Technical Certifications vs. College Degree - Coursework Example

Executive Summary

With the formidable combination that is the acquisition of both a college computer science and information technology degree and relevant technical certifications, an individual stands a better chance of competing favorably in an already flooded and competitive marketplace. Concisely, it is no doubt that a possession of one and a lack of the other when it comes to technical certification and college degree qualification, presents a different repercussion whichever way a person looks at it. Nevertheless, it is advantageous to possess both so that when the need of either arises, it can find an individual suited and prepared to go through the presented challenges where lack of either can become a hindrance to progress or an opportunity. It is, therefore, advisable that for whoever possess an excellent qualification in technical certification courses must pursue a bachelor's degree while whoever has a college degree to undertake a professional certification to become better and proficient at his or her role.

Introduction

This whitepaper explores the debate about whether a technical certification is advantageous over a college degree in the field of computer sciences and Information Technology or whether a college degree is superior over a professional certification. The debate is one that does not seem to have and to end in the offing, anytime soon . Depending on who answers the debate could go on for a long time. In fact, from one person to another it is possible to encounter conflicting interests of preference of one over the other. In other words, depending on the experiences of an individual, one person will see either a college degree or a technical certification as superior over the other . Proponents of a college degree view it as holistic and upon which industry trends may have the least impact on considering the dynamism that surrounds the field of computer sciences and Information Technology. In other words, technical certifications stand a high chance of becoming obsolete in an environment that is ever-changing considering their technology specificity. However, the supporters of the functional certifications have a point of view in which they believe that because a certification is technology specific, there are high chances of developing unique talent in a particular set of technology. However, individuals with a third school of thought advice that it would be useful to acquire both if possible . Critics of the third school of thought base their disagreement on the time, money and other resources that could prove costly in the end if an individual adopts such an approach. This white paper aims to outline the benefits of a college degree and a technical certification by examining the advantages of each one of them and then comparing and contrasting the identified benefits of each to come up with a determination of whether either is superior over the other.

Previous Approaches

Benefits of a College Degree

Supporters of a college degree over technical certifications hold the premise that a college degree in computer science training is indispensable and that not even time can render it useless. A college degree in a computer related discipline can grant an individual a multi-faceted ability and thus able to make them all-rounded quickly than otherwise. Similarly considering that a college degree is all-rounded, it is possible for a learner to acquire skills not restricted to computer science but can be very useful in the course of practice. For example, computer science and information technology graduates who may want to become vendors of equipment associated technologies, it is possible to benefit from business training, which is part of a college undergraduate education in computer science and IT.

Luckily, with a college degree, it is possible to experience a quick progress up the corporate ladder, unlike someone who only has a technical certification alone . The belief that an individual with a college degree is capable of making a solid leader with strong leadership characteristics is rife amongst many IT companies in the IT marketplace. A degree level training exists as a compounded form of learning in which an individual goes through a broad spectrum of practice and covers several subjects the surrounds the industry making it possible for a graduate to be well equipped for all the modalities that concern his or her career. It is evident that an individual with an IT college degree can earn much more than one who only has a technical certification and thus it is a thus for anyone who completes a four-year degree program . That is to say, the job market readily values and thus pays more for a graduated than the pay for a certified technician .

From a human resource context, it appears that a degree may have more weight than experience in most cases irrespective of the technical certification and even qualification of an individual. With a degree, a professional is more appealing to the HR department than one who does not have a degree attainment . In essence, for many organizations that may be seeking to recruit new talents, the chances are that unless otherwise, their shortlist will consist of graduates in which case they will have ignored the applications of those without even if they had the most technical certification and experience. Furthermore, the chances are that the requisite requirement for the application would be the need for applicants to be degree holders and it would be the basis of discarding applications from persons without a degree qualification. In summary, a college degree earns a graduate two key advantages. Firstly, it provides the individual with a broad array of skills for a graduate, which can empower him of her to excel in other areas that are related to his or her area of practice and training. Secondly, it can earn the individual trust by the human resource department of an organization within which he or she is applying for a job.

Benefits of a Technical Certification

The basis of the technical certification is the provision of hands-on skills to individuals who lack formal education as well as those who want to improve their technical skills. Importantly professional certification takes a shorter time to complete and with the most minimal cost in terms of time and money . Ideally, acquiring a certificate may take between a semester of two . Not only does technical certification provide an individual with the capability of practicing in a given area of computer science but it also improves their talent and earns them living as well . With such certifications, it is possible to secure administrative roles such as system administrators quickly, which as much as they may not pay satisfactorily may be a source of earning for an individual when he or she is lucky to get a job. Again, with the pursuit of a technical certification it is possible to switch from one industry to another . In such instances, the kinds of jobs a certified technician is more likely to get quickly especially when there is minimal competition include technology-specific positions.

Considering that a technical certification training covers a narrow subject of study albeit deeply, it I possible that most certified technicians possess greater practical skills in the specific computer science areas of their practice. Practical skills that a qualification in a technical training may earn person may include a knowledge experience of how to go about using the specific computer software and hardware effectively for instance software installation or hardware assemblage and repair and even interconnection networks. Technical certification allows as an individual to gain as much knowledge ad possible especially with free source learning platforms present all over the World Wide Web in particular with various vendor technology providers. Courses leading to technical certifications are widely available whether for free or for minimum payments whether online or offline . For an employee who just wants to keep abreast with the trending computer science training, a technical certification can come in quite in handy as a platform for continuing education for a college degree graduate.

New Findings

Looking at the individual benefits of a professional certification and a college degree, it is evident that having both is safer in comparison to having either . The reality is that while a college degree grants an individual an insurance policy against the perception of being a second class and not a first class candidate, the vendor certification permits the same person to be efficient and updated at his or her job. It is impossible to ignore that while a college degree will quickly earn you a job and the high possibilities of a promotion in the shortest time possible, a technical certification will ensure that you stay good at what you do. A college degree provides the insurmountable whole-rounded learning that a technical training falls short of while a professional training offers a detailed technologically specific learning that the traditional classroom is not capable of providing.

The revelation from the discussion and explanation above is that a college degree gives an individual a job that he or she has studied for over the course of a four-year program. However, the technical certification provides the least cost yet formidable opportunity for that individual to advance his or her expertise in the area of specialization upon which he or she has landed a job. In other words, a vendor certification offers an individual the opportunity to become better at what the formal education has provided. It is true that a considerable number of people continue to enjoy immense success with only the technical certification qualification and without a college degree especially because of the associated talents that result from such certification.

The trouble with a vendor certification is that the computer science and information technology space is always changing and as one technology or methodology becomes obsolete, equally, the associated certifications become irrelevant. Unlike a technical certification, even in a dynamic environment, the value of a college degree never runs out. Whereas a vendor certification program will allow an individual to fill a realized void and demand in the present, a college degree will ensure that that person keeps his or her job even after the need for a technical skill runs out. While a college degree will allow an individual to have indefinite lifelong opportunities within his or her area of specialization, a vendor certification is a good investment to help that individual seize rare jobs and roles in the market albeit in a transient manner.

It is important that whoever has a technical certification pursues a college degree and that whoever already has a college degree to consider taking a relevant vendor certification course that can solidify his or her competitiveness in the job market. It is possible that a technically certified individual who can do the work in an excellent manner will still receive a lower salary or wage compared to a degree employee who may not be a technically good. Similarly, when there are considerations for promotions, the chances are that the person with a degree will always be a priority over the individual with technical certification qualification. Such a consideration is also rife within the human resource beliefs in many organizations even when it comes to recruiting new employees. Either way, it is important for anyone who may be in possession on one set of qualification to advance his or her education towards the direction of deficiency and thus become well equipped for the already flooded and competitive job market where that sole factor can make a whole lot of difference . Policymakers should also consider enacting policies that can facilitate certified technicians transit into bachelor degree programs seamlessly .

There are areas of training and knowledge acquisition that a technical certification will never cover simply because of its narrow focus. A vendor training may provide different professional training such as networking, programming, or even software installation, and maintenance but it never covers the remarkable life and marketplace skills such as organizational leadership, contract development and negotiation, financial management, and so many other training that make a college degree tick. Other skills that a certified technical specialist without a college degree my lack include supply chain management, management of vendor relationships, enterprise planning as well as the legal concepts that surround a business. It is because of such modalities that make a college degree graduate more competitive than a person with a technical certification. Apart from the main area of training in computer science and IT-related disciplines, a college degree program can provide the mentioned skills to an individual unlike a vendor certification and thus widen the scope of knowledge of the graduate.

Conclusion

In summary, it is important to note that there are advantages that a technical certification may provide to an individual that a bachelor degree may not offer. On the other hand, a college degree will result in a more-rounded person able to fit in the job market than the vendor certification would. Therefore, the position of this paper is that an effort or approach that facilitates the acquisition of both a bachelor degree and relevant technical certifications is a worthwhile investment even if it costs both time and money. The benefits, later on, will exceed the associated costs.

Luckily, with a college degree, it is possible to experience a quick progress up the corporate ladder, unlike someone who only has a technical certification alone . The belief that an individual with a college degree is capable of making a solid leader with strong leadership characteristics is rife amongst many IT companies in the IT marketplace. A degree level training exists as a compounded form of learning in which an individual goes through a broad spectrum of practice and covers several subjects the surrounds the industry making it possible for a graduate to be well equipped for all the modalities that concern his or her career. It is evident that an individual with an IT college degree can earn much more than one who only has a technical certification and thus it is a thus for anyone who completes a four-year degree program . That is to say, the job market readily values and thus pays more for a graduated than the pay for a certified technician .

From a human resource context, it appears that a degree may have more weight than experience in most cases irrespective of the technical certification and even qualification of an individual. With a degree, a professional is more appealing to the HR department than one who does not have a degree attainment . In essence, for many organizations that may be seeking to recruit new talents, the chances are that unless otherwise, their shortlist will consist of graduates in which case they will have ignored the applications of those without even if they had the most technical certification and experience. Furthermore, the chances are that the requisite requirement for the application would be the need for applicants to be degree holders and it would be the basis of discarding applications from persons without a degree qualification. In summary, a college degree earns a graduate two key advantages. Firstly, it provides the individual with a broad array of skills for a graduate, which can empower him of her to excel in other areas that are related to his or her area of practice and training. Secondly, it can earn the individual trust by the human resource department of an organization within which he or she is applying for a job.

Benefits of a Technical Certification

The basis of the technical certification is the provision of hands-on skills to individuals who lack formal education as well as those who want to improve their technical skills. Importantly professional certification takes a shorter time to complete and with the most minimal cost in terms of time and money . Ideally, acquiring a certificate may take between a semester of two . Not only does technical certification provide an individual with the capability of practicing in a given area of computer science but it also improves their talent and earns them living as well . With such certifications, it is possible to secure administrative roles such as system administrators quickly, which as much as they may not pay satisfactorily may be a source of earning for an individual when he or she is lucky to get a job. Again, with the pursuit of a technical certification it is possible to switch from one industry to another . In such instances, the kinds of jobs a certified technician is more likely to get quickly especially when there is minimal competition include technology-specific positions.

Considering that a technical certification training covers a narrow subject of study albeit deeply, it I possible that most certified technicians possess greater practical skills in the specific computer science areas of their practice. Practical skills that a qualification in a technical training may earn person may include a knowledge experience of how to go about using the specific computer software and hardware effectively for instance software installation or hardware assemblage and repair and even interconnection networks. Read More