Beware of Cert Chasers

[Chris Pearson]

Can we talk about certification chasing for a moment? What is cert chasing you ask? Have you come across that person before who has every CIS (certified implementation specialist) certification that SN offers? This is what I'm talking about.

Do not be fooled into thinking that a certification proves the holder is an expert on that application. It simply means they've been able to grasp the basics of the application and can memorize enough of the names of the 'levers that need to be pulled' to set up that application. When you have more than 4 CIS certs, I start to have serious doubts about your actual knowledge and expertise in those applications. I'd much rather hire or consult with a person who has 2 or 3 CIS certs who just came off of a project implementing the application in question than a person who has 7 or 8 certs and hasn't been on a project where the app was in scope for years.

To say it bluntly, experience trumps certs. When looking for knowledgeable partners or contractors, or new hires to help you with your ServiceNow journey, you can require CIS certs be a part of the equation, but don't stop there. Dig into the actual experience of the candidate in order to truly figure out if you're dealing with an expert or someone who only has book smarts.

If you go back a decade or so, you'd be able to find those true wizards...the unicorns who knew the entire platform and could do anything. Since then the growth of ServiceNow has become so wide that it really is impossible for a single person to be an expert in every application. Every expert has their wheelhouse of a few applications that they know like the back of their hand. This is ok. If you're a developer, architect, etc., find your wheelhouse. Maintain those certifications. Work on those types of projects to gain and maintain the real world experience in implementing those applications. Don't cert chase. Become a true expert.