BCS CITP - Is it worth it?

Question

My company is affiliated with the British Computing Society and is pushing people to try to get Chartered IT Professional status. Is this worth getting?

The BCS website doesn't give much information (the site, run by IT people for IT people, wants you to fill in a form so that they can post - snail mail! - information to you!) but I've had a look around the web and not found much about it - although the wikipedia page does just make me feel cynical about the whole thing by making it sound that the key requirement is to have been in the industry for ten years....

So is this really recognised and a good thing to get to prove your expertise, or is it just another essentially meaningless piece of paper?

Answer 1

It depends what kind of companies you intend to work for in future (and if they would care about it), or whether customers or potential customers of your current or future employers would care about it.

But personally, I've never felt it would be a useful addition to my CV, or (when recruiting) something that would make a positive difference to a candidate's CV.

The requirement to demonstrate Continuous Professional Development that comes with it is a good one, but I would look for a candidate to demonstrate how he or she had done and continued to develop professionally, not just have a piece of paper that says they're supposed to do it.

Answer 2

The BCS is about business rather than IT. In talking to outsiders who don't know whether they can trust your expertise, a certification may help make you sound good. But don't expect it to carry any weight among other programmers.

Answer 3

I've had the post-nomial MBCS (the one you get before you're "qualified" for CITP) for a few years now. It makes my email signature look "better" (for differing values of "better" of course) but I don't think it has changed how people work with me.

I've also taken two ISEB Business Analysis modules associated with the BCS. Again, no-one's mentioned or cared about these either.

I think the BCS is trying to get certain areas of Computing officially recognised as a Profession. If they do this then perhaps things like CITP will be more important (like they are for doctors, vets, architects, etc) but until then I don't think it really matters.

I am now "qualified" to attempt to apply for CITP. I'm not going to do it. It basically just shows experience and recognition by peers in your field. My CV and references/referees already show that.

Answer 4

So you're working for a company that wants you to get the qualification but your not sure whether to do it or not? I presume it would look good on your next performance appraisal?

If they pay the membership fees then I'd say go for it. You'll have something to boast about in your next performance review that will look good to the company, you won't have to pay anything and it's likely to make you stand out above your peers who don't have it. It's not going to have a negative impact if you get it (you can always leave it off your CV/Resume) so it seems quite straight forward to me.

Answer 5

I've found the CEng to be useful than the CITP. Nobody knows what CITP means but I'm in an industry where I associate with professional engineers and CEng is a reassuring link between us when I'm trying to get some business. If nothing else we can compare the amount of money wasted by the BCS on rebranding with the amount that the Mechanical Engineers spend on their London HQ.

If you're not sure whether to go for membership then why not visit a few local branch meetings beforehand. They're free and open to non-members and you'll learn more about the advantages and failings of the society.