Are entry level certs important to hiring managers?

[DGreen]

How much weight do you place on entry level certifications (e.g., A+, Security+, CCNA) for people entering the IT career field from a 2 and 4 year college?  Do they need to have these certifications on their resume to get the interview?  Are you hiring these folks?  What are your thoughts?

[skyjerm]

Certs are something of an alternative to experience, but recognize that as an entry-level person, your attitude and trainability are far more important.  Getting any cert shows you are investing in your future, eager to learn, and focused in an area.  Do *NOT* waste your time compiling a laundry list of certs thinking more is better.  Get 1-3 max.  I've hired a lot of people over the last 20 years, and I am very put off with the annoying habit in IT/Security to acronym vomit on a resume and collect certs as if they matter.  A cert like CISSP is worth way more than 10 certs like A+, MSCE, CCNA, etc.  But CISSP requires experience, so get the A+ Security or similar and CCNA to start with the goal of getting CISSP.  That's it.  Anything more is a waste of your time and money and won't help, IMO.

[DGreen]

Thank you for the reply. I'm going to be talking to some kids at a community college in the near future about their program so I wanted to see what others in the field feel about certificates. I hold a CISSP and a couple of other certificates but I don't think they are the end all be all for people. One question, how did folks that didnt hold a certificate get their resume in your hands? Thanks again.

[kr_isgelijkaan]

Taxonomy rules. What is 'entry level' wrt certifications ? It will definitely depend on a lot of other things, but since everything is relative, having something that others don't have makes you stand out. If you have about 2 to 4' to quickly screen a CV, it probably won't hurt to have/see certifications.  

[kr_isgelijkaan]

Taxonomy rules. What is 'entry level' wrt certifications ? It will definitely depend on a lot of other things, but since everything is relative, having something that others don't have makes you stand out. If you have about 2 to 4' to quickly screen a CV, it probably won't hurt to have/see certifications.  

[DGreen]

Would a CV without a certificate bubble up to your desk?

[amine_ie]

I believe having a few certs doesn't harm, It might show some sort of diversity within the candidate profile/interests. The most import, at least for me, is to either choose Certs based on interest (or lack of knowledge) or to back up experience as hiring personal are not the same (some of them look to Certs 1st, others look to experience, or both...) 

[Dada19]

Nowadays, does hiring manager/recruitment agent look only at certs on a cv or what should a jobseeker be putting under education section??

[anetworkingpro]

They are important to the HR Buzzword bingo crowd. When people ask me I recommend three "starter" certs. Security+, because you can't get a job with DOD without it. Microsoft MCP, because everyone has Microsoft. Cisco CCNA, because it teaches you a lot about networks. All three is a lot to have as starter certs but the more you have the more it demonstrates your self motivation and desire to learn. I would get the CCNA last because I've never seen anyone hired to do network work because they have a CCNA it's more a growing cert you get while working in other areas and then sidestep in a network job because you picked up the CCNA. I'll only look at a persons resume without certs if it's a personal recommendation of someone who's opinion I value.

[DGreen]

Would you hire an entry level job seeker without a certificate and would that resume ever get to you to review?