As someone studying their first CCIE (RS), I sometimes find these kind of
discussions disheartening. They come up every now and again, and the opinions
seem vary anywhere between 'a good interview tool' and 'less than worthless'.
It took me a long time to get started in certifications once I began working in
IT, because I questioned why I needed a piece of paper to prove what I
knew.After I've started, I realised that following a certification track isn't
perfect, but it gives (at least to me) the structure to cover areas of
knowledge that you might not if you were doing 100% on the job training or some
other methods. It gives you something to aim for, and helps with motivation and
setting goals.
Does a certification mean that you are an expert? No. Does it mean you are
devoid of skill? No. All it means is that the person has studied the
curriculum, and passed the tests.No more, no less.
Now from what I understand of the CCIE lab exam (which I haven't attempted
yet), it is a practical exam and you need to know your stuff to pass. I'm sure
people think up ways to cheat and devalue it, that's bound to happen. I've sat
on both sides of the interview table, and I've had plenty of both certified an
uncertified people come through that don't know their stuff.I've also had
plenty of both certified and uncertified people who have been great.
When I see someone who has a certification, and they can follow it up with
actual skills, it indicates they have a certain level of dedication to
improving themselves and their education. (In my experience it takes more time
to study a certification track than to learn just what you need to get a job
done.)
Just my 2c...
Cheers,Josh
