Node.js Certification: Validate Your Skillset

An interview with Ionut Alixandroae, Senior Software Engineer at Esri, on the OpenJS Foundation Node.js Certification experience.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ialixandroae
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ialixandroae

The OpenJS Node.js Application Developer certification (JSNAD) is a program designed to certify Node.js developers who have two or more years of experience working with Node.js. This program helps establish developers credibility in an extremely competitive job market. Having a certification helps set you apart from other candidates as it consists of exams covering applications and service deployment. 

Certification is online and proctored, simulating on-the-job scenarios. There are two versions, one for services development and one for application development. It is a two hour test that requires the implementation of multiple solutions within a Remote Desktop Linux environment. For more information on how you can get certified, test your abilities and strengthen your resume, click here.

We wanted to better understand how the Node.js Certification experience is helping developers stand out, so we spoke with Ionut Alixandroae. Ionut is a senior full-stack engineer from Munich, Germany working at Esri who took this course and recently got certified.

Ionut is currently working on his vision to create a personal technology blog, where he plans on sharing knowledge in the form of tutorials that cover various topics on Node.js.

Why did you want to be certified?
I am a full-stack developer with a background and proficiency across several programming languages. I have been using Node.js in the last 4-5 years in different projects and products, and the main reason for getting certified was a personal decision and aspiration: I wanted to prove and validate my Node.js dexterities through a certified authority such as OpenJS Foundation and The Linux Foundation. 

The second reason for buying the bundle and passing the certification was to consolidate and enhance my existing knowledge. 

What was the JSNAD testing experience like?
The certification exam is challenging and, indeed, the level is, at least, intermediate. It doesn’t challenge your ability to guess a correct answer from a list, but it challenges you to provide solutions to real problems using the Node API. This differentiates it from other exams and adds more value to it. The time is short if unused properly and some challenges felt a bit ambiguous in description and scope. I am extremely happy I passed the certification in one go, and overall, I strongly recommend it! 

How has completing the JSNAD certification impacted your work?
It added more assurance to my NodeJS software engineering abilities, and perhaps, transformed me into a more productive and robust engineer. 

What are your next steps?
I’m currently thinking about creating a personal tech blog, where I would like to share the knowledge and skills with other learners by providing practical tutorials and a broad spectrum of lessons covering different aspects of Node.js development and usage. 

Thank you, Ionut! Good luck with work and your new challenges. We’re looking forward to seeing your personal technology blog up and running!

The certification exam comes with the option of a free retake exam and for a limited time, a free testing environment preview to prepare for the upcoming exam. If you have any questions regarding the test, please click here.

We are also excited to offer all registrants of OpenJS World a special discount on Node.js Certifications and Trainings. Learn more here: https://openjsf.org/blog/2021/05/13/special-offer-get-50-node-js-certification-and-training-when-you-register-for-openjs-world/