Are Certifications Worth The Paper On Which They Are Written?

“How do I know you can provide what I need?” This foundational question is at the very core of every question a customer asks of its provider. Make no mistake, you are always having to prove yourself at multiple stages throughout each of your relationships.

Certifications are often thought to be the key to proving how well qualified you or your company might be in providing the prospective buyer what they want or need. While this can be an implied benefit, it cannot not been tied to an explicit need in your customer without understanding some basics about certifications.

I dwell in the world of information technology – not just “IT”, but how people, processes and technology interact to produce a desired result – a realized and explicit benefit for my employer, my teams, and my clients.

There are a few types of certifications to review:

• Employer-certifications: Certification programs required or provided by your employer to maintain employment status or provide certain services to their customers.
• Provider Certifications: In order to provide support services to customers or raise the value of their brand, providers may offer or require certification programs to ensure a desired level of competency. Many technologists know CompTIA, Microsoft and Cisco as the industry leaders in certification, while others like HP and Dell offer programs as well.
• Industry Association Certifications: Various industries offer certifications to raise the level of professionalism of those wishing to practice within the industry. Some examples might be HDI, PMI, AIIM, or CPA.
• Educational Certification: Universities, technical colleges and institutes often provide various certification programs which may even be sponsored by an employer, provider or association. These programs are usually wrapped within a course structure and may be needed for a local, state or federal requirement.

Certifications alone are not the answer to your problem:

I am often asked questions about which certifications for a helpdesk, IT group, or technical sales professional are best. And while an answer might be easy, I find it best to ask a clarifying questions:

What do you believe a certification might do for you?

For team members, employers and customers alike, certifications should offer a demonstrable level of understanding about a specific topic, product or process. This is not always the case, so research regarding the program and organization underwriting the certification is often necessary.

However, the most important oversight I witness in certification programs is the individual’s and employer’s lack of consistency in making this part of a comprehensive and on-going training and improvement process. I’m guilty of this as well – forgetting the long-term importance of development for the short-term urgency of today’s drama.

Take heed that your quest for certifications, while most likely important, does not become overshadowed by the shortsighted presumption a certification alone makes you qualified to do anything at all.

Image courtesy of vizzzual.com

Ken Stewart’s website, ChangeForge, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology in an information-centric world. Ken serves on the board of the new Managed Print Services Association, an international industry organization seeking worldwide best practices for the managed print services industry. He is also the founder of Seeking the Son. He is always interested in connecting with you.