Renewing IT Certifications is an Actual Scam

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In this video, we delve into the controversial topic of renewing IT certifications, examining why some professionals believe it to be an actual scam. We'll explore the costs, benefits, and implications of ongoing certification requirements in the IT industry.
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0:00 Intro
0:51 Reasons Not To Renew Certain Certifications
3:57 Scenarios Where You Should Renew Certifications
7:09 Conclusion
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Are you wondering whether you should keep renewing your IT certifications? This video is tailored for IT professionals who face the dilemma of ongoing certification and its true value.
Many IT professionals question the value of constantly updating certifications. With hefty fees and the rapid evolution of technology, the relevance of such certifications can sometimes be short-lived. We dive deep into whether these costs are justified and if they genuinely enhance your professional growth or merely serve as a revenue stream for certifying bodies.
This video will help you make informed decisions about managing your certifications and understanding their impact on your career. Whether you are early in your career or a seasoned professional, the insights shared here will guide you in planning your professional development strategy in the tech industry.
Watch till the end for a comprehensive understanding of the IT certification landscape and strategies to maximize your career growth without unnecessary expenses.

[@JoshMadakor]

🖥 New IT Career in under 3 Months with my Hands-On Course 🖥 joshmadakor.tech/it

[@martinking8549]

Course career, recommended you to me, please is there anyway I can get in touch with you?

[@franknoneofya9585]

If you recertify the high exams, the lower exams are recertified as well. Like if you take cysa+ the lower ones you passed in the past, also are extended.

[@kennguyen1066]

I never had to renew my Bachelor, Masters, or PhD. Not sure why professional certifications expired after 3 years. 🤷‍♂️

[@michaelscott5962]

Yup the only difference is the amount of money you spent. Because you spent significantly more on a degree, apparently it’s cool not to renew. But once you earn much cheaper certs, you got to constantly renew because they want you to pay more. We aren’t stupid CompTIA.

[@kennguyen1066]

@@michaelscott5962 Actually CompTIA is one of the cheapest ones to renew. Most other ones are crazy more expensive. Additionally, CompTIA is nice enough to allow automatic renewal if you pass higher level certifications. So, not as bad as the others.

[@mangoboxer4082]

Well technology changes all the time, so depending on the cert, being current might help.

[@kennguyen1066]

⁠It’s a fact that technology changes all the time. But if you are working in the field, the changes will seem negligible. If the intent is to ensure the practitioners have current knowledge, then they would not have the option to grandfather many people with old certifications. Similarly, imagine we have to renew our college degrees or HS diploma every 4 years, we would have to start all over again. Many people don’t remember basic middle school math, but I don’t see they renew it.

[@eman0828]

Focus on practical hands on skills that's really all you need. You don't need a degree or certifications to prove you can do the job because in reality you still need some level of experience or hands on. Having a homelab goes a long ways. I built my IT career just utilizing my homelab to develop my practical skills and apply it to on the job real world use. I'm now a RHEL admin with no degree or certifications.

[@rogermarine1443]

You're not lying if you put A+, Security+ or other certifications on your resume and they expired. The fact is, you took those exams, passed and earned those certifications. I don't see anything unethical in it. If they ask if they are current, they be honest and let them know they expired.

[@ivandulya1239]

I didn't know the knowledge from those certs also vanished from my head as soon as they expired

[@jimscard]

If you clearly indicate that you previously held the certification, sure. But remember that current cert holders have had continuing education to stay current. You won’t have evidence of that. Also, while some certs are received by passing the exam, higher order certifications like CISSP etc. require proof of experience and endorsement. Passing the exam doesn’t give you those certifications and you lose them if you’re not current. And it’s not a matter of ethics if you continue to mention those in your resume. It’s a trademark license contract violation.

[@eman0828]

You only renew if your employer ask you to do so esp for compliance regulations and partnerships. If you have over 5 to 10 plus experience, your experience trumps everything including degrees and certifications.

[@annai157]

When writing a resume, one lists degrees by the years they are awarded. It seems that one should be able to do the same thing with certifications on a resume. Certifications earned: CompTia A+, 2018, CompTia Security+, 2019; etc. Completely honest, without stressing about renewing unnecessarily.

[@timothywilliams2887]

Here here! I agree, easy way to not lie. I have a RHCE from 2001 still listed. Just list them all, shows competence.

[@eman0828]

I just focus on practical hands on experience. I work on I.T without a degree or certifications. I built my I.T career with just my homelab. I was using powershell in support roles automating everything from what I learned in my homelab.

[@timothywilliams2887]

@eman0828 Good that's a great way to go. I've been disabled for 10 years and have been not working. I am looking at some certifications and my home lab portfolio to help me get back in the job market.

[@klausstock8020]

That's dishonest. 2001 RHCE. 2004 instant dementia. *That's* honest. Actually, it's a lie, but you're contractually obligated...

[@annai157]

@@klausstock8020 I don't understand - are you saying it would be a lie to say which year you earned the certification? I'm afraid I don't know what RHCE is, either.

[@ttbone8054757]

It's actually really easy to renew your CompTia certs. You just need to re-certify your highest level cert and all the rest will be re-certified as well. I haven't had to renew my CYSA+ yet, but Sec+ was a really easy online course where you just nee to pass a few tests with a perfect score and you can take them as many times as you need to get them perfect. I did NOT have to take the actual exam again. Also when I passed my CYSA+ and Pentest+, My Sec+ was renewed for 5 years.I totally agree that you should be well past needing your A+ by the time it expires, but you need to have an active Sec+ for a lot of DoD jobs. Thanks for the video, thought this info might help some people.

[@emmanueldark993]

There's also another option of maintaining certs via Continuing Educational Units i.e. workshops, certain podcasts, etc that count as continuing education in tech that can be used to renew certs. Most of them are 100% free and the only thing they cost is time to participate in those learning sessions/trainings.

[@Kahooni]

I love these shorter videos that focus on something like this!

[@99IXIX]

Hey Josh, love your content! Could you make a video mapping out where cybersecurity jobs are, especially those companies investing in entry-level roles? I'm open to moving and know remote jobs are widespread, but knowing where the in-person opportunities are would be super useful!

[@jPuma817]

I agreed but also just gettin a better cert every 3 years, renews your other certs , if you have A+ Sec+, then within the next 3 years get Cysa+ or Pen+ then 3 years later get Linux+ and you are good for 6 years altogether, and by then you would be grandfathered into IT and CyberSecurity for life with all that experience

[@MrBoydgo]

I see your point, Josh. However, I wouldn't let my certifications expire after investing time and money to obtain them. Instead of paying to renew them, I would either pursue an upgrade certification or opt for continuing education units.

[@MarstonConner]

Some people get them through higher education or part of a class. Josh talks a lot about WGU which I also did and I got several certs as part of my degree. I would say at that point the degree trumps the cert in most cases. (Special case) But, I do agree, if you spent the time and additional money to get one keeping up with it isn’t a bad idea.

[@leegreen3391]

Hey Josh I recently spoke with Comptia and was told that you have to pay for the highest cert you have . So for example if you have the trifecta you only have to pay for the security +

[@realyoungsimba6503]

Does anyone know if it is worth renewing a ITIL certification? If so, what is the best strategy for this?

[@orlandodelvalle1846]

Hi Josh so I want to ask about your advice about my future. A little back story first. I was let go over 2 month ago from my job i had and I got frustrated with life because i thought i was doing good and was let go out of the blue ( it was customer service work completely unrelated to the field). So about a month ago i said fuck it and go back and pursue my passion with is everything to do with computer science. So I saw a ad about a school call Holberton Coding School that works like a bootcamp at the same time where you learn the fundamentals of coding and do projects. Their main thing is when you finish the school you get to land a job because they do all the prept and make me ready for any job offer. They have a speclization program that even more time but it cost the same if I just do the fundemantal course. I want to work in cyber security that always been my goal but the school for now dosent offer that specilazion course yet. So here comes my question. So I do the preparation for cyber security on the side while im at the school or should I wait for the school to add it (which they told me they will) I dont know what to do can you help me?

[@dryaserdryaser]

Hey Josh, is there any upcoming discounts for your cyber course or any kind of payment plans?

[@JoshMadakor]

I'm making a community that will be priced quite a bit less than the course, however it will be subscription based. (Will be running on and make use of kind of expensive, subscription based platforms, such as Tenanable.io and my own Azure Subscription). Look forward to that!

[@MarstonConner]

So yeah, for consulting they do receive certain incentives for have x number of [cert]. These are typically for higher level or specialized certs, definitely a bargaining chip. I got a contract once just because I had a specific AWS cert. They passed on me and then called me back that week because they were told they needed to have another cert holder in order to qualify for a special partnership with the vendor. So they can come in handy but I would say up-skill (go for a higher level cert) then renew your current, often times vendors will renew your previous cert as well upon passing a higher level certification.

[@vonnpowell3844]

So true. When the cert expires doesn't mean that your knowledge or passing the exam expired. Depends on the job I guess.

[@logisticalstyles]

Once upon a time you didn’t have to recertify. My A+ is a lifetime cert. O took it 15 years ago. I missed getting a lifetime net+ by 2 months. I let the net+ expire, but I recently passed Security+. I wonder if that renews my Net+?

[@christopheracevedo9070]

Hey Josh, would you renew your Azure cloud certifications? Since they only last a year. I’m debating between AWS and Azure, but the time frame on the renewal on azure is what gets me.

[@eman0828]

Only renew if your employer ask. Focus on practical hands on experience. Experience is what gets you jobs.

[@christopheracevedo9070]

@@eman0828 Thank you! I appreciate that!

[@brandonvansylalom]

If you have multiple CompTIA certifications and one of them is high on the list, you can renew the highest one and it renews the ones below it. Ex CySa+, Sec+, Net+, A+, renew CySa+ and three below it will renew. Also might be needed in DOD/federal side to be IAT compliant so renewal is necessary. Otherwise CISSP or something higher than the entry levels are worth more renewing. Personally I’m gonna renew my CompTIAs because I like having something active

[@klausstock8020]

Totally unrelated, but I just love how the expiration date is a Scrum certificate just depends on how much you paid for it. Love how I turned into a complete idiot my MS certification expired - I had revalidated it once, but the questions and answers were just from a marketing perspective, and did not relate to reality even once. Had to regurgitate marketing "claims" (aka "lies"). Yeah, right, thank you; this certificate shows really how much I'm worth. Same value as a used car salesman. "Achmed's used cars and certificates", if anyone remembers the joke -- which, actually, played a pivotal rule in increasing cybersecurity. On the other hand, courses do improve your cybersecurity skills. I remember at least two courses where the cybersecurity of the company offering the courses improved. Yes, the courses were boring. Yes, i successfully performed penetration testing on their systems. I wonder how many employees of APT28 got their jobs because of some fancy certificates.

[@AngelTorres-ot6mb]

I want to learn Cyber Security. Which certificate should I get first for an entry level job. As newbie with no experience and degree. Hearing that there are lots of layoffs. So, is it worth learning and doing it? Realistically would be able to get a job in the field?

[@xi5lv]

CompTIA Security + cert

[@JohnSmith-nd5yc]

.... It's $50... Yes you should recertify, people don't live in a dam bubble

[@Userupload]

Well said. Everything has become a cash grab / commodity in the tech industry. Also, thank you for keeping your CISSP in order to sponsor people. Very cool!

[@syedibrahimkhalil786]

What about CC? Should I hold ot till I get my CISSP? Both would be covered then with $125/year.

[@isaiahkaiver1917]

Yeah CISSP is the only one worth a damn from ISC2 so definitely not worth paying until you get that one

[@JoshMadakor]

I only maintain CISSP. I don't maintain anything else :D

[@BigJyeTV]

I heard lie about certification and that was enough for me. There example after example of people who got canned for lying on their resume, even when they were responsible for turning a company around.

[@LuisCLopez3354]

But Josh the dod-approved-8570? Arent the military sticklers for active certifications.

[@brandonvansylalom]

Yes that’s correct. Not only sticklers but to maintain or move up in DOD 8570 roles certifications NEED to be active and cannot be expired.

[@JoshMadakor]

Yeah, I mentioned this in the video :)

[@ronin2963]

Thank you! Unless your job requires that cert it is stupid

[@gibbsfan19]

put a note on your resume that includes the expiration date

[@JoshMadakor]

idk if I would even do this tbh, I used to though

[@bulba888]

Good take, I agree

[@JacksonLloyd952]

Good stuff

[@ariasabe]

Thanks for reassuring my beliefs about this topic. I thought I was being unethical about it.

[@DavidOldenburg1]

Yes, there is a comptia prison, for people who get caught not renewing their certs :-)

[@presequel]

yeas agree 100%. i have a dozen different certs, some high end, but i refuse to renew them. ( although i get lots of reminders from the vendors haha) its a scam! maybe if there is some sort of central PE authority where you can register your points for free or little fee i would do it, but now its more a matter of paying subscription fees to the different vendors. cert lock in!

[@jimscard]

Most of this video is bad advice. If you’re not sure, then don’t make statements about what you don’t know. You should always renew certifications until you have a higher order certification in that field. For example, an OSCP is higher than a CEH. Otherwise, not renewing can be career limiting, or force you to have to repeat expensive certifications. Focusing on the renewal fees is a pennywise, pound foolish approach. The value shown by the renewal is the continuing education that you have to do - and for most of the IT certs, renewals include continuing education opportunities that are worth far more than the cost of renewal.

[@EngrDJDebug]

please create a free server+ practice exams

[@rwxrw]

bless

[@JessieS]

The hell with Sec+ that price is ridiculous.

[@JoshMadakor]

Yeah, and for what exactly? rofl.

[@dmarsh]

Wow, I'm famous!

[@JoshMadakor]

Hahaha, I know that feeling when my comment or something gets featured somewhere haha. kinda scary

[@OssieColey]

'SUBLIME TUTELAGE' NEVER EXPIRES!

[@JoshMadakor]

lmao

[@robdawg786]

Just do CySA and it will renew all of the CompTIA trifecta won't it?

[@brandonvansylalom]

Yes! If you take and pass CySa+ (or renew it if you have it already) it’ll renew the trifecta with the same issue and expiration date as CySa+. Same goes for the higher tiers (Pentest+, CASP+, higher ones renew the lower ones)

[@Jafodil]

Common Josh W

[@carsonjamesiv2512]

😃👍

[@ScathGaming]

Honesty never found the certs to help in job prospects to begin with. Job experience is the best bargaining chip

[@eman0828]

Right. Degrees and Certifications are essentially useless without experience or any practical hands on. I work as a Linux Admin without a degree or certs because I had a homelab. I taught myself Linux over 10 years ago.

[@evans_northwest]

I actually almost gave CompTia $150 and then saw this. Keeping CISSP/CISM current only. Thanks!

[@michaelscott5962]

If u have CISSP/CISM, companies won’t care about your CompTIA certs in most cases anyway since those are mainly for entry level.

[@krisg900]

I have CASP+. They renew all the other certs. So renewing all the others wouldn't be a problem. CASP+ is on the same level as cissp for dod.