Does Certification Matter in Getting a Software Engineer Job?

I interact with multiple engineering students and working professionals on a regular basis. The question of whether to have certification or not remains a mystery to me. With this post, I aim to share my perspective and, more importantly, seek others’ perspectives and experiences on this topic, especially those directly involved in the recruiting process!

When I was pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I was obsessed with having certificates to show off on my resume. I ended up obtaining one from Oracle for Java SE 7 Programmer. It cost me approximately 10K INR in 2013, and I believed it would be a game changer! A few months later, I participated in campus recruitment, and two people were selected by the company. I was one of them, but the other person did not have the Java certification on his resume. That’s when I realized that maybe certificates are not that important. Moving forward, I never pursued another one and never felt the need to, as I ended up working with Amazon for close to 6 years!

I still see the obsession with getting certifications and flaunting them on social media, especially LinkedIn. Being a full-time teacher and freelancer for close to a year now, I have interacted with many students and professionals, and one topic always comes up: are certificates important? Students strongly believe they are. They think having one will help them get a job interview and subsequently the job. Many companies are selling courses under the guise of offering certificates from reputed educational institutions or companies. Students are attracted to these courses blindly, without considering what skills the course actually offers. Of course, some of these courses and certificates are genuinely helpful, but the majority are not. I mean, what if someone offers you a Python programming certificate for attending a 3-day workshop? Those who know programming are well aware that Python cannot be learned in a 3-day workshop.

So what is the right thing? In my honest perspective, based on my experience of being involved in the recruiting process from both sides (as an interviewer and as a candidate), I feel certifications don’t make much difference. You might gain an edge over other candidates in securing a job interview at a few companies, but at the end of the day, it’s your skills and knowledge that matter the most. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should avoid certifications at any cost, but you should consider what you want to learn and evaluate courses based on what they offer and the reviews from individuals who have taken the same course in the past. If you end up obtaining a certificate in the process, it’s a bonus and you should include it on your resume. However, the goal shouldn’t be to obtain a certificate; rather, the goal should be to acquire the skills and knowledge that will help you grow professionally.

What is your take on the topic? Please share your thoughts in the comments. I would love to hear different experiences and perspectives that can be helpful to me as a teacher and to others as well!