Geoff Hunter, Australia and New Zealand CIO at technology and services organisation Accenture, sees the answer as being a bit of both.
According to Hunter, Accenture runs a position-based organisation, which means that within each job description it's specified what certifications and industry experience is needed to hold that position. Therefore, Accenture tends to use a combination of the two.
"We always try to promote from within," he said. This means that if a job becomes vacant within the organisation it looks at existing people to see if they're ready, or could be trained up. "Then we'd hire in at the very junior end of the chain and build their career through the training."
Although he concedes that it's a reality that some people will still move on, Hunter said the idea is to develop existing staff members. This could mean, for example, that someone would join the organisation doing general tasks, and then be given exposure to a particular area.
"I guess we've got to this over a number of years," Hunter conceded. "A lot of it is to have the right job description framework - we've probably been running this way for four to five years consciously."
Hunter also sees a number of benefits in training up existing staff. "Then [you] have people at the senior level who understand the business because they've come up from the bottom and that's very important."
Steven Hayes, managing director at recruitment consultancy IT&T Careers, has also seen a demand for IT professionals with a combination of certification and industry experience.
-I think someone with good hands-on experience may not necessarily be considered because they don't have the certification," Hayes said. -Likewise, someone with the certification, but without hands-on experience, won't be considered either."
Hayes also said that it does depend on the technology area, using the example of security where certification is often required by potential employers. -I think in those types of areas it's certainly mandatory at the moment," he said.
Another example he uses is a potential employer who might want someone to install an NT network, but also need a candidate who has Windows 2000 or NT experience and certification. Hayes admitted that -having the paperwork" of a certification can add to a client feeling more confident that they've made the right decision in hiring a particular person.
Hayes contrasts this situation now with two years ago, when a number of IT departments felt they just had to hire what staff they could find. -Therefore we're stressing with candidates that they should be increasing their skills base and getting their certifications, [and also] get experience in one or two associated areas which makes it more saleable."
Eddie Liu, manager of the IT permanent team at recruitment consultancy Robert Walters, sees a growing demand for very specific industry experience.
-They're looking for people who can perform a function," Liu told ZDNet Australia. -[For example], the scope would now be a project manager who'd undertaken a particular project, of a particular size or scope, within a similar industry," he said.
-A lot of companies are looking for that particular experience â€" they are looking for people who have specifically done that, and recently."
Liu also sees certification as an added differentiator when employers have two candidates who have a similar skills base. He added that certification is also usually required by vendors or outsourcers when they're looking for IT staff, because of the requirements with clients under service-level agreements.
-I think a lot of people are undertaking qualifications in view of securing positions in the marketplace," Liu said. -It shows a commitment to invest in their own knowledge and ability, however it's not a guarantee of employment."
Michel Hedley, national education policy manager at the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), sees certification as particularly important for those just starting out in the IT industry.
He cites some universities that are encouraging students in the later stages of their courses to also do industry certification programs to increase their employability. Hedley said this also happened with people moving industries, or starting work at a company where there was a different technology stream.
thats wat u get bro.