My background is not IT, so I’m coming at this topic without the benefit of that experience…which I guess is what my friend, Devin, was telling me when he corrected some of my assumptions.

My first thought was that the ranking seemed odd. Degree and certifications so low on the totem pole? Experience far and above the highest ranked job-related category? When looking at just these two stats, I would assume that they’re very similar – the employer was not there to see the applicant do the work, and so the employer has to judge them on the basis of the applicant’s description.

Devin told me that experience wins out every time, because a degree program or a certification often does not inform the employer of their actual skills, whether it be the programming language they’re versed in, the hardware they’ve dealt with, whatever. To me, that seems like a failing of the certification systems in place.

I guess it also depends on the definition of “experience,” but since we’re breaking out degrees/certifications, I’m assuming that experience refers only to jobs held or projects managed. To this end, I feel that it would be more beneficial if 1) degree programs and certifications find a way to provide more consistent results, but that if that’s not going to happen, that 2) IT applicants produce a more skills-based resume during their job search. This way, they could showcase the skill set and the experience gained through their more formal programs, and perhaps give themselves an edge up in a category that otherwise receives less attention.