Certifications required?

[SirVesa]

I have a question, mostly for those that make hiring decisions but anyone is welcome to give an opinion:  are certifications (not just VMware, but any specialized certifications) necessary or do you find that they're more of a "nice to have" thing or something for greener admins to demonstrate proficiency.  I have several certs after 30 years, including seven VCP-DCV certs all the way back to VI3/VCP310.  I'm not sure I'll ever stop taking exams simply because I like to challenge myself, but I'm interested in hearing how others view certifications (and, by extension, a college degree).  I've found in my own hiring that degrees and certs mean very little if they can't impress on the technical interview.

[SharelleP]

You might find this report from Pearson on the value of certifications interesting. https://home.pearsonvue.com/voc/2023-report

[jsm79]

I agree with you that if the candidate doesn't impress on the technical interview, then certs don't mean much. They can't hurt, though. And, in my experience, candidates with more certs typically get interviewed more often. And more interviews = more chances to impress potential employers. Additionally, if you're ever interested in Federal Gov't IT positions (whether as a contractor or gov't civilian), at least 1 certification (CompTIA Sec+ or higher) is required to meet Information Assurance standards. So, while the cert doesn't guarantee to make someone a better candidate, they certainly are not a bad thing to have!