Ben Nadel © 2008.
All content is the property of Ben Nadel and Kinky Solutions.
These benefits and testimonials have been compiled off of the web from various ColdFusion community sites.
Manager San Antonio Macromedia & ColdFusion User Group
http://www.samcfug.org -
http://www.clickdoug.com
As a user group manager, I usually recommend to all employers that are considering outsourceng or hiring telecommuting developer positions, insist on (or give much greater weight) to the Certified Developer.
For the developer who is career employed, or already has his/her own circle of contacts, this may well not be necessary, as you already have a relationship built On the other hand, Certification is a recognizable credential when presented to an employer who has ot previously dealt with you. Not wishing to offend anyone, however from an employers's point of view (That is what I was before retiring) When a job announcement is posted, there comes a flood of resumes, and the hiring manager cannot readily determine which are inflated and whether ot not the code samples are really authentic. As a result, we scheduled intergiews (first on a technical basis) to weed out the lesser qualified, and save time. I can tell you that all the resumes that sported certifications in the field related to our announcement, got in-person interviews without aqtechnical interview. More and more job postings REQUIRE a certification to be even considered, and that does not mean a better qulified person got the job, it just means that you did not go to the trouible.
I know there are many experienced developers out there that pooh-pooh the idea of certification, mainly because they are either too lazy, or have plenty of work at the time, and don't see the need. These are the ones that get pidgeon-holed when applying for a gig at a new employer, and they wonder why.
As a result, I strongly recommend sitting for your certification exam, and overcome your fear of falure. (I had to take mine three times) Then go for the advanced certification. It is not hard for an employer to go to the Macromedia site and get the names and contact address of the certified developers in their area. You should strive to get your name posted there too.
Source: House of Fusion
The one ... thing to point out is that it's just like college degrees and even high school diplomas. In reality, they're really not that hard to get. They don't mean you're really all that smart because I've seen plenty of morons with Masters degrees and even PhDs but it's the fact that they did it. I work in the gov't world and they base a lot on the degrees you have. I wouldn't ever claim that a CF certification will get you paid more, but in the mind of a manager (who may not know much) it probably looks pretty impressive.
Source: House of Fusion
I would like to make the point that [ColdFusion Certications] answer the question as to your knowledge for 90% of the interviews you will take... you will rarely get anyone outright questioning your knowledge of [ColdFusion] if you have the advanced certification. I haven't gotten the 7 cert myself yet, but I have other things on my resume that fill that gap on my resume in terms of providing proof of my [ColdFusion] knowledge.
Source: House of Fusion
The process of preparing for the test forces you to look into all the nooks and crannies of [ColdFusion].
Source: House of Fusion
In many cases, you wouldn't get past the HR department without a certification. Many corporations have standard ways of weeding out applicants. One way is to put a certification in the specifications for the position.
The HR staff review all the applications and many are tossed just as a first run through the paperwork. Hiring managers may never even see your resume if you don't have a certification. I agree completely with the idea is about breaking ties [between otherwise equally skilled applicants]. Anything that gives you the edge with other equal applicants is positive whether it is the way you handle the interview or your professional certifications.
... I have to admit now (after 20 years of experience) that a youngster with little experience and a certification may make the cut out of HR when I wouldn't no matter my skill level or experience. All being equal, I now encourage workers to get more training and get their certifications. Building a resume is important and continuous.
Source: House of Fusion
http://blog.cutterscrossing.com
There are benefits to certification, on levels that aren't overly apparent. I went without one for seven years of [ColdFusion], and now that I have one it's opening a lot of doors. I highly recommend the CF ExamBuster, it is well worth the investment.
Source: House of Fusion
I am certified Advanced in CFMX and CFMX 7, and while it may not show whether I am a good developer or not, it has helped me in certain ways. Gov't contracts often state that developers need to be certified, and in the case of my first job in the DC area, Certified Advanced.
When my company submits proposals for RFPs, it always helps to be able to note that we have x number of certified developers and x number of certified advanced developers.
Source: House of Fusion