Professional Certificates

Question

Which professional certificates are most desired by employers seeking GIS professionals?

Are there any online courses available online that provides certification?

Thanks

Answer 1

It's worth noting that the ESRI certification has only just started up. Some of which is still in development. We don't know how much this is worth yet in the recruitment industry and how the GIS companies will respond. The cost of the Esri certification is quite cheap so I'm looking into it as it wouldn't harm the CV but whether it will have any influence yet on the recruitment is anyones guess.

Answer 2

If you do not meet the requirements of GISP certification yet, I would also submit that obtaining a GIS Certificate from an accredited University (like Penn State’s online program) would be a good start. The credit you earn from this can be used to help meet the requirements of GISP certification. When I interview potential candidates for entry to mid level GIS positions a GIS certificate beyond a geo-science type degree is a must.

Answer 3

My experience has been that with the past 3 employment opportunities I have pursued, all of them were interested in or had the requirement for GISP.
Now with GISP and ESRI certification being complimentary of each other both certificates will become even more desirable by the hiring employers.
ESRI does offer Online virtual classess but not online certification. The classes are meant to prepare you for GIS work, the certification is to prove what you know.

Common questions for certification
All certification testing is given through a third party... Pearson VUE Testing Centers.
There is recommended training for each certification but completion of the training course does not constitute a certification.

Further reading and comparisons...
GISP, ESRI, and ASPRS
discussion

I am pretty sure that a search would provide some online college certification (not GISP or ESRI).