I have categorized this post with “Climbing the ladder” although as the title suggests, I’m not entirely sure I climbed anything just yet.

I know some of you *coughs* Nataly *coughs* have noticed my absence here on Work It, Mom! in recent weeks. Others of you *coughs* Kate *coughs* were warned to expect precisely nothing from me asked to forgive me for excusing myself from a special project we were working on. I purposely did not share the details of where I have been until things shook out in full at the office but now, after several weeks of announcements, changes in roles and responsibilities and other varied communications it is safe to share with you some career news.

…drumroll, please….

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Every week I end up with a collection of links and I always think I’ll present them here with a lovely post on the subject. The truth is that I typically post here once per week and rarely have time for more than that.  And some weeks?  I don’t even have time for one decent post.

So in the spirit of sharing things that I found interesting on the world wide internets (but do not have time to actually write lengthy commentary on) I now present a listing of interesting things I found whilst browsing my inbox and Google Reader recently.

IT Salary Survey: Not all technical certifications are created equal.

Master these 10 processes to sharpen your project management skills.

Tips to Spring clean your career.

Tuesdays are employees most productive days.

Know how much the other guy earns?

Have you read anything interesting on the web recently that you would like to share?

I have held positions in a variety of areas where it would be appropriate to take specialized training and take a certification test in that particular area. Examples of this are Project Management and Business Analyst certifications.

There are also many national and international associations that we professionals have at our disposal. I have never been prone to joining these formal associations and while I have held many high level positions in project management and business analysis, I am not certified. I have actually done formal trainings to organizations on the principals of project management yet I am uncertified.

I have never felt it was necessary to get a formal certification in the areas that I work in. It certainly has not had a negative impact on my career but lately I have been wondering if there might be some value to joining an international association, and getting formal training and certification in my areas of expertise.

Are certifications common in your field and if so, are you certified? I’m interested in other people’s thoughts on the subject.

Discuss…