I'm a Lotus Notes administrator with 3 years experience. My company does not pay for Lotus training or certification. I'm thinking about paying for it myself. Will it be worth it?
If you are looking to change jobs in the near future, I strongly recommend certification. Certification provides a prospective employer a certainty of your competence, that will make it easier for you not only to get an interview, but get a job. Paying for your own certification will show an employer that you are committed to your career, that will help justify paying you top dollar. You will also enhance your skills by going through the training and certification process. Lastly, you will learn what you need to learn, most companies only teach you what you need to do the job for them, not everything the technology can do. This training will help you improve your abilities at your present position and make you more marketable should you decide to make a change. Lastly, check with your accountant; the training and certification is probably tax deductible.
This was first published in December 2000