Computer jobs, importance of Degree/Experience/Certifications?

So in our world the "ALMIGHTY DEGREE" is a powerful piece of paper that says you apparently learned something. Now I'm curious how do Computer businesses look at our experience and how do they look at certifications? For example lets say you had the degree and 0 experience/certifications, compared to someone who has already programmed business level programs, has work experience, and has a bunch of Java certifications from Sun or whatever other certifications are out there(There are a bunch on this forum) with no degree? How does Certifications get looked at? Do they have value?

Anything that can be answered by someone who is familiar with hiring I would really appreciate it!

Depends on where you are talking about. In the US, at least my part, certifications seem to have zero value. Experience and a degree is what will get you noticed. And, of course, who you know.

As pointed out by Bear, nothing beats good hands-on experience, soft skills, and excellent personal traits.

In India when i was a Fresher(2010) they asked me only about percentage (that's cut-off) , if you don't have cut-off not eligible for the company like IBM,HP....all MNC company. I ended up in start-up company

, atleast i get a meal.

Arun Giridharan wrote:In India when i was a Fresher(2010) they asked me only about percentage (that's cut-off) , if you don't have cut-off not eligible for the company like IBM,HP....all MNC company. I ended up in start-up company , atleast i get a meal.

What do you mean by "percentage" (Cut-off?)

Jay Orsaw wrote:

Arun Giridharan wrote:In India when i was a Fresher(2010) they asked me only about percentage (that's cut-off) , if you don't have cut-off not eligible for the company like IBM,HP....all MNC company. I ended up in start-up company , atleast i get a meal.

What do you mean by "percentage" (Cut-off?)

Well,we have an Percentage System over here , that must in certain range. Combining that percentage pull out the aggregate at the end. And company sets the aggregate (for ex : 90+) to attend the interview <Freshers> .

Arun Giridharan wrote:
Well,we have an Percentage System over here , that must in certain range.

I absolutely understand you Arun. Its really difficult for freshers but as you get a year of experience, things change.

Anyway, I still have the same question as Jay. So instead of opening a new topic I will continue here. I am a Java programmer for the past 3 years and plan to continue in this profession. In India here, if you want a really good salary most people go for a MBA. But that logic just sucks

Now I have also seen/heard java developers here earning that much or even more, the problem is I don't know how they do it ?

So guys , repeating jay's question. I really want to sharpen my Programming (Java) skills , not just as a hobby but also so that it helps in my career. How do I go about it ? Because certifications anyway are not given much credit( i have cleared scjp and scwcd, and thet didnt help much ) ? .

Most companies specify that they are looking for applications who have a Bachelor‘s level computer science degree from an accredited college. While it may seem unfair that more experienced candidates are passed over in favor of someone who has a college degree, from the employer’s perspective, the college graduate has something to show for the years s/he’s devoted towards learning about computer science- a college degree. Work experience comes a close second, but now thanks to distance learning education, many candidates keep their jobs while they complete their degrees, so effectively, they have both.

Welcome to the Ranch

Neal Gray