Re: About PostgreSQL certification - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

Mark Kirkwood wrote:
> Joshua D. Drake wrote:
>>> To cure the shortage of experienced Postgres folks there is only one
>>> solution - err, more experience! So the need is for good training
>>> courses (not necessarily certification and all the IMHO nonsense that
>>> comes with that), and a willingness on the part of employers to invest
>>> in upskilling their staff.
>>
>> You know its funny. Command Prompt, OTG-Inc, SRA and Big Nerd Ranch
>> *all* offer training.
>>
>> Last I checked, OTG had to cancel classes because of lack of demand
>> (please verify Chander).
>>
> 
> Well that is interesting, so maybe there is no need for certification
> yet? or do you think employers are wanting folks that someone *else* has
> trained (or certified).

I believe that there is a market for Training, certainly (just watch
CMDs website in the next couple of weeks). However I believe that the
market is specific and nitch.

As far as certification, and I guarantee you Theo's experience is
different, I believe certification is dying. Certification used to make
sense, computing was relatively new tech. Keep in mind that the common
user base for computing is only 12-15 years old.

10 years ago.. you literally didn't know if the guy you were hiring new
his stuff or was lying through his teeth. You were a manager who grew up
with green ledger on wide print dot matrix. That little paper said,
"This guy has at least read the book".

Today? Its different in most markets. Theo and I for the most part don't
share market which is why I think his experience is different. My market
is say the 90% market, that is to say that I focus on a more general
service of PostgreSQL.

The people I deal with are FOSS people or people looking pointedly and
moving to FOSS. They don't give a winkle, dinkle about certification.
Most of my customers are business tech savvy, meaning they know outlook,
the know word, they understand the web and the internet.

They are not programmers but the know the difference between:

We are going to create a synergetic alliance of vertical technologies to
integrate your diverse infrastructure.

and

We are going to install Samba so windows, linux and apple can all talk
to a single file share. It will take a day.

Then again, I haven't had to write a resume in 10 years, what the hell
do I know.

Sincerely,

Joshua D. Drake



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