A certificate chosen before a target role is a bet placed before you know the game.
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The problem
The most common first move for someone entering IT is to buy a certification — usually the one a forum recommended most loudly — and start studying that night. It feels productive and official. But a certificate chosen before a target role is a bet placed before you know the game, and it is one of the most expensive false starts in an IT transition: real money, three months of evenings, and often a badge that no job you actually want asks for.
Why this matters now
