I hope this post doesn’t discourage anyone from their own personal education goals. I would not have made this site if I thought that certifications were not worth getting.
While reading discussions online concerning getting certified, I saw people ponder whether or not they should ask for a raise at their current employer or reconsider salary expectations while job searching after gaining new certifications.
Now these two cases are quite different.
Someone could very well ask for a raise after getting certified, but really only if their new credentials open up new opportunities with their employer.
Just earlier this week, I was reading a post made by someone who works at an MSP. They are currently in a client support role, and if they pass their CCNA exam, they could move into a junior network administrator opening. This was an informal arrangement a singular employee had with his company. No one should expect this, but that doesn’t mean that they cannot start the discussion.
If your manager has never once brought up the prospect of getting certified, then blindsiding them with a request for a raise just because you got a new certification is likely going to do more harm than good. Not everyone values them to the same degree, and some people don’t value them at all (yes, they’re wrong for that).
Instead of making a proposition for a raise, just mention that you recently passed a certification exam. Let their reaction guide your decisions. Better yet, discuss working in tech certifications into your annual goals. This is the most likely scenario in increasing your compensation by getting certified at your current employer.
What about for people actively applying, and now considering asking for higher compensation? To me, they are missing the point of getting certified.
Let’s assume that a company posted a job description online for an opening on their system administration team. They are looking for someone with five years of experience, familiarity with the tools that comprise their tech stack, and prefer candidates with industry certifications.
This is pretty accurate for what can be found online. I’ve read hundreds of job descriptions through the years. For a run-of-the-mill sys admin job opening, this is what can be expected.
Not once have I read a job description mentioned higher compensation for any relevant industry certifications. They use the word “preferred” – not “incentivized”.
So what’s the point, if not more money?
There is one thing, and one thing only that tech certifications guarantee for those that have them: higher chances of being considered for a job.
If a hundred people applied to that sys admin opening in one week, how exactly will talent acquisition determine who to contact?
The most obvious factor is listed experience on their resume. A strong body of relevant industry experience directly translates into higher chances of success in the role.
But what if ten out of a hundred have similar experience? Perhaps talent acquisition will then consider tertiary things like how prestigious the university is that the candidates graduated from. Perhaps the actual design of the resume will set them apart from one another. But what if all of that is still mostly the same?
The one thing that is undeniable is that with any amount of very similar applicants for a job, those with active industry certifications will look more qualified. That is what certifications guarantee.
It may seem so trivial to work so hard just for something that will only prove effectiveness in a tie-breaker, but certifications are much more than what they guarantee.
There is no guarantee that someone will feel more confident, effective, and knowledgeable in their profession after gaining a new certification. Unfortunately, there are people who memorize answers from a question bank and regurgitate the responses during the real exam. This is 100% cheating, and people that do this devalue the worth of a certification.
But if you do it the right way and treat the exam preparation as if it were a college course, you will feel how I do every time I gain a new certification. I always feel more sure about my skill set because I just proved to myself and to the certification vendor that I know the subject material reasonably well.
I started this certification journey a little over a year and a half ago. I have become a much better IT engineer in that time. I know that my skill set would not have grown without the structured path that tech certifications provide.
Certifications are very much worth it, but do not get confused about what they guarantee.