Voice of the DBA

Tag: certification

  • No More MCM

    This is part 1 of a 3 part series of thoughts on certification and Microsoft technologies.

    I’ve heard that Friday afternoon is the best time to fire someone. People are leaving early, the office is quiet, and you can let people go quickly and get yourself away. It also gives the remaining employees some time to grieve, and hopefully, come back to work Monday without some of the shock they initially experienced. At least, that’s what they say. Personally I think there’s no good day, and productivity always suffers somewhat whenever there’s surprising, upsetting news.

    Recently, just before the US Labor Day holiday, late on a Friday, I saw a number of announcements on Twitter that the MCM program had been discontinued. Since I was on holiday, I thought I’d missed something, but apparently not. It was late on a Friday that the an email was sent to all MCMs and MCAs notifying them of the change. It was a brief email, noted here, and didn’t include some of the reasons of that were given as a comment in a Connect item filed to save the program (the comment was from Tim Sneath at 1:32pm). There’s been a variety of coverage and blogs around the Internet as well.

    We aren’t being told the whole truth, nor do I expect to be told the whole truth. This is Microsoft’s program, and as such, we follow along and adjust, or choose to ignore it. In this case, I can’t believe that this was anything other than a cost based issue, designed to reduce expenses and raise profits. In all likelihood, someone(s) bonus depended on internal Microsoft Learning metrics being met (probably revenue or profit numbers), which the MCM/MCA program were reducing. In an effort to look better, the program was chopped, without a lot of input, communication, or discussion with the people actually working to better the program. I expect Tim Sneath and others were caught off guard with the decision and told to deal with it. They did so poorly, extremely poorly. In hindsight, I’m sure someone wishes they’d composed a better message and delayed sending it for a couple days.

    I attempted the first part of the MCM early on, with a voucher. I didn’t pass, but I learned how hard the exam was, realized it was within my capabilities, but that it would require some serious study. I didn’t proceed further because of other commitments, but I’ve watched more and more people work through the MCM process, usually over months or years as they learn, struggle, research, and drive themselves forward.

    Ultimately the achievement isn’t the certification, but the journey. The efforts candidates go through, the knowledge they acquire from study and hard work, and perhaps more importantly, the skills they build to teach themselves new techniques. I wouldn’t hire an MCM because I was sure they necessarily knew everything about my environment. I’d hire them because I would be 100% confident they could find the problem and fix it, no matter whether they used old knowledge or acquired new proficiency on the spot.

    That was the real value of someone who completed, or even seriously worked towards, an MCM.

    Steve Jones

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  • Those Who Can, Do

    Getting a certification like this is good if it teaches you new skills and you use them.
    Getting a certification like this is good if it teaches you new skills and you use them.

    There was a time I considered staying in college, getting a masters or PhD and teaching others. I still might follow that path at some point since I enjoy speaking and teaching others how to better work with SQL Server. At some point, however, I became frustrated with the theoretical approaches many teachers had. Like many 20-something-old students I tended to subscribe to the mantra “those that can, do. Those that can’t, teach.”

    I was reminded of that by this piece: Those Who Can Do, Those Who Can’t, Get Ceritified. It compares IT workers to the computer systems they manage, and it points out that if all that’s required is to pass a test, that’s something a computer can do very well, perhaps even replacing those that can just answer questions in their daily work.

    There’s some truth to that. I always wonder about a person that has 3, 4, or more certifications; do they have actual skills with the product?. Have they actually used the knowledge from those certifications in their work? Is the certification the goal, or is it a way to learn skills and knowledge that can be applied at work? If it’s the former and not the latter, then I’d say your efforts to advance your career through certification are poorly aimed.

    However if the certification gives you structure and focus, if it allows you to improve the skills you have, and bolster the weak areas in your knowledge, it can be beneficial to your career. If you are taking that knowledge and using it in your daily work, or even in your spare time, then the certification is merely a stepping stone to something greater.

    I don’t think that people who are certified are somehow incompetent at their jobs, but they have to showcase more than just the certification for me to believe they are valuable employees.

    Steve Jones

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  • Almost an MCSA

    I took four beta tests earlier this year for SQL Server 2012. I had debated writing another book, and I’ve worked on a few of the cert books in the past, so I thought this would be a good chance to look at the tests. Since I had free invites to the beta program, I also thought, what the heck. The worst that can happen is I fail.

    It’s been about two months, and I was waiting for results when someone mentioned that the Prometric site had the results, though they weren’t yet up on the MCP site. I checked, and sure enough I had results for some of my exams. I checked a few days later, and found results for all four of my tests. They were:

    All passed, which was cool. I think certification is what you make of it, and I’ve been looking over lots of SQL Server 2012 stuff for almost a year, so to me it says I have some good knowledge of SQL Server 2012. The tests were a good mix of old and new stuff, and not as focused on the new features, which was good.

    The MCSA track for SQL Server 2012 needs 461, 462 and 463. I skipped 463 in the beta cycle because I’m not much of a DW person, and I was busy. Fitting in 4 exams across two weeks was hard, and took time away from work that I had to make up at night.

    I’m not overly concerned about being certified, but it’s a nice feather to have in your cap. The MCSE for SQL Server 2012 requires the MCSA and 464 and 465, which I have. So one more test and I’d have the MCSE as well.

    My goal now is to start studying for 463, after I get a few more presentations built that I need for work. I hope to get to this test in the fall, or perhaps at the end of the year, depending on my schedule. I haven’t done a lot with the DW side of things, so I’ll be working, and likely writing, about a few more DW topics later this year.

  • The Certification Debate

    MCITPro Logo
    Is certification worth it? I think it can be.

    Today’s editorial was originally published on Aug 7, 2007. It is being re-run as Steve is on holiday.

    Is it worth getting certified? What do you get out of it? I’ve noticed a few debates on the site, and many threads asking about the exams, preparation, and even requirements for certification. Since we’re primarily a learning site, publishing new information for you on a daily basis, the whole certified v real world experience question is interesting to me.

    I read this interview with the CEO of New Horizons and it kind of annoyed me since the guy has an inherent bias towards certifications. Most of the New Horizon’s classes are “official” classes from Microsoft designed and built to move you along the path to certification, not really to do your job.

    And make both Microsoft and the training company money.

    I have to admit that I have a bias here since I used to own part of a training company that delivers custom training in Orlando. However our intention in starting the training company was to help those with a need for SQL Server training that would teach them things needed in the real world, not just things needed to pass some test. There’s a difference and I might not feel quite the same way if Microsoft offered an SSIS certification, an HA certification, a replication certification and more. Heck, I write the QODs, granted sometimes badly , but I know there’s enough stuff to test people on in each of those areas.

    I think the idea of certification is a good one and it has the potential to really help differentiate those with the ability to perform well in a job and those that won’t do as well. However the testing has to be geared towards that and we need ways to differentiate the skills and abilities. Without some type of internships, residencies, and focus on some specialty, attaining some certification doesn’t really help. And I’m not sure that many of us know what we want to do and are willing to invest 5 years in training in one area.

    Most employers now realize that a certification, or at least most certifications, in the IT industry is one small measure of an employee’s skills. It shows a commitment for someone with experience and shows a desire to work, but not necessarily skill, for those new to an area. It’s usually a filter these days, and a low one at that, with no guarantee of employment.

    I still argue that certification exams are a good thing IF you have experience. You can use them to bolster your claim of skills and show that you care something about your profession.

    That’s if you pass.

    Steve Jones