@downpw I’m inclined to agree with the self-development - and the point you make about the lack of certification being seen as a barrier to enter professions.

@downpw said in Experience vs Certification - who wins?:

Because even without experience, if you have an iron will, you can be better than someone who has certification. With more work and effort, certainly, but does it matter?

This is an interesting statement because I knew of several people years ago whom obtained MCSE accreditation, but had never sat in front of a real-life scenario before where they had to fix something - hence, the term, “Paper MCSE”. Essentially, this involves reading a book, then going to do the exam. Some people have that capability where they can retain a bulk load of information, and use that to easily pass an exam - yet have no practical experience.

To me, it’s easy to identify these people. They can give you a text-book answer, but have no ability to prove it physically.