[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux certs vs "real-world" relevance

[MadHat]

I have my RHCE and while I have not used it for getting hired or for making 
myself look important (MadHat, RCHE was in my sig for a short time), I have 
found it very useful from the standpoint that what I learned (or what I was 
tested on more specifically) has been used over and over again.  From the 
standpoint of being hired, no I don't look at certifications when hiring.

The RHCE was very thorough and had a good base of knowledge.  Very good 
hands on section.  I am not saying anyone should run out and get your RHCE, 
but it is one program I feel helps prepare someone for real world 
problems.  I am looking into going back and taking the Security 
certification, see if it is as good, or...

I will admit there were problems with the RHCE (too much focus on linuxconf 
at the time), but the instructor I had made a point to show both how to do 
it with and without the tools.  Instructors make a big difference on these 
programs...


At 01:12 PM 1/13/2002 -0600, brian at pongonova.net wrote:
>Please read the following *in its entirety* before hitting your 'r' button 
>after
>the first paragraph!
>
>I am looking for some insights (personal anecdotes are certainly welcome) 
>as to the
>relevance of the various Linux certifications (LPI, SAIR, SAGE, RHCE, 
>etc.) in the
>"real world."  Some examples: Is more weight given to one cert over 
>another?  Do RH
>shops consider the RH cert more valuable than the non-RH cert?  How 
>applicable is a
>particular certification to the "real world"?
>
>URLs to pertinent sites comparing the different certs would be welcome as 
>well.
>
>**Please note, I'm not looking for a flame war here, nor am I looking for 
>a "which
>one is best" solution.  Also, I'm not interested in the certification vs.
>experience debate.**
>
>My point-of-view is from an instructor standpoint (I teach Unix courses at the
>college level), trying to get a grasp on the high and low points of each 
>cert and
>the level of correlation between different college-level Unix curricula 
>and various
>certification objectives.  My working thesis is that if there's a good fit 
>between
>a given cert's objectives and the "real world," I believe a good indicator as
>to how well a Unix program prepares a student for the "real world" is how 
>well the
>Unix program covers the cert's objectives.
>
> >From what I can tell, most of the certs focus on network and 
> sysadmin-related
>tasks, whereas my Unix background is mostly software development on 
>various Unix
>platforms.  I don't have a good handle on how *applicable* each cert is 
>from a Unix
>admin point of view, which is why your input will be valuable.
>
>Knowing this group, I'm certainly looking forward to your responses :)
>
>   --Brian
>
>_______________________________________________
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--
MadHat at unspecific.com