RHCE and other certs?

[inode0]

On 4/17/07, Evan Klitzke <evan-lists at eklitzke.org> wrote:
> ...                        The RHCE material looks a bit more advanced,
> but I still know a good deal of it, and if I studied I could get one
> before I graduate (next year). That being said, both exams are fairly
> costly for a student: LPI-2 would be four $150 exams, and the RHCE exam
> is $750. Additionally, I'd have to take the RHCE exam again anyway
> (albeit at a lower price) in a few years anyway to keep the
> certification.

One point of clarification here, the RHCE certification doesn't go
away but it does stop being considered "current" after two major
releases. This is pretty reasonable since two major releases of RHEL
encompass substantial changes.

> My question is: how valuable do you think that these kinds of
> certifications are? I feel like getting them might prove to employers
> that I might not be as green as I appear, when it becomes time to go job
> hunting. On the other hand, there doesn't seem to be a lot of demand for
> these certifications, and my impression is that very few people actually
> get them. Are these certifications important, or are they just skipped
> over on resumes?

It seems fairly common in my part of the world for the RHCE to help
some on a resume. I don't know anyone who cares about the LPI or
pencil and paper certs. When it is time to interview 3 people for a
job and you have 20 to choose from anything that makes you stand apart
helps in the weeding out process. With jobs related to free software,
even being a sysadmin at a site that uses free software, it is also
helpful to getting noticed if you have actively contributed in some
way in your hobby time. Having a linkage between what you enjoy doing
for fun and what you are trying to do for work is a good thing too.

John