Get certified!

While it appears to be just another paper qualification, IT certification can help you to stand out from the rest. Ling Y talks to IT practitioners about how certification has benefited them at their workplace

These days it's not enough to have a degree, especially in a fast-evolving field like information technology (IT). As you progress in your job, you will find that you need to acquire new skills and knowledge to perform better. There are a number of IT certifications out there which may be closely related, but actually differ in nature.

Skills count too

An IT manager (who declined to be named) said there were many job candidates whom he interviewed in the past who possessed the various certifications but were not capable of solving basic IT problems. 'I've also worked with technicians who do not have the certificates but I could trust them 100% for their technical knowledge,' he said. 'Personally, I would rather prefer skills and experiences than certifications as the latter does not necessary mean the required expertise!' he added.

SAP

One of the most sought-after certifications is SAP, which is an acronym for System Applications and Products. The software business solutions are owned by SAP AG, a German company established in 1976. It currently has operations in over 50 countries and employs more than 51,400 people, serving large, medium and small size enterprises as well as 25 industry-specific business solutions.

SAP applications provide the capability to manage financial, asset, cost accounting, production operations and materials, personnel, plants and archived documents. Its business solutions comprise enterprise resource planning (ERP) and related applications like:

• supply chain management
• customer relationship management (CRM)
• product life-cycle management
• supplier relationship management (SRM). SAP certifications offered are in three levels - master, professional and associate.

E Williams, who received his SAP certification from Genovate Malaysia, saw a change in his job context, in terms of recognition and marketability.

'The certification carries the importance of eventually becoming an expert in a specific SAP area,' he said. Zuzana Chomistekova, who works for an IT company here in Malaysia, has been dealing with SAP consultants on a daily basis in the past five years. She observed that demand for such professionals was consistently high and they usually have better opportunities to be deployed to various projects and can easily find jobs.

However, SAP certifications do not come easy or cheap. The training and certification cost between RM25,000 and RM30,000.

Applicants must ensure that they have at least two years of SAP implementation experience or have attended at least 15 days of relevant training in SAP. Barring this, they would not be able to sit for the certification test.

CISCO

CISCO certification is divided into three levels - associate, professional and expert. There is also a focused specialist certification in specific technologies.

CISCO certification verifies that the successful candidates are able to handle CISCO products involving:

• routing and switching
• application networking
• data center
• digital media
• network security
• storage networking
• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

The certification is offered by a number of institutions in Malaysia such as Bostonweb Academy Sdn Bhd, Multimedia University (Cyberjaya), UiTM (Shah Alam), UNIMAS (Sarawak) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (Penang). Depending on the type of CISCO certification, the cost could range between RM8, 000 and RM70, 000.

While IT certifications can cost a hefty sum for an individual, most IT companies do offer funding or loan schemes as part of the organisation's initiative to invest in human capital. C Pang, who currently works at a local telecommunications company, took the CISCO certification in 2005 via a government funding scheme known as Skim Latihan Graduan.

'It's an added value to my personal skills as well as giving clients more confidence in me,' she said, adding that the training was also useful in the present business environment.

CISCO General Certifications: Six Different Paths
Routing and Switching	For professionals who install and support Cisco technology-based networks in which LAN and WAN routers and switches reside
Design	Aimed at professionals who design Cisco technology-based networks in which LAN and WAN routers and switches reside
Network Security	Directed toward network professionals who design and implement Cisco Secure networks
Service Provider	For professionals working with infrastructure or access solutions in a Cisco end-to-end environment primarily within the telecommunications arena.
Storage Networking	For professionals who implement storage solutions over extended network infrastructure using multiple transport options
Voice	For network professionals who install and maintain voice solutions over IP networks.

Source: CISCO

Microsoft

For those who work within the Microsoft platform fraternity, you can opt to get certified as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) or Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD), which cost between RM5,000 and RM15,000 each.

There are currently eight Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions in Malaysia, which offer training and certifications for Microsoft. They are Asia Pacific Institute of IT, Info Trek Sdn Bhd, EC iTrain Sdn Bhd, MCSB Systems (PG) Sdn Bhd, Guidance View Sdn Bhd, Nota Asia (M) Sdn Bhd, Iverson Associates Sdn Bhd and Prestariang Systems Sdn Bhd.
K K Chow is a system engineer with a local telecommunications company who took the MCSD back in 2004 and finished it in a year.

He said the training and preparing for the certification helped him to gain more understanding and knowledge in his scope of work. After receiving his certificate, he was given a broader job scope. While there was no increment with it, he was pleased to have the wider exposure.
These days, he said, Microsoft certifications were almost a 'norm' for everyone, hence losing some of their added advantage.

'Nowadays, there are more and more people who are capable of working on Windows or networking without having the certifications,' Chow said.
'Still, I think it's good to have it so as not to be the one left out when you're competing against someone else for a job,' he added.

Microsoft
MCSE	Certifies that the individual has the expertise in designing and implementing the infrastructure for business solutions based on the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server platform and Windows Server System.
MCSD	Top-level certification for advanced developers who design and develop leading-edge enterprise solutions by using Microsoft development tools and technologies in addition to the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0 and Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1.

©GTI Specialist Publishers. Reproduced with permission.