My research and personal experience tell me that the essential thing in a career as an IT specialist is special skills and knowledge. In fact, it is not so important where specialists get them from, from a degree or certificates. The portfolio of specialists will tell much more eloquently about their abilities and writing software style than any certificates. The degree is typically required in management positions whose scope of influence goes beyond the usual understanding of IT processes (Dice, 2022a). The emphasis in such vacancies is often placed on soft skills, project management, and other essential aspects of leadership relevant to IT processes. The specificity of technical knowledge is required in terms of the possibility of its transformation into an accessible language for non-specialists in this field. At the same time, narrower specialists either do not require certificates and degrees or need both (Dice, 2022b; Dice, 2022c). In fact, the distinction can be drawn along the vertical career path: if specialists plan to occupy leadership positions, a degree must be developed; if they are focused on professional activities – certificates. I want to get Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect, as I consider this direction to be one of the most promising in the future.
I agree with Joshua that it is critical for the highest-paid and most successful professionals to have experience, certifications, and degrees. However, even in the best case, this takes much time. Everything is individual and depends on the personal goals of the applicants. A certificate can provide more targeted and practical training in a particular skill, while a degree provides a general understanding of the subject area. Even more specific experiences require different skills from job to job. In this regard, I believe that after a particular time, a careerist must make a conscious choice in which direction to move: deep into professional knowledge or upward to leadership positions.
References
Dice. (2022a). Chief Information Technology Officer. Web.
Dice. (2022b). IT Technical Applications Advisor. Web.
Dice. (2022c). AV/IT Technology Specialist. Web.