more important: College or Certifications in the I.T field?

Question by Pedro F: more vital: College or Certifications in the I.T field?
Have any of you hear of “New Horizons Learning center”? They offer A+ certifications classes, Networking, Microsoft certified , etc.
I took a tour of their location and was very impressed. They told me that I should get out of Devry. That devry and these teach have terrible reputation in the notebook field. That what matters first is the certificiations.
They showed me that it just takes time (4 years) no experience, once I get the degree. They told me that once I get my certificiations- I will get A)get a excellent job (with excellent money), B) experience in the field, and then I can go to college (with my employer playing for it).

Is this right what they saying? If so, Should I leave college to get my certificiations first?
I know both are vital, but which send should I take first. Degree-then certficiations…or certifications—then degree?

Best answer:

Answer by CoachT
It’s simple enough to find out - read some help wanted ads and see what they are looking for. I reckon you will find that you are being lied to all around so let me offer a touch of truth from the planet of HR (the personnel that hires those IT folks):

Education: we require a college degree because we need someone who can read a manual and follow the tech instructions there. Sometimes we need the IT people to write a manual or two as well (we’d like for it to not be made fun of). We want IT to be able to communicate on a peer level (not geek-speak) at all levels of the establishment. The ability to not only be technically proficient but to also communicate very well orally and in writing are essential. Some understanding of “the larger picture” is required; that understanding comes from a excellent general education. If the position level is equal to one in other departments that would require a master’s degree in those departments - we’d want the IT person to also have a master’s degree so that they are academic equals (reckon Chief Technology Officer here). The best jobs will require a bachelor’s degree though some support positions will require an associates. It’s not “bachelor’s degree or certification” it’s “bachelor’s degree and certification” or whatever level of education we feel meets the needs of the job level (which may possibly be “high teach diploma and CompTIA A+ certification”).

Certification: IT industry certification provides documentation that the employee is up-to-date on the latest and greatest. We of course want our IT people to be “techies” who really know their stuff. What you learned in the comp sci courses in college is fantastic but that knowledge goes out-of-date very quick with changes in technology so we business people rely on industry certification to verify that you do indeed know what you say you know - because we probably don’t have the slightest clue in this area such technical things. It’s not “or MCSE” it’s “bachelor’s degree and MCSE” or whatever industry certification we feel represents the function. There are many types and levels of IT certification. While the business managers don’t know what they are, HR knows just so what each one is and what it took to get it. HR will never deliberate A+ to be equal to a college degree - A+ is pretty vital as certs go. We might let CTT+ or MCT sub for a college degree (for a training gig) but those people usually have a college degree anyway.

Experience: an essential constituent that schools and training programs forget to mention to you. Businesses don’t give control of million dollar platforms that are essential to daily operations to newbies who have never had a job really responsibility it - no matter what degrees and certifications they have. This is mainly right in environments where, if IT messes up this morning, someone dies this afternoon. It’s also right though in environments where, if IT messes up this morning, my business closes down while they fix it (that’s a lot of businesses these days). Experience is essential but IT people get lucky here (as do nurses and teachers) because we know that if you have a college degree in the field, you spent substantial time really “responsibility IT” while getting your degree. We also know that “techies” often own some of the latest and greatest for their own use and have experience there too. Even so, we’d like to see some sort of work experience and will absolutely require real-planet experience for some jobs.

So what you have here is three things: Education (degree), Training (certifications), and Experience that are all required in order to get a decent IT gig. There are all sorts of IT gigs and they each require varying levels of each of these but reality is that they are all required - none can substitute for the other. Schools and training programs will tell you that their part of the equation is most vital but reckon of it like a car. Which is more vital - fuel, wheels, or an engine? How far do you get with any of the three missing? Which really matters most? You have to have all three.

One other thing that’s vital in IT-land that has to do with a common stereotype. We want to see that the IT candidate can interact socially and in a business setting with our employees. The extreme introvert, stereotypical notebook guru/gamer won’t cut it these days.

Add: which you do first really depends on you. If you’re going to get a bachelor’s degree ultimately, it wouldn’t make much sense to get certified now and then have a 4-year ancient (out of date) industry cert. when you graduate unless you’re going to use that cert to work now while you get the degree.

Also know in this area industry certs - that’s not something you do once and then you have it forever. It’s only valuable if you keep it up-to-date. That’s means it’s something you do over and over; unlike your degree.

It’s not an either/or deal. If you do an MCAS now on MS Personnel 2007 and graduate from college in 2011; well, I’m thinking you’d need an MCAS cert on Personnel 2010 (or some new technology we don’t even know in this area yet) by then. But, you still need the bachelor’s degree either way.

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