Rate this article:
Average rating:
Total votes: 4
Certifications may help you land your next job, but not necessarily a big raise.
According to a survey by Foote Partners, a management consultancy and IT workforce research firm, pay for 143 IT certifications continued a downward slide, falling an average of 2 percent in the six months ending December 31, 2006. That was compared to pay for 127 noncertified IT skills, which increased 2.3 percent over the same period.
“Pay for certifications has been on the decline for some time,” says David Foote, CEO and chief research officer for Foote Partners. “It’s not that employers aren’t willing to pay a premium for them, but instead, the prices they are willing to pay versus noncertified skills is nowhere near the levels of one to two years ago, or even six months ago for that matter.”
Foote attributes the decline to employers’ focus on employees who work well in teams, meet deadlines, understand business strategy and have industry know-how. “It’s not that certifications are not important -- it’s just that other things have become more important,” Foote says. “There’s more balance in what IT people do now. The technical aspect of what people do is important, but it’s just one aspect [of their work].”
Hot and Not
The Foote Partners Hot Technical Skills and Certifications Pay Index surveys tens of thousands of technology professionals in the US and Canada. The research tracks the “tech skills pay” that techies receive as part of their overall compensation; the survey covers both certifications and noncertified skills.
For 2006, the survey found pay premiums increasing for certifications in Web development (up 3.6 percent), but declining for certifications in databases (down 4.6 percent), project management (down 2.7 percent), system administration and engineering/network operating systems (down 1.9 percent), and applications and programming languages (down 3.6 percent).
Yet some certifications that continued to have traction earned Foote Partners’ “top performers” label. These included the Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Novell Certified Linux Engineer, Microsoft Certified Solution Developer, Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert and Red Hat Certified Engineer.
Your Real Value Proposition
Do the survey results mean IT workers should rethink their certification plans? Not necessarily. While becoming certified in a particular skill may not generate a premium in your pay, you may still need the certification to get the job.
“Certifications show potential employers that an individual is familiar with a particular technology or practice and provide them with extra assurance of expertise in the areas listed on a resume,” says Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director at staffing firm Robert Half Technology.
Yet Lee also echoes Foote’s thoughts on what really matters to employers. “As valuable as certifications can be in differentiating IT professionals, there is no substitute for experience,” she says. “A strong track record of consistently delivering IT projects on time and on budget, for example, is the type of attribute that hiring managers seek most.”
Supply and demand may also play a role in determining what a certification is worth on the job market. Jim Henderson, who writes a blog on certification and serves as the global manager of instructor programs at Novell, says that if too many people hold a certification, that certification may become a commodity and lose value. “Being one of a million is a way of getting your foot in the door,” he says. “Being one in a million is a way to actually get the job.” Noting that his views are his own and do not reflect Novell’s official position, he adds, “If a certification sets a high bar, then it helps you stand out from the pack.”
Still Undecided?
If you’re trying to decide whether to pursue a specific certification:
- Consult the Foote Partners survey and Monster job listings to gauge demand for the credential you’re considering.
- Understand that certification is often a stepping-stone and part of the learning process, rather than an end in itself, Henderson says.
- Find out whether your employer will pay for certification or reward you for earning certifications.
Additional Technology Career Advice:
