• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

What now?

 
Greenhorn
Posts: 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi,

I have few Sun certs related to java: SCJP, SCMAD, SCWCD and I have been studying SCBCD.
And its not a secret that Sun has been in trouble since the end of the dot com boom.

I am afraid of "depending" too much on Sun papers to show my qualifications and then Sun disappearing somehow, either been bought/bankrupt whatever....

My question is: Where to go now?

I can try to take this SCBCD certification as an equivalent but with Oracle, Oracle WebLogic Developer blah blah blah... And later continue the Java path in other companies.
Or I can start looking at other technologies. Lets say Microsoft, IBM, Oracle for development certifications.
Or even take few basic ones like Oracle DB just to prove my skills in SQL and db management.

Has anyone experienced this? Can someone point me a way?
The only thing I wont do is to stay put.

Thanks
 
Bartender
Posts: 3648
16
Android Mac OS X Firefox Browser Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Wow you do have most Sun Java certs. I don't think you should worry about Sun that much because Java is here stay. In fact have you thought of getting the other remaining Java certs (SCJD, SCEA and SCDJWS)?

Well besides Java you may want to look into MS .NET or other java-related stuff like rails, groovy. In fact there can be many technologies you can do. Ultimately just depends on your interests and desires and of course what the industry requires. Doesn't everyone of us want to be jack-of-all-trade?
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 75
Android Eclipse IDE Firefox Browser
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I think I got the same ideas that John Boyle got, since I'm SCJP, SCWCD and SCBCD. since my last certification I don't know what to do? should I start working on SCEA for example? what will be the effect of current Sun's situation on the certification paths? should I try something over than java???

I do have an experience in Oracle DB solutions, but I don't like the idea to widen the field since I'm more into development. I considered IBM SOA but I don't know I feel this is not the right path for me.

any suggestions would be highly appreciated.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 1936
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Sun != Java.
And Sun Java Certifications are not product-based, they are specification-based.

Whether Sun will be bankrupt or not, I don't think it does matter with Sun Java Certifications.
 
fahd helwani
Ranch Hand
Posts: 75
Android Eclipse IDE Firefox Browser
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
so I think Kengkaj that you recommend continuing for SCEA ?
 
Rancher
Posts: 43081
77
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Welcome to JavaRanch.

I would start with the question "Why do you feel the need to get (more) certifications?" Experience trumps certifications hands-down, and definitely so if you have a few certifications already. What do you hope to gain by getting more of them? Are you currently unemployed, or looking for a new job? If the latter, I'd suggest to spend time learning stuff that's useful for the kind of job you're looking for.
 
Sheriff
Posts: 7134
1360
IntelliJ IDE jQuery Eclipse IDE Postgres Database Tomcat Server Chrome Google App Engine
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Ulf Dittmer wrote:I would start with the question "Why do you feel the need to get (more) certifications?" Experience trumps certifications hands-down, and definitely so if you have a few certifications already. What do you hope to gain by getting more of them? Are you currently unemployed, or looking for a new job? If the latter, I'd suggest to spend time learning stuff that's useful for the kind of job you're looking for.



+1
 
Hong Anderson
Ranch Hand
Posts: 1936
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Ulf Dittmer wrote:
I would start with the question "Why do you feel the need to get (more) certifications?" Experience trumps certifications hands-down, and definitely so if you have a few certifications already. What do you hope to gain by getting more of them? Are you currently unemployed, or looking for a new job? If the latter, I'd suggest to spend time learning stuff that's useful for the kind of job you're looking for.


I think the most benefit of certification for individual is it's a tool/method for continuing education. Experience is good, but then why people study bachelor, master, doctoral degree, or why company send employees to attend training courses?

They are simply different ways of learning, taking certifications requires individual to study/learn topics in their objectives. Preparing and taking certifications are merely one form of formal education.
 
Hong Anderson
Ranch Hand
Posts: 1936
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

fahd helwani wrote:so I think Kengkaj that you recommend continuing for SCEA ?


My opinion is Sun's issue isn't directly related to Sun Java Certifications. It would matter if a company (in future) that will acquire Sun doesn't want to support Java technology anymore, and after that Java is less popular.
 
Ulf Dittmer
Rancher
Posts: 43081
77
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Kengkaj Sathianpantarit wrote:I think the most benefit of certification for individual is it's a tool/method for continuing education. Experience is good, but then why people study bachelor, master, doctoral degree, or why company send employees to attend training courses?


Most people acquire only a single degree, and then maybe an additional advanced degree, not several more, so I don't think this is a good analogy.

As to training courses, yes - if the company wants to introduce a new technology, then the employees need to know about that; training courses are a way of getting them started. But that, too, is not what the question is about.

What I'm questioning is not the general value of certifications (although I do think it's limited, but that's a different discussion that we won't get into here). What I'm questioning is the wisdom of getting more of them in the situation described above. To be sure of the advice one would need to know about the situation, which is why I asked the questions. A blanket recommendation of "yes, you should get more" would in my view definitely be the wrong advice at this point.
 
Hong Anderson
Ranch Hand
Posts: 1936
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
As I said, Sun Java Certifications are specification-based. And even Sun would be acquired by other company, Java platform can still be evolved via JCP.
http://www.jcp.org/en/introduction/faq

But if Sun Java Certifications are product-based like about Sun GlassFish Enterprise Server, I would recommend not to take them until the situation becomes clearer.
 
Don't get me started about those stupid light bulbs.
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic