Niall Merrigan

Accomplished Developer Helps Others Achieve Success Through Microsoft Certifications

Niall Merrigan is a highly experienced developer who has earned 14 Microsoft® certifications. Through his training, he has become an expert in development with Microsoft technologies. As he has earned more certifications, his career has risen. In 2007, he was hired by ErgoGroup, a large IT company in Norway. ErgoGroup highly values Microsoft certifications, because they reinforce the company’s credibility with customers and support a higher billing rate for Microsoft-certified staff. At the office in Stavanger, Norway, Merrigan set up a program to get 100 percent of the development team certified. The company pays for the training and recoups its investment in each developer in just 20–40 billing hours. And Merrigan, who has found that his own certifications have made him a valuable job candidate and employee, is enthusiastic about helping others achieve new skills and opportunities.

Situation

Niall Merrigan brings energy and curiosity to his work as a software developer. With 9 years in IT, he has achieved 14 Microsoft® certifications, which include Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist, Microsoft Certified Professional Developer, and Microsoft Certified IT Professional. Merrigan’s certification training has given him advanced qualifications for working with Microsoft products and technologies such as Windows® XP and Windows Vista® operating systems, Windows Server® 2003, Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007, Microsoft SQL Server® 2005 database software, and the Microsoft .NET Framework.

Customers want people who can look beyond their requirements and give them something just a bit better. The knowledge that you gain studying for Microsoft certifications prepares you to do that.  Niall Merrigan Senior Solutions Developer Microsoft .NET Portal and Solutions Team, ErgoGroup

In October 2007, Merrigan was hired by ErgoGroup, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. ErgoGroup is one of the largest IT companies in the Nordic region, and its operations in Norway make it the largest Microsoft software integrator there. Merrigan was hired as a Senior Solutions Developer for the Microsoft .NET Portal and Solutions Team at the company’s office in Stavanger, Norway. His Microsoft certification credentials, which supplement his work experience, helped him get the job. Although ErgoGroup does not make certifications a prerequisite for employment, the company won a prize in 2007 as the Microsoft Certified Gold Partner with the most certifications.

Shortly after Merrigan’s arrival, the company began seeking ways to boost morale and increase productivity and billings. He suggested a certification program for the developers. ErgoGroup had always encouraged its developers to pursue Microsoft certifications, but discussions had mostly been confined to performance reviews. Because of his knowledge of the Microsoft certification process, Merrigan was placed in charge of the new program.

Solution

Merrigan set up the certification program at the end of January 2008. At that time, about 65 percent of the .NET Portal and Solutions Team had achieved one or more Microsoft certifications, such as Microsoft Certified Application Developer, Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer .NET, and Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist. The team’s specialties included Office SharePoint Server 2007, Windows Server 2003, SQL Server 2005, and Microsoft BizTalk® Server 2006. Merrigan set a goal of getting 100 percent of the team certified in at least one area of specialty.

Under the program, ErgoGroup pays the training and exam fees for its employees who are pursing certification. “We make it easy for the developers, “says Merrigan. “There are no costs or paperwork for them, so they only have to give their time.” He helped the company save money on training by using the Microsoft Partner Skills Plus Training and certification offers, which provide significant discounts on materials and training kits.

There is a shortage of qualified IT professionals in Norway, and the program gives the developers an opportunity to gain valuable experience. “We say to them, Microsoft certifications are a shortcut for moving ahead in your career, and you can use our program as an incentive to get there,” says Merrigan. The company also offers a bonus incentive for employees to encourage them to work on a certification during weekends and evenings.

Merrigan meets with the developers individually to help them plan for and schedule exams. He works with the developers and helps them figure out what certifications would of most benefit to them. Besides lending his ideas, the developers support each other in study groups.

Benefits

Merrigan’s career path and skills have accelerated with his Microsoft certifications. Now, he is helping to extend those advantages to the other developers at the Stavanger office. Both developers and the company are already benefiting from the program that Merrigan set up.

Improved Job Opportunities for Certified Professionals

Merrigan has found that his certifications have helped him get job interviews. In one search, for example, he secured seven job interviews in just two days. Although Merrigan’s work experience is also helpful, he says his certifications help him stand out from other applicants. “Microsoft certifications give me the credentials that employers see as proof of my competence.”

With the knowledge and confidence that you gain from a Microsoft certification, you can solve issues quicker, even if you have never encountered that particular problem before.  Niall Merrigan Senior Solutions Developer Microsoft .NET Portal and Solutions Team, ErgoGroup

Expanded Knowledge and Faster Development

The skills that developers gain from training and studying for Microsoft certifications give them a solid grounding in developing for Microsoft environments. “With the knowledge and confidence that you gain from a Microsoft certification, you can solve issues quicker, even if you have never encountered that particular problem before,” Merrigan says. “You might not know the solution right away, but you know where to look.”

Merrigan says Microsoft-certified developers also write better code. He remembers one developer who increased his efficiency by at least 20 percent on one type of code after he received his certification.”He simply gained more confidence,” Merrigan says. “Microsoft-certified developers write more reliable code, because they make fewer errors.”

Increased Revenue and Customer Satisfaction

ErgoGroup expects to benefit significantly from the developer certification program, too. “The company can bill up to 12.5 percent higher for Microsoft-certified developers than for others,” says Merrigan. “And it recoups its investment in the training in only 20–40 billing hours.”

Because customers frequently want developers who are certified in a certain technology, the certifications also help ErgoGroup get new business. “That’s important, because if you do the first job well, you usually get more work later, which means even more revenue.” What’s more, as the company’s number of Microsoft-certified developers has grown in 2007 and 2008—some due to acquisitions even before the certification program began—the company increased its Microsoft-based business by about 18 percent.

Certifications contribute to customer satisfaction, too. “Customers want people who can look beyond their requirements and give them something just a bit better. The knowledge that you gain studying for Microsoft certifications prepares you to do that,” says Merrigan.

Enhanced Strengths for Developers and the Company

Currently, the Microsoft .NET Portal and Solutions Team at Stavanger has 37 certifications. Yet the team members will not rest until they have attained their goal of 100 percent certification. Merrigan himself is working toward the Microsoft Certified Architect designation.

“Our developers are very enthusiastic about our certification program,” says Merrigan. “We expect it will help us retain talented developers and build our strengths within the company. Investing in Microsoft certifications is a winning strategy for everyone. There’s no doubt it helps both the individual developer and the company.”

For More Information

For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada

Microsoft-certified developers write more reliable code, because they make fewer errors.  Niall Merrigan Senior Solutions Developer Microsoft .NET Portal and Solutions Team, ErgoGroup

Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:
http://www.microsoft.com/

For more information about ErgoGroup AS products and services visit the Web site at:
http://www.ergogroup.no/

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Document published April 2008