I know here I sit after spending time and money to get my ITIL V3 Expert and I am writing such a question. I have spent some time reading opinions for and against and felt the need to post another angle to the debate.
It should be noted that this posting is also available as a message thread on LinkedIN in the ITIL Group. The link is:
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=56987&type=member&item=55948760
Before I present my opinion on this debate and welcome comments I would like to quickly summarize the two camps.
The pro camps argument is summarized in ITIL Experts know ITIL very well.
The con camps say I have been doing ITSM "x" amount of years and do not need to waste the money.
Enough said about the two camps. For me each one misses the mark. The certification is the final product but the fact one embarked and completed the journey is the real benefit. To do so one needs to have certain traits. In this case they are refereed to as the Trinity: Patience, Preparation and Persistence.
What employer would not want these characteristics in a manager, team lead etc.
Look at it this way. IT is constantly changing, if someone tell you I have been doing "x" for "y" number of years and I do not need to be certified. It tells me that they are afraid to learn or at the very least are worried to be learn they are wrong about something. Just because you have been doing something for many years does not mean you have been doing it right.In this field one needs to be constantly learning. If you think otherwise you will not fair to well in IT.
Look at me I have been doing IT, IT Security and ITSM for a long time. I entered IT in 1994. I am completing my Masters Thesis in ITIL, COBIT, SOX and GLBA. And yet I still went for my ITIL V3 Expert, did I need to? For me the answer was yes. Why? Because I am a constant learner. I am always looking for challenges and mountains to climb (figuratively speaking). I could have just taken a "CapStone" can completed my Masters a while ago, instead I said nope, I am doing a masters thesis. It is much harder but you know what, companies I am in talks with have nothing but respect for my choice. They see someone who pushes himself and strives to learn and grow always.
To me ITIL V3 represents this idea. People who go for ITIL V3 and learners and seekers of challenges. Ask yourself this is it easy to get ITIL V3 Expert? No it is not. .
First off to be certified means you are willing to study and invest time and money in your field of choice.
Would you want a doctor to operate on you who was not board certified? Why not?
Maybe because to be certified means you have X amount of knowledge.
In a perfect world we would be able to scan a persons brain and say yes he or she has this level of knowledge in this area. Well in reality we cannot so we created certifications.
I find it fascinating that people seem to say experience trumps certification. This is simply not true. To me it is a no brainier. You say you are experienced...great now quantify it...get certified. Why not? To much money? No time?
To me all these are excuses and I do not make excuses I solve problems.
So is it worth it to get ITIL V3 Certified. In my opinion yes if you plan to do ITIL.
I am also a CISSP, because I work in security. Did I need to go for my CISSP?
They I stand before you (figuratively) holding the..."You have experience...then quantify it...!"
I would ask those who "have experience" but say no to certification "why?"
As I stated earlier to those against certification, why do we want doctors to be board certified then?
Thus I would like to open the floor to a lively and please keep it civil debate.
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