News

Two Microsoft Titles in Hottest Certs List

MCDBA, MCSA make list of CertCities.com's top 10 list of “Hottest Certifications for 2003.”

• By Keith Ward
• 01/22/2003

Of the two titles that made the grade, the MCDBA (Microsoft Certified Database Administrator) was in a tie for the No. 10 spot, and the MCSA (Microsoft Certified System Administrator) came in at No. 8. The MCSE and MCP failed to make the list.

That doesn’t mean they’re not popular certifications, though. In fact, just the opposite is true, according to Becky Nagel, editor of CertCities.com, a site published by 101communications, the same company that owns this magazine.

“The list isn’t about most popular certifications” Nagel says. “We’re looking at the number of readers who hold a certification vs. the number who say they’re going to get that [title] in next 12 months. Very established certifications aren’t going to make the Hot Cert lists. We’re looking at what certifications we think will grow.”

So, should you consider going after one of the top 10 certifications, thinking it will enhance your value in the job market? Nagel doesn’t think so. “You shouldn’t pick any certification because you see it on any kind of list. We think you can see trends from this, and the trends are: No. 1, security’s hot; No. 2, there’s more interest in Linux and/or Unix certification [than in the past]; and No. 3, there’s a renewed interest in certifications with value. The harder the cert, it seems the more value it has. For example, the CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert (CCIE) is No. 1 this year, and it wasn’t even on the list last year.”

The full story can be found at http://certcities.com/editorial/features/story.asp?EditorialsID=55.