Computer Programming Certification
Explaining Different Types of Computer Programming Certifications
What to look for in computer programming certifications, how to choose online computer programming classes, or pick a computer programming course for programming jobs.
Having a computer programming certification is the key to advancing in a career in IT, as well as a pre-requisite for most computer programming jobs. However, even those who have not followed a College or University grade computer programming course can still profit from the recent boom in the computer programming job market by taking computer programming classes, either online or offline.
For those who have already followed high school computer programming courses, the basics will already be well understood, and all that might be required is an online certification to bring specific knowledge up to professional, if not academic, standards.
Types of Computer Programming Certification
There are 3 main categories of computer programming certification:
- Ad-hoc Organizations
- Professional Organizations
- Academic Organizations
The ad-hoc organizations offer mainly online computer classes, which may or may not be paid, and which may or may not be recognized. One such organization is Expert Rating, which is recognized by freelance hubs such as Rent A Coder. Holding an Expert Rating computer programming certification, while no guarantee, certainly enhances the chance of a freelance programmer landing a contract with a buyer on sites such as Rent A Coder, eLance, etc.
Professional organizations such as Microsoft also offer computer programming certification. These tend to be tightly coupled with their products, however, which may not be an advantage. Generally speaking, for programmers entering the non-freelance market, one of these recognized certifications might add more weight than one issued by an ad-hoc organization.
Academic organizations offer degrees and other academic computer programming certifications. These can be obtained either online or offline, and are usually well-respected and recognized by the industry. The caveat might be that some online degree courses have less acceptance than those offered by traditional institutions, so it is a good idea to check whether the online college or university in question has obtained the relevant recognition.
Selecting an online computer programming course is a process in itself. As a general guideline, it would be advisable to pick one which follows the student's process with marked course work - this will help to keep them on track.
Computer Programming Certification Specialization
It is usually possible to specialize in 1 of 2 areas of computer programming:
- by language (i.e. C/C++, Delphi, SQL...)
- by domain (i.e. Windows, Web, Database...)
When specializing by domain, it will often be an advantage to have some knowledge of the languages that are of use in that domain. So, for a student of Web Programming, it will be a distinct advantage to some knowledge of JavaScript, although they might not become as much of an expert as someone following a JavaScript programming certification course.
Hopefully these guidelines will help any reader trying to get ahead in the professional life, or start a new freelance career based on an accredited computer programming certification.
