Does Spring Certification helps in Job and Career? 5 Reasons to Become a Certified Spring Developer

One of the frequently asked questions among Java and Spring developer is whether Spring certification is valuable? Or does Spring Certification help you in Job and Career? These questions are not very different from what Java developer asks about Oracle's Java certification (see here). The short answer to these question is Yes, Spring Certifications are very valuable, and it not only provides Industry recognition for your knowledge, experience, and skill but also set you apart from the millions of Java and Spring developer who are not certified. Of course, as with any certification, the most valuable part apart from recognition is the learning process, and this is true for Spring certifications as well.

You will learn both Spring framework and Spring MVC in depth, which will go a long way in your career when it comes to switching jobs or performing day to day work on your current job.

Increasingly, many companies have also shown more trust in certified programmers. Since Spring is used virtually everywhere, Java is used, It pays to become a certified Spring developer. You not only entitled to a huge number of jobs available to Java and Spring developer in the market but also become eligible for jobs that require certified developers e.g Oracle Certified Java developer or Pivotal Certified Spring developer.

This certification also plays a huge role in getting an onsite opportunity on service-based companies like Infosys, CTS, Wipro or TCS. Since many big Investment clients almost always prefer certified programmer, it's become easier for resource managers to put a profile of Spring certified developer to the client.

So, if you are still waiting for your first onsite opportunity or want to give your resume a big boost for your next job search, I suggest you go for Spring certifications. It's the only certification other than traditional Oracle's Java certification which every Java developer should aspire.

5 Reasons to become Pivotal Certified Spring Developer

Here are some of the practical reasons to go for Spring Certification and become a Pivotal Certified Spring Developer

1. Industry Recognition

The most important benefit of doing any certification is the Industry recognition and Spring Certification is no different there. Since Spring is the most popular Java framework and it is used almost everywhere from small companies e.g. startups to big organizations e.g. Investment banks. Similar to Oracle's Java certification, Industry also recognizes Pivotal's Spring certifications. You immediately get the trust of the employer for your knowledge and skill by looking at the certification logo on your resume.

Due to expensive mandatory training and high pass percentage (around 76%), there are not many certified Spring developers around, which means it's a great opportunity to boost your profile with Pivotal's Spring certifications. There are many certifications available to get recognition for your skill e.g. if you are primarily a Java web developer then you can take Spring Web Application Certification and if you just use Spring in your core Java project you can take Spring Professional Certification exam.

2. Learning Spring in Depth

Of course, with any certification, the most valuable part, besides recognition, is the learning process. I have stressed this point many times in my articles on Java certification and Spring certification is no different here.

By preparing for Spring certification either by self-study or by attending a corporate training, you will be guaranteed to learn and improve your Spring framework knowledge. This knowledge will go a long way to help you in your day to day job, career enhancement and doing well on any Job interview.

Once you gain enough knowledge to pass the Spring certification, you are already well prepared for your next job interview which requires Spring framework skill. Believe it or not, but I have learned better while preparing for certification e.g. I learned core Java in deep while preparing for SCJP and I learned SQL Server in depth while preparing for Microsoft SQL Server training.

3. More Career Opportunities

It's a bitter truth that Professionals holding the Spring certification are preferred by the employers and they also get preference in promotions and onsite opportunities. Though I am not a big fan of judging someone's skill and experience just from certifications I can also say from my personal experience that a guy with certification e.g. a Java developer with OCAJP 8 certified know much more than a normal Java developer.

They also tend to know API better than a non-certified professional and hence know how to write better code by using more up-to-date and right API for the job. Increasingly, many Fortune 500 company are giving preference to certified developers for maintaining and supporting their mission-critical application hence job offers for Spring certificated people are increasing every day.

In short after becoming a certified Spring developer:

1) your resume will become more selective, hence you will get more interview calls.

2) You will be able to easily clear telephonic and face-to-face interview due to better confidence and knowledge.

3) You will receive more job offers than before.

4. Official Certification and Logo

Once you pass the Spring certification, you will get access to official certificates and logo from Pivotal. You can put this logo on your resume to give it an edge over resumes of other Java developers. You will also get both soft and hard copy of your certificate, which you can again use on your resume, LinkedIn profile, websites or personal blog.

5. Cost of Certification

For many developers, the cost of the Spring certification was also an important point on whether to go for Spring certification or not. Until May 10th 2017, you need to go for an expensive, mandatory Spring training before you can appear for Spring certification.

The cost of that Spring training, around 3200 USD in the USA and around 50K INR in India deter many experienced Java developers to become a Pivotal Certified Spring developer.

Pivotal has now lifted that restriction and it's not mandatory to take training before spring certification, effectively opening the door for many experienced Java and Spring developer to get recognition for their skill.

The cost of Spring certification is now reduced to 200 USD which is just the cost of exam voucher you need to enroll for Spring certification at any PersonVEU center. This means many programmers, especially from cost sensitive countries like India can now afford various Spring certifications e.g.Spring Core, Spring Web Application Developer, and Enterprise Spring Certification.

The cost is no problem if your employer is paying for it and if that's the case I even suggest you to go for a professional Spring Training provided by Pivotal and their training partners e.g. SpringPeople on India.

Useful Spring Certification Resources

If you think that Spring certification is worth of money and effort and ready to go for Spring certification, here are some of the useful resources which will help you in your journey:

Spring Certification Courses and Notes

Java Spring Framework 4 and Spring Certification

Spring Framework 5: Beginner to Guru

Vojtech Ruzicka's Spring Core training notes

Vojtech Ruzicka's Spring Web training notes

Jeanne Boyarsky's Spring 3.X Certification Study Notes - PDF

Spring Certification Dumps

David Mayer's Spring Web Simulator (400 questions)

Java and Moies Spring Certification dump (50 questions)

Vojtech Ruzicka's Spring question deck (200 questions)

Spring Certification Books

Spring in Action 4th Edition By Craig Walls

Enterprise Integration Patterns

Spring Boot in Action by Craig Walls

Spring Certification Study Guides

Official Spring Core Study Guide (see)

Pivotal Certified Spring Professional Certification Exam: A Study Guide (book)

That's all about some practical reasons to become a Pivotal Certified Spring Developer. Since Spring is the most popular framework to develop Java application and it is used by almost everyone, passing Spring Certification open doors of more opportunities for you.

It not only distinguish you from all the competition for Java development job which requires Spring framework experience but also gives you better chance because many Employers prefer Spring Certified Professional over a developer with same experience and skill.

In short, if there is a certification in Java world to pursue (except for the traditional Oracle Java certifications) then it is definitely the Spring certifications.

P.S. - If you are an experienced Spring Java developer and want to get certified for your skill I suggest you go through David Mayer'sOnline Spring Mock test, It's a free test and if you can score over 80% then you are ready for the real exam.