IT Certifications Better Than A Degree?

Is Getting An IT Certification Better Than A Degree?

I read an interesting article at TechRebublic that talked about a study from CareerBuilder where the number of College graduates with Degrees in Computer Science and IT has gone down from ten years ago.  This is despite the rise in demand in those exact skill sets.  Not just by a little bit but a lot.

Are Classes Up-To-Date

I've often wondered what the exact value a Degree in Computer Science offers as far as actual employment skills in the workforce.  I know when I was going to College this past decade some of the classes I was taking in Computer Science and IT seemed to be very dated.  A few examples are as follows.  Programming is programming but we used Alice for Intro To Programming, Windows XP well into the life cycle of Windows 7, never the current version of Visual Basic or Acces, etc.  Is it critical to have the most up-to-date versions of software to get a fundamental education and baseline to go out in the workforce?  No, but getting a College education is expensive and lengthy and shouldn't students expect the latest technologies?

Old School Professors

On more than one occasion I felt as though I was taking a History course rather than a Computer Science course.  I can remember one Professor who talked about his working in the field in the 1980s with fond memories with great frequency during class.  The problem is that he was teaching a Computer Hardware class that was supposed to be current.  It was a joke.  He didn't seem to really care about current hardware technologies.  The highlight of the class was a 45 minute film where we watched silicon chips being manufactured.  Sounds like it could be interesting, right?  The problem is that the film was made in the 1980s.  It looked like it was converted from film, to VHS, and finally to DVD.  There was a lot of snickering in the class.

The Case For A Degree and IT Certifications

I'm not suggesting one should forgo a College education and go straight into the workforce because there are a lot of positions that require a degree.  If you really want to get ahead when you are in College get some IT Certifications under your belt.  When you get Certified in a particular field of Information technology not only do you learn valuable skill but you prove to potential employers that you have a solid grasp on a particular skill set which will put you head and shoulders above your competition.

Check out the list of Information Technology Certifications that you can obtain to help you boost your career in Computer Science.