Comment Re:The answer, my friend... (Score 1) 557
Pretty true. On the other hand, "little pay" beats the hell outa "no pay" - and it's a great environment for personnel networking. Lots of tech teachers are moonlighting and can give you a leg up if their companies are hiring; and employers like the teaching entry on a resume.
I teach at a "name" tech school on the the East Coast and the pay does surely suck. But the hours are great and I get to spend time with my kids. Fortunately for me, the wife is a senior Comp Spec for Uncle Sam :). Most of our turnover comes from an instructor saying "Hey, my company is hiring" :) We've also had a significant number of instructors move on because a student recommended them to the student's employer. It truly does help if you know someone....you're now not just another resume in the pile.
Our biggest problem is getting qualified instructors - and there seems to be a negative correlation between the number of certs a person has and their actual, usable knowledge level. There is a kind of logic at work here - as one fellow instructor put it "If you're busy studying to get all those certs, when do you have time to actualy WORK in the field?"
I didn't need a cert to get hired because my boss knew that the paper meant nothing. Then a new boss came in and insisted that all we instructors be certified. So - after fixing PCs since the TRS 80 and teaching the A+ cert course for two years - I had to go get my actual A+ cert. 20 minutes and $300 after I walked in, I walked out with a slip of paper. I promptly walked into my boss' office and told her "Since I obviously am more capable and knowledgable than I was an hour ago, I'm worth more as an employee than I was an hour ago. I want a raise." What could she say? I got a substantial raise.
But I digress...:) The problem with certs is the certification industry has convinced managers and HR folks that they are critical - but those actually working in IT know that they're only useful as emergency toilet paper. Whether you need a cert or not is pretty much dependant on who does the hiring - an actual IT person, or somebody with an HR degree who buys into the myth?
To answer the original question on re-certing - I'd not do it. List the original cert, but don't mention that it has expired. If it comes up in interview, tell them you'll happily renew the cert if hired.
I teach at a "name" tech school on the the East Coast and the pay does surely suck. But the hours are great and I get to spend time with my kids. Fortunately for me, the wife is a senior Comp Spec for Uncle Sam
Our biggest problem is getting qualified instructors - and there seems to be a negative correlation between the number of certs a person has and their actual, usable knowledge level. There is a kind of logic at work here - as one fellow instructor put it "If you're busy studying to get all those certs, when do you have time to actualy WORK in the field?"
I didn't need a cert to get hired because my boss knew that the paper meant nothing. Then a new boss came in and insisted that all we instructors be certified. So - after fixing PCs since the TRS 80 and teaching the A+ cert course for two years - I had to go get my actual A+ cert. 20 minutes and $300 after I walked in, I walked out with a slip of paper. I promptly walked into my boss' office and told her "Since I obviously am more capable and knowledgable than I was an hour ago, I'm worth more as an employee than I was an hour ago. I want a raise." What could she say? I got a substantial raise.
But I digress...:) The problem with certs is the certification industry has convinced managers and HR folks that they are critical - but those actually working in IT know that they're only useful as emergency toilet paper. Whether you need a cert or not is pretty much dependant on who does the hiring - an actual IT person, or somebody with an HR degree who buys into the myth?
To answer the original question on re-certing - I'd not do it. List the original cert, but don't mention that it has expired. If it comes up in interview, tell them you'll happily renew the cert if hired.
