What certification to get following OCP Java Programmer? [closed]

Question

I've recently become an OCP Java Programmer and I'm wondering if it's worth going for one (or more) of the certifications which have this as a prerequisite.

If there are any good self study books that can be recommended that would be helpful too.

Answer 1

Richard,

I am about to take the OCJP exam myself in a few weeks. As you said, this is the prerequisite for all the other exams. The OCJP exam pretty much tests your knowledge of the APIs and language features and doesn't really exercise your programming skills. Secondly, you need to think about what stream your interested in. The certification programme splits into various paths: mobile, web, enterprise etc. So I'd have a think about which stream you are interested in.

If you are just looking for something to enhance your CV for a job then the OCJP may well be enough.

Well done in gettting your OCJP!

Answer 2

I'm about to take the OCPJP certification next Wednesday.

If I pass, I'd think about going for SCWCD, or whatever Oracle calls it these days.

This one seems to cover the most promising aspect of Java development, web development.

Answer 3

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/990203/is-sun-java-certification-worth-the-expense-will-it-help-me-start-a-programming

Quinn Taylor:

In general, certifications are only "worth it" if you know they will help you get a job. > If you're trying to start your programming career, my guess is that actual programming experience (rather than exam certification) will be much more valuable in the long run. My guideline is to not shell out for something like a certification unless someone is asking for it. For example, if a large portion of job listings you might apply for are asking for certification, it's a better idea than if nobody seems to care either way.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/617916/are-certifications-useful-for-java-programmers-who-wish-to-advance-their-career

Thilo:

It certainly does not hurt. You can actually learn a few useful things that way, too. If you can get your company to pay for it, you should probably do it. If not...

If you want to work at a company that uses the certification as a major factor in hiring decisions is another question...

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/323478/is-an-scjp-certificate-worthwhile

Jon Skeet:

I've never seen much value in certification, to be honest. The only thing I can see it doing is giving your CV a better chance of getting past an HR department which can't understand the rest of what you're telling them.

On the side of someone hiring, I wouldn't put any store in it, basically. I suspect I can get a much better idea of whether someone's likely to be any good or not based on a 10 minute phone screen than based on their certs.

(I quoted Jon Skeet's answer to this one because he's like Chuck Norris on the exchange sites and I thought the answer was better than the accepted one...)

You can also find this question answered many times on Stack Overflow. I would encourage you to go to each of the links and read the others responses. I only included the top responses.