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A few years ago I obtained two professional certifications: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate. In those days I still used LinkedIn, and when I updated my profile to show that I had these certifications, I was flooded with networking requests and messages asking to talk about careers.
I had only one problem: I crammed for both certification exams, and by the time I had left the testing building, I had already forgotten half the things I'd studied. When I attended AWS re:Invent the next year, I found myself unable to do tasks that would be routine for someone with my credentials.
I feel like this is a growing problem here in the United States. Almost every institution, from school admission boards to hiring departments to government offices, have become increasingly concerned with one's notarized qualifications, rather than one's actual talent or experience. I like to joke that in America, knowing something is not as important as having a piece of paper that says I know it.
I think this might also contribute to impostor syndrome, something I and many of my friends deal with in our jobs. My qualifications say I should know a lot about some subject--my degree in mathematics, for example--so when I'm group of mathematicians and I am unable to follow the conversation, I start to feel like a pretender.
I've since closed my LinkedIn account, my certifications have expired, and I don't work with AWS at my job, so my ignorance is no longer on display to the world. I plan not to make the same mistake if I decide to pursue another certification in the future.
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[Last updated: 2021-10-28]