What can be the next certification ?

[Jeevan Sunkersett]

Hi,

I completed my SCEA in 2009.

Please can you suggest the next certification - that I could pursue? TOGAF or ?

thank you

[Tim Moores]

What are your objectives? Additional actual, practical experience might be more valuable than any number of certifications.

[Paul Balm]

Indeed the right question to ask is what your objectives are, where do you want to go?

I would not do TOGAF if you already have SCEA. Don't certify yourself to death on archtecture, after all, it's only certification and experience as an architect trumps it (almost) always. Also I don't think it's very efficient: Many things that TOGAF should teach you, you should already know if you have SCEA. Finally, to me, it looks a bit suspicious to get multiple architecture certifications. Prospective employers might think: Which one of your architecture certifications is no good, so that you needed to do the other one? Exactly how unsure about your architecting skills are you, that you need multiple certifications?

Assuming you are or want to become an architect and considering you already have SCEA, I would look for training/certification on methodology or quality assurance. E.g. CMMI or Scrum certification.

The ThoughtWorks Technology Radar says to hold off on Scrum certification (see Jan 2011 edition). I haven't figured out why that is yet (you need to scrounge earlier editions to find the motivation), but it might be that Scrum certification specifically is not a good idea right now. I'm just giving you my general ideas. Hope it helps.

[Sunderam Goplalan]

I had the same question myself. What next after SCEA? As Paul says, the next step would be to pursue architecture for real world / real time applications Or at least get in to projects that are still in requirements stage in our own organizations, so we can see for ourselves what it means to "architect" in practice.

One of my friends suggested looking at certifications from Open Group? Any thoughts on that? Does it fit the bill for someone who has SCEA?

[Paul Balm]

TOGAF is from The Open Group. As I said, I wouldn't do it if you have SCEA already.

As for "going after some real experience", sure, but I think for many, getting the next job is one of the reasons for getting certified. So to say that now, after getting SCEA, you should "get that architect's job" is like saying: Don't do any more certifications. Which is something that I do not agree with in general. I think there are other useful things to learn, depending on your specific goals, but I wouldn't continue doing similar architecture certification. With SCEA, you've reached the end of this line as Sun saw it. Why start on a similar, parallel track when you can do something else as well?

[Sunderam Goplalan]

Thanks Paul. Well, Actually when I said, "architect job...", I didn't mean, "Don't do any more certifications"! I meant that after SCEA, one should get "more" involved in laying out the blue print of new systems, than
merely doing what he/she was doing prior to getting SCEA. One of the easy ways to do this is to find something along these lines in one's own company.

Yes, TOGAF is something that's not apt for SCEA's. Also I agree there are other things to learn rather than starting on a parallel track, depending on one's objectives and vision.