University Graduates

Do employers prefer university graduates or people with specific IT qualifications/certificates?

Examples of certain IT qualifications/certificates could be.... MCSA MCSE CCNA etc... But do employers prefer Uni grads with BE in Com Sci or do they prefer people with so called "hands on experience"?

Public Comments

1. more qualified better job but sometimes if your overqualified for job you might not get job.
2. The best and only answer to that, is that most companies would rather see actual experience rather than qualifications of any kind. Most universities and colleges now provide/require Students to do some work experience so in one respect they are better (assuming you have gained some experience) The main requirement companies have is to have you productive as soon as possible. Colleges do more than teach you technology (in fact most colleges teach technologies that are out of date before you graduate) they also teach you how to learn for yourself, and through projects etc how to work with other people. IT certifications are always a plus but most rely on exams and the regurgitation of knowledge there is rarely any need or experience in applying that knowledge. And that is what companies want most. If you have no experience I think college is more advantageous As experience grows both Degrees and Certifications lose a lot of meaning inside a company or industry, but are often used by the companies themselves to establish technology partners (some of whom require that a partner company have a number of <product> certified staff) having those qualifications does give you an advantage at that point. In consulting also where your services are provided to third parties, Certifications are generally regarded as more useful in demonstrating to a client that the consultants have specific skill sets