The certification treadmill
Sometimes it seems that pursuing certification in a technology is tantamount to running on treadmill.
On a treadmill you spend countless hours toiling away, working up a sweat and exerting yourself beyond what you thought you could do. At the end, you reap the benefits of your efforts; you're in better shape.
The same could be said for preparing for a certification exam. You spend hour upon hour learning a new technology, expanding your knowledge much the same way you expand your lungs while running. And at the end, you've learn a great deal, passed a few exams, and you've become certified!
And much like a treadmill, if you stop the certification process, you fall off. Exams are retired as the product ages. To remain current, you must get back on the treadmill and pass newer exams.
Which brings me to point of this blog: Microsoft has just announced the retirement of several developer and SQL Server related exams. Check out the announcement for more details and to see if you're affected.
Cheers!
Joe
