Certification Hunting In Tech
Worth it or a waste of time and money?
Getting certified in tech is a hot topic these days. All major cloud providers offer various tracks and certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP), but new courses with accompanying certification exams for various other topics are popping up left, right, and center - just check out Udemy or Coursera. They’re often touted as essential for practical skills, but are they relevant in real-world scenarios? So before you go maxing out your credit card on every certification under the sun, let’s go over the true value of getting bonafide certified.
📜 Why Pursue Tech Certifications?
Certifications in tech serve multiple purposes, at least in data engineering - the field I’m in.
For starters, certifications offer a structured way to grasp technologies’ core functionalities. Take data engineering, for example. Complex platforms like Databricks can be daunting - particularly functionalities such as structured streaming and Delta Live Tables (DLT). For me, getting the Databricks Data Engineer Associate certification give me exactly the overview I needed - it quickly got me up to speed on Databricks’ essential data engineering features - an overview I may otherwise not have had.
The naysayers will argue that just following a course will also get you that overview - without the cost of a pricey certification. Indeed, places like Udemy and Coursera are great resources for learning a new technology or skill - at much lower cost.
However, that may not be sufficient for your goals. Certifications also validate your skills and knowledge, providing a tangible proof of your expertise. You may want to prove your knowledge and skills to potential employers - or even your current employer, when you’re looking to get that raise.💰And employers looking for certifications is not that uncommon. While employers obviously do care about hands-on experience, I’ve noticed certain certifications are explicitly mentioned in job postings and actively sought after - e.g., Databricks or Azure certifications.
All arguments in favor, what about arguments against getting a certification? Well, if you already have an impressive track record of being a certified badass (get it? 😉), then you probably don’t need any certification to prove your worth. Likewise, if no employer in your field cares about certifications, then it also doesn’t make sense. It all depends. Figure out what added value a certification will really bring before you pull out that credit card.
Why Do I Personally Pursue Certifications?
The main reason for me to get certified is different, still. These certifications can place previous practical experience within a broader theoretical context.
Again drawing experience from the Databricks Data Engineer certification, I am now better able to place my previous experience with DLT and its capabilities (and limitations) in the broader Databricks and data ecosystem. This makes me understand the pros and cons of DLT even better.
Similarly, I recently started working with Snowflake again after not having touched it in a while. I was a little rusty, and plenty of new features had been added in the meantime. Getting Snowflake certified not only updated my knowledge, but also fit my previous experience in the broader Snowflake ecosystem.
💯 Practice Makes Perfect
Tech certifications often add practicals, aiming to go beyond theoretical knowledge. In my experience, however, these practicals are not nearly as efficient as actually doing a project. Whether that’s starting a data engineering project from scratch, trying your machine learning luck in a Kaggle competition, or building your own, fully functioning website, it doesn’t matter. While getting your hands dirty, you will inevitably run into issues - probably already when setting up a local development environment. 😉 However, in my opinion, that’s the best you could hope for! Banging my head against the wall trying to solve these problems, googling everything along the way and trying a dozen different solutions have taught me more than any course ever could.
This is not to discount courses and certifications - not at all. All I’m saying is: start with a practice project, no matter how small. Gain experience through continuous struggle and googling, and then perhaps get a certification to solidify your knowledge and gain that broader context. It’s a frustrating approach to take, but you’ll learn so much more in the end.💡
♾️ Beyond the Certificate: Continuous Learning
So you’ve gained a bit of experience, passed the exam for your certification. Done? Not quite.
Tech certifications aren’t the end-all be-all. The tech landscape and its technologies move so fast that by the time you finish a course, your knowledge might already be outdated. So after you’ve proudly showcased your certification or badge on LinkedIn, follows a lifelong learning journey.
Staying curious and exploring new technologies is crucial, also after obtaining certifications. Continuous learning can be achieved through various means, such as subscribing to newsletters, attending conferences, participating in (or even better - teaching!) (online) courses, or joining professional communities.
Personally, I learn a great deal about data engineering by following experts with hands-on experience. I’m the data engineering space, Ivan Trusov for Databricks and Tomáš Sobotík for Snowflake are invaluable sources of inspiration and information to me. Additionally, keeping up with industry authorities like Matei Zaharia (Databricks CTO), and companies like Advancing Analytics helps me stay ahead of the curve.
💭 Final Thoughts
So what to do when you’re at the beginning of your career, or trying to get a grip on a new technology or platform?
First and foremost, choose the certifications wisely. You can only spend your time once, so make sure the certification adds something to your knowledge and skills, bettering your chances of achieving your goals - whatever they are.
And secondly, make sure to get your hands dirty in a small project. Next, certifications are valuable for both validating existing skills and fostering continuous learning. They offer a structured way to understand complex technologies and enhance practical abilities. However, it’s important to view them as a starting point rather than an endpoint. The real journey begins after certification, with continuous learning and staying updated with the latest industry developments.