Rob Jones

Welcome to the third installment of my Linux Careers column. The last two columns focused on recruiting strategies in the open source community. Now I want to examine certifications and their place within the open source community. This topic will be covered in two separate columns. This month, I examine the Linux/open source community's position on certifications as compared to the corporate culture. In Part 2, I'll answer one of the most common questions we at HotLinuxJobs are asked by candidates: "Which certifications should I get?" I will provide insight from the corporate point of view on which Linux/open source certifications are the most valuable and marketable. First of all, why the need for certification? This is an issue that has been debated throughout my four years of experience in monitoring the open source community. Many professionals who have been wo... (more)

Certification Revisited

In the last installment of my Linux Careers column (LWM, Vol. 2, issue 2) I focused on the quandary posed by certifications: most qualified candidates feel that their experience speaks for itself, but as Linux becomes more prevalent in the corporate environment, more potential employers are looking for certifications as a benchmark of the candidate's knowledge and experience in skill sets relevant to the job at hand. This month, I'll help you to understand which certifications corporations are looking for - and why. All Linux certifications fall into one of two categories: vendor-... (more)

Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

This column will focus on different aspects of recruiting and certification within Linux. It will offer advice on the different Linux certifications and which ones would be the best for your employees to have, as well as guidelines on recruiting the best candidates. This month's column focuses on résumés and how to recognize the best candidates. Some quick history you should be aware of: Linux/open source may be new to your company, but it's not a new technology. The Linux kernel has been around since 1991, and many individuals have dedicated their careers to its development. One... (more)

Confidential Linux and Open Source Recruiting

There's tremendous talent in the open source community...but before you can capitalize on the potential within it, you have to understand it. This column explains how to access a wealth of information, with respect for the community that makes it available. Welcome back to the Linux Careers column, which focuses on different aspects of recruiting and certification within Linux. Look here for advice on the different Linux certifications and which ones would be the best for your employees to have, as well as guidelines on recruiting the best candidates. This month the focus is on ... (more)