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Hosted by   Last updated Mar 28, 2003.  At one time, it was
tough to get a job in technology without some sort of
certification. After the "boom" in technology hiring, however,
hiring managers cared more for experience than whether or not
someone had passed a test or two. As a matter of fact, I was
told by one manager that he tended to ignore candidates with
certifications.  What led from one extreme to the other? Is
there still a value to certification? Was there ever?  To be
"certified," in its simplest sense, is to say that someone else
vouches for your knowledge or experience at some level.
Certification traces its roots all the way back to the craft
guilds of old. A young person would be sent to live or work with
a "master." After working a number of years and passing a myriad
of tests and experiences, the young person would be granted
membership to the craft guild. Without this membership, some
professions couldn't even be pursued.  Certai