Richard,

Your article strikes such chord.

I'm an independent consultant/contractor specialising in VoIP and CTI, specifically Cisco AVVID. I've specialised in this technology for the last three years, pretty much since it was introduced to the European market. I've been in IT for twelve years, starting off as a Clipper programmer then doing desktop and infrastructure support, then Technical Services management and relocation/deployment project management.

About eight years ago I was interviewing for a Netware support role. I met with a guy who was a CNE, could tell me every set parameter on a NetWare server but couldn't tell me the indications of a 10Base2 cable fault. since that day it has been a motto never to be certified. I do the training, but never the exam.

I'm writing this to you from a hotel room in Copenhagen having just spent a week at Cisco's Networkers conference. Keeping up to speed on the technology, and reaffirming to myself that I know my stuff, and perhaps most importantly, helping my peers get their heads around the technology. (Just for clarity I don't present any sessions but do a lot of chatting to people in the Q&As etc)

And yet now, not having worked for the last year or so at any price anywhere in the UK within my specialisation I have succumbed. If client's want certifications and that's all they care about so be it. I have lost out on too many opportunities simply because I don't have a few letters after my name.

And guess what.... I'm going to book myself on a few of those boot camps,as clients don't even care how you got the certifications, just that you have those letters after your name and they can go back to sleep and assume you do actually know what your doing.

Something has gone very awry somewhere but I guess that's life :-((

Good job!

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