarantee a job?

Are you looking at Database Administration? Systems Administration? Software Development? I think your need for certifications would be different based on what you're going back for. I'm a Software Engineer for a company, and I hold no certifications, but I have a degree in Computer Science.

[Sting]

Re: What are some good IT certifications to get?

Honestly I have no idea Giggas. Just looking for a good field to get into

[The GIGGAS]

Re: What are some good IT certifications to get?

Honestly I have no idea Giggas. Just looking for a good field to get into

Well, I know for my situation, certifications don't mean a lot... I was able to come in with what I've learned in Math and CS to come in and develop software for this company. However, I believe that some of the core IT staff (those who keeps up with internal databases, servers, and the like) have more use for certifications, such as Cisco certifications, and specific server certifications. Honestly, you'll get better advice from other people. However, if you want to know anything about software development, let me know.

[Sting]

Re: What are some good IT certifications to get?

Software development I would like know about too. I'd be better off going to a tech school for that right?

[The GIGGAS]

Re: What are some good IT certifications to get?

I went to a college that specializes in teaching and nursing... as long as you know your stuff, you're good to find a job. Still though, if you go to a school that has a reputation for computer science, that will help you, just like going to Harvard Law gives you a bump.

Anyway, if you do go towards Software Development, learn as many types of languages as you can. Knowing how to solve problems in different programming paradigms (functional, object oriented, declarative, etc) is pretty important, and you'll be able to pick up new languages as you go. Also, I'd get into classes that teach you about teamwork and the process of developing software (like Scrums, Agile Development, etc). Also, another good thing to keep in mind is unit testing.

That's all I can think of for right now.

[studbucket]

Re: What are some good IT certifications to get?

Tend to agree with Giggas, I got a BS and MCS in Computer Science from a writing/nursing/business school in the midwest, but as long as you're good at what you do, that part doesn't matter.

If you want to do IT administration stuff, I guess certs might be useful, but when it comes to actual software development, testing, or designing, certs are pretty much worthless pieces of paper that are trumped by experience and knowledge.

However, getting a CS degree will probably take you at least 3ish years, if not more (not sure how much of your psych credit will count for you).

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: What are some good IT certifications to get?

Certs are like degrees, don't hold much weight nowadays because everybody and their mama got one too. But some that are worth while getting are Microsoft certification, Novell and Cisco.

Nowadays it just looks good, but it won't gurantee you a job. Nothing gurantees you a job now. You just have to sale yourself to the company. The way you word your resume makes all the difference in the world.