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Did passing the SCJP exam improve your carrer prospects?

 
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Hi,

I am currently preparing for SCJP 5.0. Congratulations to all of you that have already passed the test!
I would be really interested to know if passing the test had any impact on your career.
Specially did it make it easier to find a job as Java Developer?

Thanks
Katrin
 
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Passing the cert exam did have many positive inputs on my career choices.

I had a long postitive track record as a release engineer, Senior Unix Admin, with light DBA and Network admin experience. I was firmly stuck in support. Always working nights and weekends. No one was letting me do any Java or C++.

I had to go to my boss and say "How can you justify hiring a java consultant when I am a certified java programmer." It still took almost another year to get out of support roles. Even then managers were trying to drag me back into support.
 
Katrin Perry
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Thanks, for sharing your experience with me, Peter. I am amazed that it was so difficult for you to get into a Java role even within your company. Good for you that you managed to succeede.

I work as an application developer for a company that uses mainly bespoke internal languages. I have been there for 7 years and despite all my efforts to find a proper developer job using off-shelf languages, and despite my huge efforts to study and update my knowlede I haven't succeeded so far. I did Oracle Certification exams - SQL and PL/SQL (backed up by experience) - but this didn't help. Now I am putting my hopes in Java Certification. (I also have some Java experience)

I applied recently for a support role in a big company. They need all the technical skills I have but I suspect this is needed just so that I am able to talk developer's language. I was hoping that in the future there might be opportunity for me to move into development, if I got the job and it turned out that I didn't like support as much as development. But juging by your experienc, It looks like it is very hard to move from support to developer role.

Best wishes
Katrin
 
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I don't know too much about how employers view the SCJP,

however I do know that I'm a much better Java programmer as a result, and consequently am more confident about applying for Java jobs. I would have no hesitation about applying for a senior java role now... despite having limited work experience with java.

I would recommend however, that you also study about design patterns and coding standards etc. These are things which the SCJP doesn't test on.

Although, you could also try the SCJD, as this tests on these things.
 
Katrin Perry
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Thanks Philip,

Good point, Definately the SCJP preparation has its worth on its own and I don't uderestimate that it helps you to be better programmer and learn the things you didn't know.
I am planning to do the SCJD afterwards and again one of the huge benefits would be the expreience it gives me.

Regards
Katrin
 
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