I thought certifications were a waste until I got one

For years I was dead set against getting any IT certs. I figured real experience matters more than some test you can cram for. But after getting passed over for a senior role at my company in Chicago three times in a row, I finally caved. I picked the CompTIA Security+ because a buddy said it was the easiest one to start with. It took me about 6 weeks of studying an hour a night, and I passed on my first try. Right after I updated my LinkedIn, a recruiter from a different firm reached out offering $12,000 more than I was making. I still think experience is king, but that piece of paper got me in the door faster. Has anyone else changed their mind about certs after seeing the salary bump?

2 comments

2 Comments

zarapalmer3d ago

Oh man, same thing happened to me. I thought certs were just a money grab until I got my Network+ and a recruiter called me within a week. The salary jump was around $15k for me too, and it made me realize it's not about what you know, it's about who sees it.

jamie7121h ago

Same exact thing happened to me with my Security+. I was sitting there thinking they were just a way for companies to get more money out of people. Then I updated my LinkedIn and got a message from a recruiter the next day. The pay bump was around $12k for me, and it really changed my mind about them. @zarapalmer, you're totally right that it makes a huge difference just having that piece of paper in front of people.