Mendix Certifications from a Truck Driver’s Perspective

Did you know that in Europe we have about 425,000 truck driver positions that are unfilled, meaning that there is a shortage of 425,000 truck drivers? However, the European Union does not waive the expensive and time-consuming procedure for getting the truck driving license.

When things break, the situation gets complicated.

The purpose of most driving licenses — or basically everything you learn — is not so much about understanding what you are dealing with; it’s more about how capable you are of handling the situation when things go wrong. Most things you know how to handle are easy when things go right. But when things behave in ways they shouldn’t, it all becomes much more complex — even when it comes to Mendix.

In Mendix, there are several certification levels, which cover more or less the following:

• Rapid: knowing the fundamental basics of Mendix and what it does.
• Intermediate: knowing the differences between components and the preferences in certain situations.
• Advanced: understanding long-term strategy of your implementations, best practices, and problem-solving.
• Expert: coaching, leading, educating, and inspiring other developers to become better with Mendix.

When looking at websites with IT jobs listed, you can find quite a few open Mendix positions, often for Advanced and Expert levels. There is a reason why companies ask for Advanced and Expert developers. And it is the same reason why, in my opinion, every Mendix developer should continue learning towards at least Advanced Developer certification. When things break, the situation gets complicated.

It’s not relevant to question whether an Advanced or Expert developer can build pages, microflows, or integrations. Rapid and Intermediate developers can do the same. The real value of Advanced and Expert certified developers pays off when things break. Mendix experts are equipped with knowledge and experience that took them years to master. That experience will be put to use when trouble starts. Unfortunately, Rapid and Intermediate developers often lack that extra experience.

Are Rapid and Intermediate certified Mendix developers any less capable? No, they can probably build things in Mendix almost as fast as Advanced and Expert developers. But when serious and highly complex things break, make sure there is an Advanced or Expert developer who has the knowledge and experience to solve the issue.

To wrap this up, if you run a team of Mendix developers, make sure your team members are certified to at least Advanced Developer, so that in case things break, your team is capable of handling the complexity that evolves. When your Mendix team lacks Advanced+ certified developers and development has gone easy and fast for the last few months, be prepared. When things break, it all becomes complicated, and your team needs the knowledge to handle that. The knowledge and capability to solve complicated issues in Mendix is demonstrated by the Advanced Developer Certificate.