The Zend PHP Certification

OK, it's now looking like PHP is being recognized as a *normal* programming language and is being used more and more around the world (although I still have a few friends who constantly keep telling me that programming with PHP is just not the thing to do). But let's have a look at what PHP can do at the moment and what I have myself done with it:

• PHP can be used to build the dumbest and simplest application ever (with quite a small learning curve)
• PHP since it's version 4 can be used as an OOP programming language and since version 5 can be totally used as an OOP programming language (without having to be *procedural*) as you would do when programming in Java
• PHP can be used to build secure and enterprise level applications just like Java and languages of the .Net framework (I've done that and I've seen many companies / people do that)
• PHP can be used to build desktop applications (with the PHP-GTK extension)
  
  
• PHP is highly flexible and extensible without forgetting that it can run a quite a large number of server platform, the main ones being (Linux, MS Windows) and basically anything else capable of running Apache and the PHP Module.

Since we've had a look at what PHP can do and what it has already done, let's talk about the new Zend PHP Certification. I read about it this morning when visiting my daily cup of tea. The certification, as Zend explains it gives you some kind of competitive advantage in the job market and so on. The exam's objectives are quite clear and simple and you can even take a sample test to see how far you fair.

It all sounds very good but I am a little bit concerned about this certification. A few years ago, what we have seen is a large number of *certified* people who once given a job, couldn't accomplish them; strangely enough, most employers would recruit *certified* job seekers over non-certified ones who could *actually* do the job. I have to say that I almost went for certifications myself but after deeply thinking about it, I told myself it was simply a waste of resources and time. Think about it this way:



if this year, you for example took the MCSE or MCSD certifications and you studied hard enough and passed them all, next year, you'd have to spend more money and take maybe MCSE 2006 or MCSD 2006 and so on. When are you supposed to stop? Because when you think about it, employers would always recruit the latest MCS* over you if you didn't take the last certification although you've got years of experience.



To cut it short, I think certifications and the Zend PHP Certification are a good thing, but does that mean that because I have decided not to take the certification, my employment chances as a freelancer or fulltime employee would jump low although I have years of experience dealing with the technology?



Another question that I keep on asking myself is *what does it really mean to be certified?*: that you would always be able to get the job done? Humm...



Well, let's keep watch and see what the future would tell us.