What are the advantages of becoming Java certified?

Guest Blogger: QA.com

The Oracle Java Certification Program (formerly known as the Sun Java Certification Program) is a globally-recognized course in Java technology.

The Java Certification is regarded as one of the highest professional credentials in the IT industry. Java is one of the most widely used software technologies across the world, so being certified gives IT professionals the edge over non-certified programmers.

The Certification

Oracle offers different types of Java certification, which cover three platforms and four levels of expertise.  The Java Standard Edition certifications are:

1. Oracle Certified Associate (Java SE 5/ SE 6)
2. Oracle Certified Professional Java Programmer
3. Oracle Certified Master (Java SE 6 Developer).

Note: There are many specialized training modules too.

Improve Knowledge

Merely studying to be certified helps a candidate gain a lot of knowledge about Java programming, and maintaining the certification requires one to brush up their skills regularly, and take refresher courses or tests.

All programmers have their skills and weaknesses, and the certification course helps them improve their skills, and work on their weaknesses as well. No programmer can afford to rely on their existing skill set forever; the constant refreshers and upgrades help them keep in touch with what is happening in the industry, and improve their technical knowledge and abilities.

Hiring advantages

Certified Java professionals stand better chances over non-certified programmers, when it comes to getting a job. Java certification helps candidates stand out from the crowd, and there are several companies that prefer to hire java certified professionals only. Once hired, a programmer has better chances of earning higher pay when compared to those, who are not certified.

Networking Benefits

A person, who has obtained Java certification, has access to a group of his or her peers (who are also Java certified) that they come in contact with in his classes, conferences or online forums. Having a network of similar professionals helps a person constantly keep up to date with what is happening in the industry, and also gives them an informal support group with respect to any problems or situations they may encounter in the future.

Employer Benefits

When it comes to certifications, not only does the programmer benefits from the java certification, but the employer stands to benefit as well.

• First, the employer is certain that a certain employee has a skill set that is necessary for his role.

• Second, the ongoing upgrades help the employer identify an employee’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as monitor any progress on those.

• Third, the business client has greater confidence in the company, knowing that its employees have the skills and technical knowledge needed to execute a project.

Note: Studies have shown that employee performance increases dramatically when at least 50 percent of the team is certified. In many cases, the employer pays for the employee’s certification fee, because it benefits the company as well.

Sound Off!

Are you Java certified? If so, how has getting you Java certification benefited you?

Note: This article is brought to you courtesy: QA.com and is not from this blog owners original content, but is being posted as a guest or syndicated article.

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