Certification Magazine - November 2007 - (Page 18)

CERTIFICATION Certification Outside Technology ROBERT WINDING You’re an accomplished technologist. You have several highly sought-after technical certifications. Perhaps you’re a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or an Oracle Certified Professional (OCP). You have a few years of experience and have taken on progressively more challenging assignments. Now, you’re considering what options you have as you pursue training for the next step in your career. Technical certifications are certainly critical, and they’ve likely been a big part of your success. But why not consider broadening your skills with a nontechnical certification? You might want to consider this for several reasons: • Moving into management. • Obtaining a leadership position. • Becoming better aligned with the business. • Broadening your potential customer base. • Differentiating yourself to employers. Technology might be your core skill, but many companies and consulting firms seek individuals who also have broader experience in applying those skills to some difficult business problems. No IT endeavor can be successful without skilled — often certified — IT pros. It is important to have knowledge and skill in the broader business context of implementing technology. After all, technology is a tool of business, not an end unto itself. Obtaining a nontechnical certification and applying it to your work can deepen your understanding of the link between the objectives of business and technology, which can lead to greater exposure to the businesspeople in your organization and prepare you for leadership or management positions. There are a variety of nontechnical certifications. Similar to their technical peers, these certifications usually require a course of study, exams and sometimes documented work experience. Often, professional organizations offer them. Although many technical certifications are linked to vendor technology, nontechnical certifications are vendor-independent. They are sometimes linked to an industry, however. This is particularly true of certifications that address regulatory requirements. 18 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE November 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Certification Magazine - November 2007

Certification Magazine - November 2007 Contents Editor's Letter Data Stream Tech Careers Academic Connection Dear Techie Virtual Village Certification Outside Technology Inside Certification The Webmaster: Online Everyman Interface Time Tips: How to Fit Certification into Your Schedule Ad Index Endtag

Certification Magazine - November 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.