| Study
says employers value MCSE more than four-year degree -
Erik Eckel,
MCP+I, MCSE |
Just three years ago, I read that MCSE
accreditation would become more valuable than an MBA. While I was a little
skeptical, that's what I wanted to hear. Certainly, I enjoyed hearing that the
time and money I was investing in earning an MCSE wasn't for naught.
Now, there's new evidence you may have missed that an MCSE provides more value
than a four-year college degree.
A study conducted by the
Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, a nonprofit think tank based in
Arlington, VA, shows that many companies believe employees with MCSEs are as
successful or more successful than employees holding four-year degrees.
The study :
The results of the study, titled "The Impact of Technology Training Programs,
Case Study: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer Training," were published in
December 2000. The nonpartisan organization contacted human resources staff by
these segments:
- 135 Fortune 500 companies
- 135 Inc. 500 companies
- 134 technical start-ups
The study was conducted via telephone in November 2000.
The results :
When the human resources staff at all of the company segments
were asked if MCSEs are equally or more successful than individuals
with a four-year degree, 53 percent responded yes. In other words,
the human resource personnel said that employees with MCSEs provided
as much or more value than employees possessing just four-year
degrees.
Some 70 percent of Inc. 500 respondents, compared to 44 percent
of tech start-up and Fortune 500 respondents, said
MCSEs were equally or more successful than employees with
four-year degrees. The Inc. 500 companies also reported
the highest population of MCSEs—60 percent said they had MCSEs
working at their firms—compared to 59 percent at tech start-ups and
47 percent at Fortune 500 companies.
The study's Inc. 500 company segment also led in the number of
organizations accepting MCSE qualification for employment.
Sixty-four percent of Inc. 500 companies
accepted MCSE as a qualification for work,
compared to 58 percent for tech start-ups and 47 percent for
Fortune 500 companies.
The study discovered that 92 percent of the Inc. 500 and Fortune
500 companies (as opposed to 87 percent for all three company
segments) that accept MCSE qualifications
for work felt such employees were equally or more successful than
individuals possessing a four-year degree.
More revealing is the fact that only 8 percent of those Inc. 500
and Fortune 500 companies (as opposed to 13 percent for all three
company segments) that accept MCSE accreditation for employment
qualification felt MCSEs were less successful than degreed
employees.
However, among those Inc. 500 and Fortune 500 companies that
didn't accept an MCSE as a qualification for work, some 77 percent
(as opposed to 83 percent for all three company segments) felt MCSEs
were less successful than employees possessing four-year college
degrees. Only 22 percent of Inc. 500 and Fortune 500 companies (as
opposed to 17 percent for all three company segments) not accepting
MCSE qualification felt their employees with MCSEs were equally or
more successful than degreed employees.
It's obvious from the study that human resources
personnel who have worked with MCSEs find them equally or more
successful than employees possessing four-year degrees. It's also
clear that human resource managers that haven't worked with MCSEs
believe such employees are less successful.
Thus, it appears Microsoft has some marketing to do. It appears
it's time for some testimonials.
In the interim, I'm not convinced anyone should enter the
workforce without a college degree. Who knows what value an MCSE
will offer three or four years from now. It's relatively safe to say
that, once the tech sector growth explosion slows, as it appears it
has (just ask Cisco), four-year academic educations will shine
again.
Therefore, my prescription is simple. Build your career using
three elements. Earn a solid, four-year degree.
Prove your systems expertise with an MCSE or CCNA as
time permits. Then test your mettle by gaining hands-on, real-world
experience. You won't be sorry.
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