It Certification Exams
By Divya Chopra, Sat Dec 10th

But one needs to be educated enough to make a proper choicewhether to take the certification or not. And if you decide totake, then it is even more important to be clear of what itgives you and takes from you to be a certified professional.Below is a brief discussion about 3 most common mistakes, peoplemake while deciding for these certification exams.

1. Are you expecting too much? People have lots of expectationsabout IT certification exams. Some of them are appropriate whilemany of them not. For e.g. if you believe that the certificationitself 'will give you a job' then you are wrong. An ITcertification exam like MCSE or CCNA, may 'help you get a job'but it alone can't give you a job.

Working professionals also expects huge raises on taking thecertification exam. When they go to their boss or theirorganization, they get disappointed. A certification candefinitely help you gain job stability or rise in career butdon't expect too much. It also depends upon the organization youare working for.

2. I should take what others are appearing for Large number ofpeople bases their decision of choosing the exam on what otherpeople like friends and colleagues are taking. Also, many peopletake the decision based on which technology is hot.

Stop and think again. Is this the certification I really want totake it? Is this the one which is worth the effort for me? Yourfriend's decision may be based on his/her organizationalrequirements but it may not be appropriate for you. Thetechnology popular in the global market may not be popular inyour

country or your location. So, make sure that you are clearof the objective of your taking the certification. Don't be in ahurry to make this very crucial decision.

3. Earning a certification costs very little Majority of peoplegrossly underestimate the effort required to earn acertification. They just add the cost of exam or the cost oftraining aids they plan to take. But they fail to estimate thecost of precious time which goes into the planning, preparationand finally taking the test. Also, people don't calculate thecost if they fail to pass the exam in the first attempt.

Both of these factors cost a lot in terms of effort and money.Now, you know how to estimate the effort required.

Useful Resources: To help you decide, plan, prepare and pass anIT certification, follow the below list of useful links: - ITCertification Exams List: http://certcities.com/certs/other/ -Salary Calculator: http://www.certmag.com/salarycalculator - ITCertification Preparation Resources Center:http://www.certlobby.com/certification-resource-centers.html -2005 IT Certification Salary Survey:http://certification.about.com/od/selfstudy/l/bl_salarysurvey.htm - 2005: Top 10 IT Certification Exams:http://certcities.com/editorial/features/story.asp?EditorialsID=86

About the author:Divya Chopra is the founder of CertLobby. CertLobby(http://www.certlobby.com) ensures your success in various ITcertification exams by providing you the best availableresources to prepare for various exams. The selected list ofPractice Exams, Articles & Tutorials, Trainings & Bootcamps, andDiscussion Forums makes sure that you are using the bestavailable options to be successful in your journey to becertified.

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