[gerdesj]

As an employer (IT consultancy), I in particular do not mark up for MS qualis. I generally drop those to the bottom of the stack for lacking originality if that is nearly all that is shown in support. I want to see things like engineering, maths and science degrees, actually any degree will do that shows critical thinking.

I'll take a HND in palaeontology in preference to a MS fellowship with a signed photo of Bill G over their headboard any day. At least I'll get someone who has legendary attention to detail and the ability to follow a chain of inferences and gather clues. They'll also be able to completely piss on anyone who starts going on about their first PC or programming language as though that is some sort of ancient history.

Please Mr IT teacher: Give me critical thinkers, not drones.

[twic]

Are you hiring software engineers, or desktop support IT people, or what?

I don't think an MCSE tells you much about hiring someone to do work that is mostly about learning and creating - software engineering, network architects, infrastructure admins, etc. But i can imagine it being useful if you're hiring someone for a position that is more about routine problems and customer service - IT support, cabling, audio-visual, etc.

I should add that i don't mean this as a slight on our comrades in first-line support. They are a vital and valued part of the IT community!

[gerdesj]

I'm hiring all sorts - it's an IT consultancy. We only have one f/t software dev. We do have a helpdesk with 1st - 3rd levels, a datacentre that wont set the world on light but is watched like a hawk and quite physically secure: a bijou cloud if you like.

The vast majority of MCSEs I've seen are the result of a boot camp. The questions and answers are rather contrived. The only worse quali I can think of now is the VMware VCP (memorise the maximums and a load of other rubbish) I've got a VCP myself for 6.0 I think. Its bollocks. I wrangle vSphere clusters all over the UK and I think the qualification is absolutely rubbish. I'm also QUEST accredited - that's better than the others but still pretty naff.

I'm the MD but I still do levels 1-3 on the helpdesk, as do my two other partners in the firm. This isn't some sort of micro management thing: the helpdesk is a good litmus style test for what is happening in the firm, quality wise. I still get a kick out of telling someone who requests escalation of their problem that it can't go any further. I don't do it too often but when I think that a customer (rightly or wrongly) is at their wit's end and me de-cloaking might help their stress levels, then I deploy that strategy. Some of the responses I have had are absolutely priceless and make the job (and life) a better place.

[missosoup]

I call these McQualifications.

They're a negative signal when I see them in a CV.

Virtually all certification schemes are a scam with extra steps. Candidates who don't see the scam for what it is, are bottom of the barrel. Likewise employers who bought into the scam are bottom of the barrel.

[pjmlp]

Except they are an hiring requirement for the Cisco, SAP, Adobe, Oracle... consulting partners.

[gerdesj]

I'm not too sure who this reflects badly on: You, me or those "consulting partners".

I can quite happily make money without invoking Satan or Oracle/SAP/Cisco as you choose to call him. What on earth is an Adobe? Sounds like a real earth element, probably worthless unlike the real ones.

[pjmlp]

Me not at all, as I see it just as yet another part of the business.

[missosoup]

Yes, that's the scam part of it.

Vendors have placed a toll booth between job seekers and jobs in fields where vendors have enough sway with employers to convince them to make their certifications a hiring requirement.

[LargoLasskhyfv]

It's not only the vendors, it's the market around that too. I just remembered which company did my certification, clicked on the link from ddg and got

Secure Connection Failed

An error occurred during a connection to www.pearsonitcertification.com. Cannot communicate securely with peer: no common encryption algorithm(s).

Error code: SSL_ERROR_NO_CYPHER_OVERLAP

Yeah. Right.

/me giggles

edit: Hm. May have giggled too soon, because https://home.pearsonvue.com/ works. Don't know how the link above is related to them.

[pjmlp]

Interesting, because as I mention in another thread they are an hiring requirement for the Cisco, SAP, Adobe, Oracle... consulting partners.