I just took a quick look at an article posted on Twitter by @DDubie offering advice for pursuing IT entry-level certifications http://bit.ly/8M9Hh. Though the recommendations were for folks at the beginning of their IT careers I was interested because I hold a number of certifications. I was a little surprised that none of mine were listed. Upon reflection, I can understand why. The article is about technical certifications, something a graduating student would pursue to increase their chances of breaking in to an IT organization. In comparison, my certifications are more IT-general than technology specific - save one. In fact, my one non-IT-specific certification is the inspiration for this post because it is the one I most cherish. It's the one I love.
I received my first IT-related certification in the mid 1980's, shortly after joining a Data Communications Planning organization in a regional telephone company. It was the still little-known Certified Computing Professional (CCP) certificate from the Institute for Certification of Computer Professionals (ICCP) http://www.iccp.org/ . It was a 3-part test, a 200-question Information Systems Core examination and two 100-question specialty examinations. I passed the two specialty exams on the first try but I had to take the Core exam a second time. It was a tough test requiring a comprehensive knowledge of IT. I still have yet to meet one other person (outside of direct dealings with ICCP) who has the certification or has even heard of it.
My second certification was my Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI) http://www.pmi.org/Pages/default.aspx . I took the time to prepare and take the test after my entire group was laid off from Charles Schwab at the end of 2002 (their 3rd layoff following the Internet bust of 2000). There were so many of us looking for work in Silicon Valley that companies began purchasing resume screening apps in HR. If yours did not have the right keywords it was never touched by human hands. I had been managing projects and leading other project managers for years but I needed those 3 letters to even get somebody to talk to me.
I received my third certification in 2003. My best friend Michael Nelson easily convinced me that Information Security would be critical in the aftermath of 9/11. Though neither of us had worked in a dedicated security group, our 20+ years in IT easily provided the experience to fulfill the prerequisites to take the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC2) http://www.isc2.org/ Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) exam. It was much more difficult than the PMP exam and we both thought we had failed. To our surprise we both passed on the first try. Mike has become @mrfisma, having immersed himself entirely in the Information Security profession. I have since used the indispensible knowledge immeasurably due the ubiquitous and critical nature of security in IT.
My 4th certification, if you can call it that, is the one of which I am most proud - Certified Process Master (CPM). I did not expect to see this one in the article because it is not sponsored by a professional association or institute. It did not require any prerequisite experience and I did not have to take a test. Basically, I bought it.
The Certified Process Master title is earned by taking three courses through Hammer and Company http://www.hammerandco.com/ . The three courses make up the process management curriculum based on Michael Hammers' decades of research in business processes and on the accumulated experiences of hundreds of companies. Michael passed away late last year to the shock of many of us. He was only 62 and he will be sorely missed. I considered him the Godfather of Process Management and I consider myself fortunate to have known and worked with him. (I participated as a Phoenix Consortium member in his development of his process maturity model.)
It was becoming a Certified Process Master that most influenced me professionally, more than my other three certifications combined. Michael's theories and insights into process management had a profound effect on me. The courses I took with Michael answered so many of the questions and addressed countless challenges I had faced over my career. Of all of the acronyms that follow my signature, CPM (Certified Process Master) means the most to me. If there was only one thing I could talk about for the rest of my career, it would be about the power and promise of process management. I love process management.
Which brings me back to the article I cited at the beginning of this post, advice for folks deciding on which IT certification to pursue. Of all of the recommendations in the article, I believe the following is most critical:
- Pick one and own it!
- Your level of interest - your passion for a topic
The second bullet is the most important to me. Choose something about which you feel passionate. Having passion for something makes all of the difference in the world. It will get you out of bed in the morning and give you the best chance of overcoming the challenges of the day. It will energize you and energize those around you.
So when considering your next certification or career path, or offering advice to somebody who is, answer one question: "Do I have passion for this?" The rest will come easily, if you choose the one you love.
Steve Romero, IT Governance Evangelist
P.S. I am also ITIL Foundation Certified, circa 2006 - a must for everyone working in IT, especially considering it requires only a day or two of study and an easy test. Though the time and effort is minimal, the resulting perspective change from a system-centric to service-centric view of IT is indispensible.