In Tech Support, the big thing is to gain as many certifications as you can … Oh boy. I’ve been at this for 20 years, and just because you have this fancy CCIE or JNCIE, all that means is you know how to take a test. It does not mean that you know anything.
I remember a few cases, where someone had a network down, and I could see his email signature showed he has a CCIE. What was the solution? Proxy ARP. That is so simple, probably a CCNA could have solved it.
So when I see a certification on a resume, I look at it like a driver’s license. It just means you studied, but do you know anything about network security, or network basics? Not necessarily. So that’s the main reason why I never went for any certifications … it doesn’t mean you know anything, and it’s a big waste of time.
However, I’ve been forced to take it now. Damn bureaucracy … What I hate about these certification tests is that they don’t tell you what they want you to answer. All the questions are damn riddles. I know the product left and right, and still, I just barely pass … but I guess all that matters is the passing grade, not that you get 100%. Oh well. I guess I still have a job, at least.
Ok, I guess they encourage me to brag about this, so here it is (after all the kicking and screaming). Maybe now I can continue what’s more important … cycling!
Sevencyclist's Blog 
Funny that I read this today. One of my colleagues and I were discussing this just today. I have been doing tech support on and off for years. I am a Chef by training and trade, but sometimes I get tired of the hours and want to relax a bit, so i take a desk job. It usually lasts 5 years and then I am back in the kitchen. I see this with MANY fields that require “certs”, people that can take tests, but don’t know the WHY or how to “really” do anything, though they have the cert. I’d much rather have real world experience working for me than a piece of paper any day.