Reaching New Heights with Node.js Certification

An interview with Prosper Opara, Junior Fullstack Engineer at Deimos Cloud, on the Node.js Certification experience.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prosper-opara/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kodekage

The OpenJS Node.js Application Developer certification (JSNAD) is the ideal certification for Node.js developers with two or more years of experience working with Node.js. Certifications and Training are a good way to stay on top of current industry skills and standards, as well as test your own abilities. If you are interested in learning more about how you can get certified, test your skills, and improve your resume, you can do so here.

We wanted to talk with someone who had recently taken the certification, and hear exactly what the process was like and what the benefits are. We talked with Prosper Opara, a Junior Fullstack Engineer at Deimos Cloud. Opara is a Linux Foundation Training (LiFT) Scholarship recipient, which gave him the opportunity to prepare and sit for the certification exam. LiFT Scholarships provide opportunities to up-and-coming developers and sysadmins who show promise for helping shape the future of Linux and open source software but do not otherwise have the ability to attend training courses or take certification exams. 

Opara is full-stack JavaScript developer and a self proclaimed “agnostic developer” who doesn’t say “no”  to learning and working with new technology stacks.

One overarching theme in Opara’s answers is the strong value that the JSNAD exam had for his resume and duties at his current position. 

Main quote: “…The certification has helped solidify my claims to proficiency in Node.js and that’s a big booster to achieving my goal and getting promoted.”

Why did you want to be certified? 

I’m a junior engineer and recently just started working full time for a cloud focused company huge on employees getting professional certifications. Deimos Cloud funds certification efforts for employees, that’s how serious we take certifications at Deimos Cloud! I was lucky enough to get the Linux Foundation Lift scholarship before joining my current team, the whole certification focus at Deimos spurred me into taking getting professional certifications more seriously. I took  the JSNAD exam and passed. 

What was the test JSNAD testing experience like? 

The test experience for me felt like a white board interview (haha), I actually sat for and took the exam twice. The first time I was a bit tense and forgot to test my code solutions most of the time because I felt (I still feel) the 2hrs was pretty short for the certification methodology. It’s pretty tense (haha), but then on my retake I was very comfortable, more relaxed and luckily had time to test most of my code solutions. Nothing is perfect, but I’d rate my overall test-taking experience 7/10.

How has completing the JSNAD certification impacted your work? 

The certification greatly helped improve my confidence in my skills as a Node.js developer, and my team members trust me more with Node.js related projects (because I’m certified). I’m hoping to make more money in future before my certification becomes invalid, haha. But I have gotten a couple Node.js specific job offers already.

What are your next steps? 

I’m currently working towards becoming a senior engineer (that’s really the next big thing for me now). In addition to my ability to solve technical problems with code, the certification has helped solidify my claims to proficiency in Node.js and that’s a big booster to achieving my goal and getting promoted.

Thank you to Prosper Opara for these responses. We’re looking forward to hearing more about your promotions and new challenges. Good luck!

If you are interested in applying for a LiFT scholarship, lean more here:https://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/about/diversity-inclusivity/lift-scholarships/. Deadline to apply is April 30th.

Each certification exam comes with a free exam retake and for a limited time, a free testing environment preview to even better prepare folks to take the exam.

Additionally, all Node.js Training and Certifications are deeply discounted until April 9th. Learn more here: https://openjsf.org/certification/