3 IT Certification Myths

IT certifications! Some hang their career hopes on these words. Others utter them in scorn. Wherever you are, IT certifications are a hot topic, and for good reason. Each year, billions of dollars are spent for millions of certifications to be obtained.

There are lots of myths around IT certs. Hopefully I can dispel a few of them here for you.

Myth #1: IT Certifications will get me a job.

Truth: No. You get you a job. Employers aren't hiring your certifications, they're hiring you for what you can do for them. Just getting IT certs will NOT help you get a job.

What they will do is prove that you can pass a series of tests and have a basic level of knowledge on a subject. And that's actually not a bad thing.

The thing IT certifications will do for you is help you stand out among other candidates for a job. For instance, if you are going out for a VMware job, a recruiter receives dozens of resumes, having the certification may help you make the first round cut. You still have to sell yourself in the interview, but having a certification in a field relating to a job may give you an edge.

Myth #2: The job market is flooded with IT certification holders

Truth: The opposite is true. I'm actively seeking the VMware VCP6-DCV, and though there are roughly 100,000 VCP holders worldwide. If there are 15 million IT pros across the planet, that puts me into a group of about 1 in 200, or the top .5%. Not a bad way to differentiate yourself. So much for being saturated.

Yes- there are people out there who have devalued some certifications cramming with braindumps (do not do this). The vast majority of cert holders, however, have worked hard (many times on their own time and own dime) to get certified. If you get your cert, you put yourself into an elite class of IT worker.

Myth# 3: You can cheat to pass certification exams

Truth: Ok, so technically, yes, you can cheat. But it won't be easy. And it's a really bad idea.

Forget about traditional "cheat sheets" or taking your phone in. Those testing centers shake you down more aggressively than the TSA when you test. And if they catch you cheating they ban you for life from the center and usually the organization you're testing from (CompTIA is one). How badly would it hurt your career if people found out Cisco or Microsoft banned you for cheating? You might just have to think about doing drywall or working at Best Buy instead.

Then there's the other side: cheating is unethical. If you cheat to pass an exam, you're really only hurting yourself. If you cheat and pass, you may get a job (and you would be surprised at how well HR people can tell if you're dishonest), but you expose yourself to serious career risk in 2 ways. 

The first way is that you are likely going to be looked to as a subject matter expert on your cert area. If you are questioned and can't deliver the goods, you put your job in jeopardy. Your peers will also be able to tell if you're full of it. Don't risk it.

The second way cheating will get you is that even if you are never discovered, you are just cheating yourself. You cheat yourself out of the satisfaction of knowing you truly mastered the exam material. You also cheat yourself our of the knowledge and skill you get from the process of learning itself. 

Hopefully I've cleared up IT certifications a little bit for you. What are some IT certification myths you've heard? Let me know in the comments below!

Photo Credit:Vedrana Bosnjak

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About David Geiger

David is a Systems Admin and the author of CareerLevelUp.com, where he serves up IT career advice. He's a car nut (Civics mostly), tech buff, and has owned multiple small businesses. He's husband to a total babe and Dad to 2 awesome sons. Feel free to connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. He wants to help. And there's a chance my picture is actually that of Jimmy Tassin.