Stefan Jaquemar, Adam Nicinski, Steven Beothy, Marek Dorsic, and Wee Leng Ang belong to an exclusive club. These five overachievers—collectively—hold 82 Esri technical certifications that span all three certification domains: Desktop, Developer, and Enterprise. They amassed these certfications in just five years since the program launched.
Each has demonstrated not only expertise in multiple ArcGIS domains but also the motivation and time management skills required to successfully prepare for and pass a certification exam not once but many times.
Stefan Jaquemar
17 Certifications
Consulting and Support at SynerGIS
Stefan Jaquemar is required by his employer, SynerGIS, to hold an Esri technical certification. SynerGIS, the Esri distributor in Austria and Slovakia, believes that having Esri-certified staff showcases the company’s ArcGIS platform expertise to its customers.
“My focus at work is ArcGIS for Server, Portal for ArcGIS, and enterprise geodatabases. That’s the reason for being certified in these areas. The certifications give me confidence in teaching, consulting, and supporting customers, partners, and colleagues. Once I started with certification, I nearly got addicted to it,” he joked.
The new ArcGIS Desktop Entry and the ArcGIS Desktop Professional are the only Esri certifications missing from Jaquemar’s portfolio. Could 18 certifications be on the horizon? “My colleagues sometimes tease me that I should finally take the ArcGIS Desktop Professional. We will see.”
Adam Nicinski
17 Certifications
Developer at Comarch
In addition to his 17 Esri certifications, Adam Nicinski holds a master’s degree in spatial information systems. He also submitted the winning entry in the Esri Data Viz App Challenge 2015.
Over the last few years, Nicinski has developed a winning exam-preparation regimen. “Every time I was preparing for an exam, I went through its qualifications and skills measured, published on the Esri Certification website, and studied in depth on those topics, referencing my hands-on experience with the software. Also, I reviewed the Esri help documentation extensively.”
Nicinski’s desire to earn particular Esri certifications evolved over time. “The main driver for becoming Esri certified was to obtain authoritative confirmation of my proficiency with the ArcGIS platform. The order in which I obtained certifications mirrors my Esri software experience. I started with desktop, then got familiar with geodatabases and server technology, and lastly started using Esri’s application development tools. This approach has been a natural way for me to build my professional career.”
Steven Beothy
16 Certifications
Senior Certified ArcGIS Instructor at Esri Canada
Like other overachievers, Steven Beothy’s path to certification started with a job requirement. “As an instructor with Esri Canada, I was required to be certified in each domain we taught in. I saw it as a great way to prove my knowledge and have credibility in the eyes of my students.”
From there, he grew to appreciate certification for its professional development benefits and potential to grow his career. “It is a means to reassure students in my classes on my knowledge of GIS and Esri software, but it is also a benefit for my career,” Beothy said.
While his 16 certifications support future success, they are also highly relevant to Beothy’s present. “What I like most about Esri certifications is that they test me on software that I use on a daily basis,” said Beothy.
Marek Dorsic
16 Certifications
Solution Architect at ArcGEO Information Systems
Marek Dorsic’s motivation for pursuing Esri technical certification was twofold: he wanted to verify his existing ArcGIS knowledge and also identify areas for future professional development. “The exams are an opportunity to upgrade my knowledge. They help me verify that the procedures I am using for various tasks, like data loading, system upgrades, and even problem solving, are sound and correct,” he said.
As an employee of the Esri distributor for the Slovak Republic, Dorsic is eligible to take beta exams. Some of his test center experiences have been memorable, and he shared one.
“The beta exams take four and a half hours,” Dorsic said. “During one exam, getting a glass of water at the test center was a struggle. After reading and answering dozens of really complex questions, my concentration was gone. I wished to have a cup of strong coffee. Then, after the 70th question, the exam application refused to load the next question. I managed to break the exam software! But on the good side, while the technician was solving my problem, I was offered and could enjoy an espresso.”
Wee Leng Ang
16 Certifications
Senior System Manager at Esri Singapore
Wee Leng Ang sees direct workplace benefits from time spent preparing to take a certification exam. “The exam questions are relevant and practical to the implementation of ArcGIS,” said Ang. “These are real-life workflows, issues, and questions one will face when implementing ArcGIS solutions. By taking the exams, I have the opportunity to look into them long before encountering them.”
“Esri Singapore is an authorized training center, and we are expected to be certified in order to conduct Esri instructor-led courses,” he continued. “With this in mind, I did not choose any specific certification domain or level but just took the exams as they were released. Before I knew it, I had taken all the exams offered by Esri!”
The workplace benefits continue to accrue long after Ang has taken an exam. “As part of the technical team at Esri Singapore, I am involved primarily in presale and training. Being a presale consultant, I am expected to have an in-depth knowledge of ArcGIS products,” Ang said. “Because we are Esri certified, users and potential customers are more confident in the advice that we provide.”
To learn more about the Esri Technical Certification Program, including the qualifications and skills measured for each exam, visit esri.com/certification.
