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When I searched about this topic I could only find older posts. So don’t blast me if there’s an updated list.
I am thinking of spending some of my own money to upgrade and get some certification in case I need it. I am currently employed and have an A+ by CompTIA. I am in a jack of all trades job and do it all from server admin to small network design and implementation. (It’s a small company) However in case I need to change jobs for whatever reason I have no papers that say I can do otherwise.
So my question is this: What certification is going to be worth something?
Now I know this is a loaded question. This greatly depends on the direction you want to go, and what jobs are available in your area. However there must be people in the spiceworks community that are on the more cutting-edge of tech jobs and know or can at least see what will be trendy and popular in the future.
Some that I was looking at was my CCNA and then CCNA Security (because I have taken cisco courses before and I enjoy it) or I was thinking of my VCP5 through VMware. (because I use VMware now and everyone seems to be buzzing about “cloud”)
So any spiceheads have some good input? Last thing I would like to do is shell out $3K+ of my own money just to find out I got hosed.

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If you have a job that has room for advancement/raises, try seeing if they will help pay for it, making sure you point out that if you can do your job better in this particular area, how will it help the company as a whole?

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It really depends on your level of experience. For me (entry level + some), I’ve been advised to get Net+, Security+, and Linux+. They are seen as low level, but widely accepted certs (according to many of the recruiters and hiring managers I talked to during my most recent job search). But for someone higher up, I think it greatly depends on what you want to end up doing. I know that the Cisco certs are greatly respected, and if you can get yourself up to a CCNP you can demand a 6 figure salary without asking too much.

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Start with the Cisco path, its starts will CCENT to CCNP

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MCITP-2008

MCSA\MCSE-2012

then do Cisco or something else.

from what i understand its rare to be just a Cisco guy working in a in house IT department. so you want something that is broader than just cisco. those certs from microsoft are the server administration level of certification. perfect for a foundation that then leads to being capable of Cisco and others.

how can you be cisco guy if you cant connect it to a server?(talking about on paper here of course!)

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As you’ve stated, it does greatly vary based on what work you’d be doing.

Being a SysAdmin, I’ve had my eye on Windows-Domain-VM-etc certs. Unfortunately, the MCITP series is set to expire soon. This is a problem when you consider that the MCSE/MCSA series slated to replace it is designed for the Server 2012 environment, an environment that hasn’t been adopted by many organizations yet. So, pursuing the MCSA/MCSE series would be more of a gamble than usual in regards to acquiring certifications. I mean, what is the sense in acquiring the certification if the Server 2012 OS doesn’t take off that well, a possibility that is quite likely considering the majority opinion of the radical design change present in the latest release of Windows.

Of course, exploring certs that are a bit unusual for your preferred job role can help you land a job, as you would be able to bring more to the table than other prospects who adhere solely to the certs that apply to the job in question. The difficult thing is in making these oddball certs applicable (or of at least some value to your potential employer).

For example, since it was announced a few years ago, I have been wanting to pursue the CompTIA Strata (I think it’s called the Green IT cert or something like that now). My plan was to use that as a means to put myself slightly above my competition for a job. If I could say that I have the same or similar certs as the other job-hunters but that I also have training in how to reduce the amount of electricity used by a company (thus saving it money), then I am able to bring more to the table for my potential employer. If I had documented proof of using my techniques to achieve a cost-savings at a previous employer, all the better.

Currently, there is a bit push in the medical field here in the States to move to electronic medical records (EMR). In fact, I am currently employed by a medical group in the SE. CompTIA has an EMR-specific cert that I’m sure would put an applicant in a huge lead for a job with my company, even if the job is for a simple break-fix tech.

In conclusion, I know that many people in IT view certs as a stopgap fix for lack of experience, but I think of them more as a tool to summarize ones abilities, as well as a means to show an ability to be multifaceted. With companies looking to get the most bang/buck from human investments (that is, employees), the ability to say that you can do what is required for the position plus more is always a good way to go.

EDIT: That having been said, it is possible to become over-qualified for a position. So, what you put on your resume and what you mention in an interview must be chosen carefully. You don’t want to outsell yourself or pile so much information on your employer that what you really want to communicate becomes diluted.

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@Ross7829 - I wish I did have an employer who could spend that kind of money on my “upkeep”

@JJoyner1985 Thanks for the post - I agree with it and this is why I’m asking - not so much as to solve an issue now, but to be ready for the future and to be ready for the competition. I would like to take some certs now so when they become the new craze/fad that I’m ready and I’m not suddenly in with 1000’s of people flooding the classrooms trying to get the cert to keep up. I work for a medical company and yes, we currently run an EMR system here. I didn’t know CompTIA had an EMR cert and maybe I will look into it (after all - moving up in my type of work is gov’t run hospitals)

The rest of you are right - I am just wondering down the road if my resume has on it that I am experienced running Microsoft Servers are they really going to care about MCITP vs the CCNA/CCNP or VCP5 or Hyper-V?

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Will the HR department care? Probably not, unless the job listing has those listed, and then they can be sure to match up the letters. Where it will matter is with IT manager where you are pursuing the job.

The CompTIA Healthcare IT:

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I was in a similar situation a few years back. I was a System Support Manager for an industrial plant that encompassed supporting desktops/laptops/printers/switches/telecom and server equipment (ad, exchange, etc…) I also programmed and implemented changes for their existing inventory tracking apps. Like you said, “A jack of all trades.” In the end, I burnt myself out and left abruptly (yes, idiotic). Then spent the next 2 years looking for a job. I could not even get in the door to the most basic jobs because of my lack of certs/schooling although I had 10 years experience in support.

My advice is to get the basic certs for all areas you are interested. Especially, if the company you work for is planning to help. Most companies (at least the one I’m at now) will appreciate you taking the initiative to get better at your job. However, if they are going to pay they probably want some guarantee you won’t leave them after obtaining your certs so you could get stuck for a year or two. If you enjoy networking and have had Cisco courses in the past, then I would say go for CCNP, CCSP or CCIE. Those are some of the highest paid certs…

Good luck.

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Experience and a great track record with a company is a HUGE plus. Don’t burn any bridges, as Greg said in his post; you will regret it. I am in the same boat as you. Got my A+ cert a few years back (right before they made you start renewing it every 3 years, mine is for life). One of the big pains is that a lot of certs are not valid unless you take a renewal test every 3 years or whatever. Network+ and Security+ from CompTIA are both fairly easy and inexpensive to take, but add a lot to your resume. They build upon the principles you learned in A+. I will likely pursue these, and then go down teh MCSA/MCSE 2012 route, as soon as that is available.

The issue for me, like you, is that my company can’t pay for that training. The good news is though, they are willing to let me do the training during work hours assuming that I am caught up on everything else. So ideally, I will train a few hours a day for this for a few months.

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Jack of all trades - I’ve been doing that for the past 10 years. I would say that it’s definitely the Microsoft Certs. Besides filling any gaps in your sysadmin skill set, these certs are and will continue to be relevant.

When I started getting certs I got the MCSE 2000, CCNA and CCDA. I have upgraded the MCSE about every 3 years or so, and am working on getting the MCITP to MCSE 2012. The CompTia Security+ was a fun one to get, very relevant regardless of what specialty you are focusing on.

My Cisco certs have long since expired because most places just don’t seem to have jobs that need guys with Cisco certs. And when they do, it’s a big organization that has specialized guys who do nothing but that stuff. If working in a really big shop and specializing in Cisco is something you would enjoy, that is the only time I think the Cisco certs would overpower getting the CompTia Security+, Network+ or Microsoft certs first.

On anther note, I also let the Cisco certs expire because both the Cisco and Microsoft certs have so much information to them now that my brain just can’t keep it all in.

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Wireless and Virtualization are hot now.

Cisco has a CCNA/CCNP/CCIE Wireless track, but the base CCNA is required. CCNA security still has the base CCNA requirement, and aims to firewall, VPN, IDS/IPS, & DMZ concerns. (“Base” CCNA leads to “everything” else Cisco, and routing & switching CCNP and CCIE.)

Microsoft has yet to release the 2012 certs (Hyper-V 3.0 is much improved). There are beta exams and study groups now (check around MS’ site).

VMware still leads the VM game…for now. VCP certification requires taking an official VMware class, which is pricy (few thousand when last checked).

Strategy? Depends on timeline and learning style. If can handle classrooms training, community colleges offer most MS certs as classes (some better than others). Benefit is peers, college course credit, tax credit, access to equipment (generally), access to Dreamspark (legit MS licenses), and possible reduced price cert vouchers.

(Base) CCNA is offered via colleges as well (benefits similar to MS, above). CCNA does grant a voucher on completion. Check, “Cisco Networking Academy” for locations. CCNA Security, Wireless, and Voice are rare outside specialty training centers (& associated cost).

CompTIA has equivalent offerings at colleges, and reduced price vouchers may be available. N+ is trivial once the CCNA is completed. Server+ ought be trivial when MCITP is completed. Previously, some of the CompTIA exams counted to MS equivalents, but not seeing a confirmation for that of late.

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Good when one already has healthcare &/or clinical experience. HIPAA is very much about having implemented security infrastructure and processes. Expect a criminal background check and credit check for these jobs—maybe a DMV check as well.

Would want to supplement it with some form of project experience, such as Project+, PMP, Prince2, etc.