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A little back story. I’ve worked in IT in some form or fashion since 2006. I used to do Certified HP Warranty repair work to start then moved into corporate IT. I made the mistake of going for degrees over certifications as I could get loans for degrees vs paying out of pocket for certifications. Don’t get me wrong I learned a lot in school but more of it focused on the broader basics and the business functions over pure IT related training. Back out east a degree got you in the door but the certifications got you the better pay. Out here certifications get you in the door and degrees get you the pay. So lacking a good set of certifications for sure hinders my job growth prospects.

Luckily I was recently hired on by a large corporation (36k employees). My title is LAN Administrator Level 7. Basically anything hardware related falls to me in the 5-6 buildings at the site I will be working at. Computer issues, Cable runs, WAP issues, Switch problems, hardware and software deployments, racking of new network equipment etc. Now with this position I get $2200 per year, every year to spend on training, certifications, Degrees, as well as 1-2 hours per month of job shadowing of someone in another area of IT to learn new skills.

I’ve spent the last few years in corporate IT (1800 end users 300 internal and 1500 external). I’ve worked with VMWare, done rack and stack, configured switches, WAPs, deployed new servers, Hardware and software deployment, MDM, etc. I have a decent amount of experience just not the certifications to match. So I’m wanting to take this opportunity to get a handful of certifications under my belt, especially since 1/3 of the IT jobs around here are government jobs on the base that actually pay quite well.

I know I want to renew my Network+ and was looking at getting a subscription to CBT Nuggets which my employer may or may not cover the cost of but they have so many subjects that I want to expand my knowledge on.

I’m not currently Cisco Certified but have been using Cisco switches for the past few years (Catalyst 2900 and 3900 series). I’ve worked with their ASAs, as well as their WAP and now Meraki Equipment. Is Cisco recommended over the broader CompTIA certifications?

I want to get more in depth into networking and security as there is a lot of growth potential in that field out here.

My thought process went to this year

  • renewing my Network+
  • Security+
  • CCNA

Next Year

  • Linux+
  • CASP or CCNP (Not sure which would be the better option or maybe I could get both)

Does this seem like a good start to certifications for the direction I want to go, or are there certifications that may look better on a resume and that may cover more? I’m also not sure how much lab work I may need to do in order to fully grasp everything to do well on the certification exams. So I figured 2 per year would keep me busy. In your experience is this correct or are some certifications close enough that I might be able to get two around the same time?

@Cisco

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I would just jump into CCNA R+S right now if I were you

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With your background and current experience I would suggest getting you ccna and then ccna security, which should not be to hard for you to grab additional concepts since you know you way around a bit. I would bypass the network+… may be just view the videos only. With the security portion I’m not sure what routes ppl go with after Security+. With the na security you will be all networking. Then the option of ccnp security since you are already working on asa’s.

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In my opinion a CCNA trumps the Network +. I would look into certs that would add value to your current position and the equipment you are using. Maybe toss in a little Linux or MS to go with it just to keep you diverse.

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Hey Josh -

It looks like you have thought out your plan really well! A recent article that I have been looking at is from ComputerWorld about the Top IT Certifications for 2015 , it could be worth checking out. As far as looking for a training provider, you can check out KnowledgeNet’s 7 day trial to see if the training style would work for you. Since you seem to be a planner, there is a mentoring system in place would help you stay accountable to finish the certification you want. Let me know if you have any further questions!

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So go with the CCNA vs renewing Network+? I should have enough to get at least two certifications per year if it would be feasible. Back in the day I did my A+ and MCP within 2 months of each other but obviously those were much more basic sets of concepts to learn.

I was looking at the Linux+ for next year as my experience with Linux is limited to basic file server and print server and I followed a step by step for that. So I know Linux will take me quite a bit of learning to get over the learning curve hump. Another reason I wanted to go with something like CBT Nuggets as its one cost for as many areas of learning as I want.

So far I have my MCP which is long past being legacy so I’ll eventually be looking at an area of MCSE, I know that most of what they use to manage and deploy is Microsoft based so I may get most of my training for that at work.

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Another vote for CCNA. and I second the idea of Security after that. Or VOIP. Both are in demand right now. If you want to be a Network Engineer? Cisco everything. Devour it and get paid.

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CCNA for sure.

Pluralsight and books have been working well for me, and it’s cheaper than CBTNuggets. They never really seemed worth the cost to me.

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I agree, CCNA R+S is very essential and good to have.

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Yup, me too, the CCNA is far more respected then the Network +.

Good luck whatever you choose!

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CCNA R/S
Security+
Certified Ethical Hacker

CCNA for the pay raise (maybe not this job but the next), Security+ to fill in any gaps in your security knowledge, then CEH because nobody turns down a job applicant that has hacker on their resume.

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Skip renewal on the Network+ and go for the CCNA Security. Next year, go for the CCNP.

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Hey @joshmcwilliams ,

If you want to try CBT Nuggets, sign up for our 7-day free trial and receive unlimited viewing access for any of our training courses. I would suggest looking at our CCNA Routing and Switching certification playlist as it includes training that covers exam objectives, exam walkthroughs, R&S troubleshooting, and IPv4 subnetting. Let me know if you have any questions regarding CBT Nuggets and good luck!

P.S. Check out this blog post describing a fellow IT pros journey and advice for pursuing a career in networking.

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Instead of wasting time on certs, you should be spending time on practical hands-on learning so you can actually do your job better. Get involved with the network department, study what they do, how they do the day today monitoring of faults, capacity, performance and configuration. Use spare gear to get familiar with the configuration of it from scratch.

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Any of the job shadowing seem more interesting then what you currently do? Perhaps your certification should flow toward that direction or toward next level up or next promotion.

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In my previous job I did a little of everything to get a better grasp of how everything worked. I did basic shadowing of different projects via remote sessions with IT in other locations. I learned quite a bit over the years I was there and I really prefer hands on experience but work experience is hard to quantify for a future employer who does not know me. Certifications help backup my claim of understanding certain areas of IT. All my current experience is still in the medium business sector which I know is far far less complex compared to a huge corporation. Big difference in working in a network that spans 3 countries and 5 Offices vs one thats 28 countries and hundreds of offices. I’m interested in the security side of things both network and Server OS .

For my Masters I had taken a semester in Ethical Hacking and they offered students who passed the final with over 90% a voucher for the certification exam but I still felt I wasn’t quite ready and that there was way more to learn before really being able to easily pass the certification exam. So I still really want to go through that but know that it would be better if I went through more security certifications prior to going for CEH.

My ideal situation would be to get into network security. So far at my new employer I have not had a chance to do any shadowing yet. Scheduling shadow sessions are done during the monthly US IT meetings which I have not been there long enough to be a part of yet. I’m interested it getting beyond the LAN only side and there are always openings in the network and security side especially as they are upgrading much of their infrastructure and opening new offices in additional countries.

So so far its looking like CCNA, Security+ this year then CCNP next year. How are the GIAC sets of certs regarded? I keep seeing them listed as a cert to get but yet to see any employer asking for their certs.

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Job shadowing is the real world. Certs are a cash grab, a marketing gimmick that works even though it’s as old as dirt, and most people who are “certified” can’t actually do the work.

I don’t have many certs, as I’ve always put my energy into my work instead of into studying for exams.

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I’ll back up most of the comments about going after your CCNA. I think it would be more advantageous for you to go after it than the Network+. You mention going after your degrees over certifications. The degree route was more broad where as certs are more focused. The Network+ is broad whereas the CCNA is not. Some examples: You’ll learn about various IT standards with Net+. Yes, it is very good to know those, but I have personally found that I learn those types of things while working with various environments. Certifications haven’t helped there. I can read a book, learn about 802.1q and forget it later. When I’ve configured it 50+ times, the fundamental knowledge gets stuck in my head. The CCNA will not only focus you on configuring with Cisco, but it will carry to other manufacturers. RSTP and VLANs are two technologies used in pretty much any kind of manageable switch. OSPF is used with any manufacturer. You may learn the Cisco method, but that fundamental knowledge will help carry into other manufacturers. I personally run into this as I’ve been in more of a consulting/engineering role in the last several years.

Until this post, I have never heard of GIAC.

You also made a comment about CBT Nuggets. They are superior in training materials. They’re more entertaining than most of the trainings I’ve been involved. If you have an opportunity to get a subscription, take it. It’s well worth the investment if you invest the time.

Also, as you study for your certs try to find a method of study where you’ll retain the information. I know plenty of people who have passed exams (i.e. CCNA) and there’s no way they could subnet today. As you study, find any way possible to integrate your studies into real-world scenarios you run into. Just a thought…

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I wanted to see if my work would count a subscription to CBT Nuggets as part of my training/certification allotment. I figured that would help far beyond just reading everything. It would be an in between real world implementation. Similar to when I was in school I will modify my current home network which includes a server, multiple desktop and laptops and mobile devices, NAS, WAPs, and a managed switch (Though the switch is HP because it was cheap to get a managed HP switch over Cisco)

I’m hoping I’ll be able to get more real life experience when dealing with the switches at my employers when it comes to troubleshooting, setup etc.

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here’s my 2 cents …

You already have around 8-9 years of hand-on experience, which, atleast, I would value more than most certifications… How about some IT management-level certifications - Perhaps a Data Center Management Certification, such as CDCMP or BICSI Data Center Design Consultant ? or an ITIL or PMP certification ? Something security related, like CISSP or GIAC ? Unless ofcourse, you want to keep working hands-on with technology…