Have any of you guys noticed the incredible lust for certifications that has transpired since the bottom fell out of the tech industry a few years ago? Seems no one cares about practical experience and know how, just how many certifications do you have. I do have Cisco cert by the way, but I have run across some folks that have the almighty certifications that couldn't route or troubleshoot their way out of a paper bag.
The whole idea of "certifications" is a relatively recent phenomenon, which would answer why it's growing. I suspect that hiring people with such things is the easy way out for personnel folks.
I don't really have to put up with certs, because I write embedded software, and there really aren't any certs for that.
Perhaps embedded "C" software doesn't count as "IT", but my background goes back to Cobol and banking software that certainly now constitutes "IT".
Employers who look only for certifications are going to get burned big time, too. Everyone knows people whose primary expertise is taking tests. Engineering school faculties are packed with them. I don't even want that kind of job. What's the 1/2 life of one of these certs, a year? It's not worth the bother.
I have the CCNA, as well as AIX System Support, AIX System Administration, and MCSE. I also have a business degree and a sales background. I think my employer likes having a technical person who can still operate in sales mode, so to speak. I have friends, though, who once they managed an MCP, or a CCNA, just assumed they would always be in demand. Cert's are kinda stupid, but if the company pays, I'll collect them. I'm thinking of getting an MBA, to round things out a little, in case I decide to switch to the dark side and pursue management.