Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org (Maria C Winslow)]

I absolutely agree with this. I have been in the technical training busin=
ess,=20
and I think these types of "career change" programs are shameful. They in=
deed=20
offer a false hope that their graduates will get unrealistically high-pay=
ing=20
jobs, and that was true even in 2000. Some of them are more like an=20
associate's degree, but others are simply a short series of classes desig=
ned=20
to get a specific certification. The worst part in my opinion, however, i=
s=20
that many of those companies finance the classes. So you end up with peop=
le=20
who can't really afford it owing several thousands of dollars only to fin=
d=20
that employers are less impressed with a certification than they are with=
=20
experience (and more education).

Maria

On Wednesday 05 February 2003 2:44 pm, Chris MacLeod wrote:
> As a currently unemployed unix admin these commercials drive me nuts!
>
> Not only do they foster a false hope that there are thousands of high
> paying exciting jobs out there waiting for someone with a fresh
> MCSE/CCNA/etc and *zero* experience, but  you also get these people
> flooding job openings with their resume's making it harder for employer=
s
> to filter through all the line noise.
>
> I have nothing against people trying to better their situation by
> getting more education and going into IT (please go the MCSE route
> though :) ) but I think those commercials are A) annoying as hell B)
> annoying C) annoying and D) misleading
>
> Any hoo, back to the job postings...
>
> Stick
>
> Jeff Bacon wrote:
> >Is it just me or is everyone just completely sick of those stupid
> >radio ads? You know the ones.
> >
> >        "Did you know the average salary of a Microsoft Certified
> >        Systems Engineer is between fifty and one hundred thousand
> >        dollars? Today, at <SCHOOL X>, you can learn the skills
> >        needed to get this valuable certification!"
> >
> >        (Uh-huh. The ones that actually have jobs, you mean.
> >        Where are they working, anyway?)
> >
> >        "For most of us, there are only a few times in our lives
> >        when opportunity knocks on our doors. This could be yours -
> >        <SCHOOL Y> is now offering financing for you to get your
> >        IT professional certifications!"
> >
> >        "There are those who let life pass them by. There are those
> >        who dream. And there are those that do something about their
> >        dreams. Join the ones that are doing something about it
> >        by getting your MCSE|CCNA at <SCHOOL Z>!"
> >
> >        (Everyone dreams of being an IT professional? How boring.)
> >
> >        "Are you bored with your current job? Do you want to make
> >        more money? Join the thousands of people who have upgraded
> >        their careers by studying for your MCSE|CCNA at <SCHOOL A>!"
> >
> >        (And these concepts are related... how?)
> >
> >        And then of course there is the classic
> >
> >        [often in a Bill Clinton-esque voice]
> >        "Do you have a job?" *RAH* "Do you have $200?" *RAH*
> >        Then YOU can get a new car!"
> >
> >        But this particular stupidity I will save for another day.
> >
> >
> >I can only imagine how insulting these ads must feel to the people
> >on this list who have real-world skills and experience and are
> >currently unemployed. I know how I'd feel.
> >
> >I realize that hyperbole is a normal part of advertising.
> >I just find the audacity involved pretty damn amazing.
> >Either that, or it says something about how out of touch
> >education can be with reality.
> >
> >-bacon