Recently, I came across a post on LinkedIn that made me pause and reflect. The message was simple, yet powerful: “Experience is is more valuable than certifications.”
The post, shared by Benjamin Robison, got a lot of attention—and for good reason. In today’s world, it’s easy to focus on collecting certifications and letters after our names. But when you get down to it, real-world experience, curiosity, and adaptability often matter more than any title or badge.
I couldn’t agree more. While certifications are important for validating knowledge, they don’t always prove that someone can apply that knowledge in real-life situations. And in a fast-paced, data-driven environment like ours, what we really need are people who can solve problems, think on their feet, and keep learning.
This also got me reflecting on our own certification program.
For us, certification has never been the end goal. It’s more of a means to an end—a way to help our customers and partners challenge themselves, deepen their knowledge, and demonstrate that they can handle real-life scenarios. That’s why we focus on hands-on tasks and verbal exams, led by experienced examiners who know what it takes to actually work with DataMiner. It’s not about memorizing theory—it’s about showing what you can do with it.
Of course, no exam—no matter how well designed—can capture everything that makes someone truly great at their job. Things like attitude, ownership, and the drive to keep growing; those qualities can’t be certified, but they often make the biggest difference.
We’ll always value hands-on skills and a growth mindset above all else. But when a certification challenges you to actually apply what you know—that’s when it becomes more than just a piece of paper. That’s the kind of recognition we want to offer.
Interested in how we approach certification?
Take a look at our certification programs to see how we focus on practical, real-world learning—and don’t miss these interesting insights from our community ambassador, Wouter, in his blog post.
