Java Cerification jumping off points and opinions

[Mark Arsenault]

Hey everyone,

I have been, day-in day-out, studying everything Java, but more specifically Java EE, Spring, ORM, etc and everything I need to get back on my career track.

I do not have any certifications

I was hoping to get some insight into what has helped (pertaining to employment) everyone the most. Have these certifications helped anyone gain employment quicker, or is it more of a personal goal?

Where do I start? What books/tutorials can help me get there quicker?

I cannot jump into my SCWCD Certification without first doing the SCJPOCP? Is that right?
I have read, and taken notes on the Head First book for SCWCD Certification, and have worked as a web developer for a number of years.

I would love some feedback,

[K. Tsang]

Hello Mark

Certification can be helpful in the job search but not every company will consider it. At the end it's what happens in the interview and your actual experience. For me anyway, back then it was more of a personal goal rather than an entry point for java jobs.

For your question on WCD cert, yes you would need the programmer cert first.

Picking up java from scratch or should I say re-learning java takes time. Depends on your goal (cert or enough to get to next level say Java EE), learning the API and the collection framework (List, Set, Map etc) are key. Along the way, you will refresh OO concepts and syntax.

Cheers