Computer certifications

[gurgeh]

"We see that you are intelligent, eager, and have done well in school and in your other endeavors. But you don't have any experience with MS Powerpoint or writing SQL queries, so take a hike."

Too many of my interviews are ending up like this. While getting certified through Microsoft in Office products (Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint) is straightforward enough, I know nothing of SQL. I need a certification in it, though, so I can take it to employers and say "See? I can do this. You don't need to worry that I might come in on my first day of work and say 'ZOMG! WTF?!>?!?!'"

So far my searches have turned up the MCDBA cert. from MS (which is about server administration rather than writing queries) and a bunch of stupid online certifications that aren't going to mean jack. If anyone can steer me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it.

[kerowo]

What's your degree in? Find a community college that offers a SQL class or something, I would imagine you aren't going to find a SQL certificate if you haven't by know. You want something legitimate you can put on your resume and if you are just sorting out course work is a way to start.

[gurgeh]

My M.A. is in criminal justice. A community college sounds great except for two drawbacks: I have to wait for the summer semester, and even a CC will be far more expensive than getting a certification (assuming such a monster exists). I'm sure if there is a cert. out there I can pass it just by studying a few books.

[kerowo]

Granted I've been out of school for a while and not paying any attention to it, but there wasn't a SQL specific certificate then. There are some MS language specific certificates but SQL, despite the name, isn't really a stand alone language. I suppose you could try finding some on-line training courses which would start whenever, but I doubt they are going to hold as much value as a real life class from an acredited school.

[gurgeh]

After much digging I found a company called Brainbench. I guess they're kind of like CompTIA, but tout their exams as "hybrids" of the vendor-neutral and the vendor-specific. They have two certifications that look worthwhile:

http://www.brainbench.com/xml/bb/com...ml?testId=1924

http://www.brainbench.com/xml/bb/com...xml?testId=238

I've never heard of these guys. Are they reputable? Fifty bucks to get this kind of certification seems awfully cheap.

[ajml]

I cant really help you because I dont know very much SQL or what getting jobs involving it entails, however, its easily something you could learn fairly quickly on your own. Do not waste money on a class to learn it. I would just produce something I could include when I submit my resume to show what I am capable of (or just list SQL as a skill and say projects avail. by request or whatever).

They may be a little wary that you may have just copied the code so just be sure you can do it on your own if they flip their laptop around and ask you to do something.

[Percula]

Actually the MCDBA is not just server admin, it has a fair amount of development knowledge required to pass the tests. If you are looking to become a developer you should be looking a developer certs, not systems certs.

IT certs will do a couple of things for someone looking for a job...

1) They will get your foot in the door for an interview.

2) They can mean more money depending on the company.

Now for the reality check...

I have worked with MCSE's that did not know how to format a HDD during a Win2K server installation. I have worked with CCIE's that did know how to subnet or how to enter enable mode.

By the same means I have worked with guys that had no cert what so ever that are some of the most knowledgeable in the business and command the salaries that go with that.

Bottom line vendor/industry cert don't mean [censored] compared to experience. So unless you are just looking to get your foot in the door or the company you end up working for has a bonus or wage reward for certs (hint, most companies that do this are not the type you want to work for anyway), just learn what you need and demonstrate the skills on the job.

[gurgeh]

I'm actually not in the IT industry at all. I have a master's degree in criminal justice and am looking at mostly intelligence/crime analysis jobs. These positions are all entry-level and don't expect much experience (nor do I have it), but I'm not getting offers. I want to get a leg up on the competition by demonstrating that I understand and can work with relational databases and that I can write SQL queries. Hopefully that will push me over the edge from interviewing well and then being rejected to getting jobs.

[kerowo]

Maybe I've watched too much TV but I can't imagine Crim J people opening up a terminal window in Oracle or DB2 and starting to write up Select statements. It sounds like you have been turned down for some jobs, call up one of the guys you interviewed with and ask him what you need to do to be more attractive for an entry level position.

[gurgeh]

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe I've watched too much TV but I can't imagine Crim J people opening up a terminal window in Oracle or DB2 and starting to write up Select statements. It sounds like you have been turned down for some jobs, call up one of the guys you interviewed with and ask him what you need to do to be more attractive for an entry level position.

[/ QUOTE ]

I need to get experience writing SQL queries. Since I apparently need experience to get experience, I'm trying for a certification instead.

So I take it that nobody has heard of Brainbench?