Training and Certification

[mcyrulik]

So I have been thinking of becoming a certified developer.

I have been almost exclusively a FM developer for about a year and a half and when I approached my boss about it, he questioned whether a 4 day course at a place like Soliant was necessary to get certified? He was not against it, but he would have to justify spending that kind of money(the course, plus expenses, etc)

So I guess my questions are these:

Is a 4 day training course in FM 8 actual training or just a primer to help pass the test?

What are the benefits over just going the self-taught route and then taking the test?

In a broader sense, and maybe not a question that can be answered here, but what are the benefits to the the company if I get certified as a developer?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts and suggestions.

~Mark

[John Mark Osborne]

Everyone learns differently. Some people will only read books or participate on forums. Others need the visual experience of videos or class training. The reason I say this is you can get the Professional Foundation Training course material for $99.00 form the filemaker.com web site. The only difference when you take the course is you get the FileMaker 8 certified trainer working with you and answering questions. If you like that visual learning experience, then there is nothing like a hands-on classroom environment.

To directly answer your questions, the Professional Foundation course is not necessary to pass the certification test. However, it is probably the single best resource to prepare for the test.

Yes, the Professional Foundation course is a real class and not just preparation for the certification test. Most people who take the course don't take the certification exam.

Many people can self-learn the material from a variety of sources. The class just packs it into one session in a shorter period of time.

I'm not sure there are any benefits to certification unless you run a FileMaker consulting firm. FileMaker, Inc. lists the certified consultants on their web site and you also get a logo to display on your own web site. The only thing I can think of for an in-house developer is the ability to rank your skill level against the rest of the community (maybe even get a raise from your boss).

BTW, wouldn't you rather visit beautiful sunny California for the class? Database Pros offers a 5 day version of the Professional Foundation course, covering more of the modules than most authorized training firms. Take a look at how we have combined the modules from the Professional Foundation courseware at the following URL:

http://www.databasepros.com/training.html

[mcyrulik]

I would love to come to California, but being a 3 hour drive from Chicago helps to keep the cost down to a point where this is still on the table.

I do like the additional module, and the thought of a trip to California. I will mention it to my boss again.

[John Mark Osborne]

You can always reschedule :)