I've been hearing mixed opinions on whether certifications are necessary for landing a programming job, particularly for backend development. Some people say that as long as you have a strong portfolio and work experience, you don't really need certifications—except maybe for specific fields like cybersecurity. What do you all think? Should I still focus on building my portfolio, or are certifications worth pursuing?
5 Answers
I’ve noticed certs often cater more to HR requirements rather than reflecting real skills. Sometimes companies only use them to filter candidates, and they may not even understand the competencies behind those certifications. I’ve landed jobs purely on my experience—no certs involved!
Certifications can help you avoid some basic interview questions if you already have job experience, but I personally don't consider them when I hire. What really matters is what someone can actually do, not what's on their resume.
I look for practical skills and problem-solving abilities, not just certificates.
Certifications can be beneficial for very specific roles, like when hiring someone for Salesforce integration, but for general development roles, they don’t hold much weight. A Java certification doesn't guarantee skill, in my opinion.
I've been in the programming field for quite a while, and I’ve never had any certifications. Honestly, no one has ever asked me if I had them during interviews. It seems like practical experience is valued much more than any paper credentials.
When it comes to cloud-based roles, like AWS, certifications seem to matter more. Some hiring managers actively look for those on resumes. So, if you’re thinking about cloud services, it might be worth considering them.
Are you a recruiter? Asking because I’d love to know what you look for instead.