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Ask HN: Java Certification

5 points by mikazoc 8y ago

Hallo HN, I am a junior Java developer (24 y., ~2,5 y. experience, from central europe). Recently, I had a conversation with my mentor from our company and he asked me if I wanted to get my skills certified, so far I've helped develop Java EE applications (with Spring / Hibernate) Are there any certificates I should have that will help me in my future career? I have already thought about this before, as I would delve into the subject by preparing for the exam. I'm not urged by my mentor, he offers it to me because it is fully paid by the company and I have the chance to expand my knowledge for free. Thanks in advance for your advice :)

paraditedc 8y ago
I think it is a thing of the past, at least in non-enterprise space. If you work for a proper tech company or startup as software engineer, no one will care about Java certifications. If your goal is to work at some large enterprise(where tech is not the focus) or banks, then it might be useful.
- ardy42 8y ago
  I got a Java certification at a large enterprise years and years ago. The only benefit I gained from it was that it forced me to systematically learn the language in greater detail than I would have otherwise. I personally found the experience valuable, and I think I have a higher level of skill with Java than many of my coworkers as a result, but no one is going to accept the certificate as proof of that. tl;dr: Certification tests provide decent motivation to keep you trudging through hundreds of pages of technical documentation.
  - mikazoc 8y ago
    Thank you for your reply. That's why I would do the certification, as it would be an incentive for me to delve into the subject. That would be one of the reasons, if not the only one.
jryan49 8y ago
It's probably a waste of time and money. Just read the free documentation for spring, it has everything you need in there. And EE applications are def on the way out. It's all spring boot, unless you're working on old stuff.
- mikazoc 8y ago
  Hello, thanks for the reply. I do not think that the EE applications will die out so fast, because many applications in the field of authorities are still developing as an EE application. There will certainly come alternative, so my question on this topic. Further, I have thought about certifying myself in the direction of development processes, e.g. ITIL, Scrum, etc. Would that be better than the Java certification?
  - jryan49 8y ago
    In my opinion/experience, certifications for Java programming are useless. I've been working in Java for 10 years now and not once has anyone asked or cared if I was "certified" by some random company to do Java dev. It feels like a scam to me. In regards to the other certifications I have no idea, but I feel that they are probably similar. I agree that old tech will have EE in it for a long time. But all the docs for EE are also free to read and learn on your own. The best skill you can have when being a programming is self learning/teaching.
    - rajeshpant 8y ago
      I totally agree. I did Java certification 10 years back when I was a junior dev. At that time, many people and companies valued that on resume. Over time, people realized certification doesn't add any real value as things/technologies change over time. Nowadays people would doubt your skills if they see Java certification on resume. Also, Certifications are values in consulting market. If you are looking to work in core tech companies, it is better to invest that time learning something else. Also, I would say in those times people had no other way to showing that you have the skillset. We are living in an era where github is your portfolio. Do open source contributions or do side projects. That is a way more valuable skill than Java certification.
hluska 8y ago
If someone else is paying for it and you have time, why not do it? Worst case scenario, you have proof of your ambition and get a free credential. Best case scenario, you'll learn something and get a free credential!
kadirayk 8y ago
I wouldn't prefer working at a company that "requires" language certificates. That being said, I also prepared for the exam and learn a ton when I was a junior. So, I would say check the content of the prep books or try to solve sample exams. If you already know most of the stuff, don't waste your time on the details. Otherwise use it as an opportunity learn something.
- mikazoc 8y ago
  Thanks for the feedback. The company does not force me to certify, they just give me the opportunity to expand my knowledge. I've asked you all just what you think about Java certification, but actually I can get certified in all sorts of developer-related areas, and learn something new and get the certification paid by them.
BjoernKW 8y ago
No, skill certificates in general aren't worth the investment, both in terms of time and money. Even worse, because of their proliferation in the past in more enterprisey industries and companies they can literally signal that a candidate looks good on paper but probably doesn't have a whole lot of real world experience. Therefore, skill certificates might achieve the exact opposite of what they're claimed to do. So, it's likely best to avoid them.
3minus1 8y ago
It makes me smugly satisfied that I never got a certificate in anything and I still have a successful career. You really don't need it. On the other hand I did drop thousands to get a Master's degree in CS while working. To each his own.

5 points by mikazoc 8y ago

paraditedc 8y ago

I think it is a thing of the past, at least in non-enterprise space. If you work for a proper tech company or startup as software engineer, no one will care about Java certifications. If your goal is to work at some large enterprise(where tech is not the focus) or banks, then it might be useful.

ardy42 8y ago
I got a Java certification at a large enterprise years and years ago. The only benefit I gained from it was that it forced me to systematically learn the language in greater detail than I would have otherwise. I personally found the experience valuable, and I think I have a higher level of skill with Java than many of my coworkers as a result, but no one is going to accept the certificate as proof of that. tl;dr: Certification tests provide decent motivation to keep you trudging through hundreds of pages of technical documentation.
- mikazoc 8y ago
  Thank you for your reply. That's why I would do the certification, as it would be an incentive for me to delve into the subject. That would be one of the reasons, if not the only one.

jryan49 8y ago

It's probably a waste of time and money. Just read the free documentation for spring, it has everything you need in there. And EE applications are def on the way out. It's all spring boot, unless you're working on old stuff.

mikazoc 8y ago
Hello, thanks for the reply. I do not think that the EE applications will die out so fast, because many applications in the field of authorities are still developing as an EE application. There will certainly come alternative, so my question on this topic. Further, I have thought about certifying myself in the direction of development processes, e.g. ITIL, Scrum, etc. Would that be better than the Java certification?
- jryan49 8y ago
  In my opinion/experience, certifications for Java programming are useless. I've been working in Java for 10 years now and not once has anyone asked or cared if I was "certified" by some random company to do Java dev. It feels like a scam to me. In regards to the other certifications I have no idea, but I feel that they are probably similar. I agree that old tech will have EE in it for a long time. But all the docs for EE are also free to read and learn on your own. The best skill you can have when being a programming is self learning/teaching.
  - rajeshpant 8y ago
    I totally agree. I did Java certification 10 years back when I was a junior dev. At that time, many people and companies valued that on resume. Over time, people realized certification doesn't add any real value as things/technologies change over time. Nowadays people would doubt your skills if they see Java certification on resume. Also, Certifications are values in consulting market. If you are looking to work in core tech companies, it is better to invest that time learning something else. Also, I would say in those times people had no other way to showing that you have the skillset. We are living in an era where github is your portfolio. Do open source contributions or do side projects. That is a way more valuable skill than Java certification.

hluska 8y ago

If someone else is paying for it and you have time, why not do it? Worst case scenario, you have proof of your ambition and get a free credential. Best case scenario, you'll learn something and get a free credential!

kadirayk 8y ago

I wouldn't prefer working at a company that "requires" language certificates. That being said, I also prepared for the exam and learn a ton when I was a junior. So, I would say check the content of the prep books or try to solve sample exams. If you already know most of the stuff, don't waste your time on the details. Otherwise use it as an opportunity learn something.

mikazoc 8y ago
Thanks for the feedback. The company does not force me to certify, they just give me the opportunity to expand my knowledge. I've asked you all just what you think about Java certification, but actually I can get certified in all sorts of developer-related areas, and learn something new and get the certification paid by them.

BjoernKW 8y ago

No, skill certificates in general aren't worth the investment, both in terms of time and money. Even worse, because of their proliferation in the past in more enterprisey industries and companies they can literally signal that a candidate looks good on paper but probably doesn't have a whole lot of real world experience. Therefore, skill certificates might achieve the exact opposite of what they're claimed to do. So, it's likely best to avoid them.

3minus1 8y ago

It makes me smugly satisfied that I never got a certificate in anything and I still have a successful career. You really don't need it. On the other hand I did drop thousands to get a Master's degree in CS while working. To each his own.