Value of certification

[Aravi]

I am currently studying a Bachelor of IT at a local university (Northern Territory University, in Australia). While my original plan was to transfer into a Bachelor of Software Engineering at ANU in Canberra at the end of this year - however I'm having second thoughts about leaving Darwin (not career related, but potentially related to my future).

I am wondering if it is possible to augment the Bachelor of IT through certification + experience (for experience I plan to spend a year contributing to KDE - as it involves working within a team, its a reasonably visible and complex project, and it's software I already use anyhow).

Also, I notice the emerging trends towards web-based services based on Java or .NET. How useful would Java Certification be in becoming a part of this?

As far as the actual skills provided by the BIT/BSE - I can teach myself quite well and intend to do a fair bit of reading in my free time - so the actual skills will not be an issue, I will have them regardless of what kind of "paper" I have. In fact, teaching myself is probably an important skill in itself in the IT industry of today.

Also, I get the impression any university qualification will only get me a start, and that it is in the workplace - through experience and concrete proof of ones skills, where most of the advancement happens. How true is this? How much will uni qualifications affect my starting placing? how well can certification make up the difference? how much difference will it make in the long run?

All in all, I've got alot to think about and to research. I was hoping people here might offer me the benefit of their knowledge and experience to aid me in making this decision.

[SeanC]

Definitely finish university and try to get some computer job (anything, even at BestBuy or Future Shop). Experience means a lot now a days.

Regardless of what recruiters are saying, certifications are not the be-all and end-all of the IT world. I've always had the opinion that certifications without experience are very useless.

I would worry about getting a year or two of experience, THEN look at certs. Just my $0.02. BTW, that's the way I'm doing it, 4 years exp. and now starting to get certs.

Sean

[Aravi]

Actually, I'm thinking I will go for the BSE. I'll get certs while I do that since they do count for something - the first set of certs I plan to do are actually to help me get a decent part time job (MCP + RHCE).

[Creosote]

For programming, I think a degree means a lot more than certs. Now I would say that would be less so the case w/ Networking Admin or something like that.

I would try to accumulate experience in as many systems as you can to put on your resume as opposed to certs.