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Hello Everyone,

Since my other posts talked about me leaving the company due to being treated like crap, I wanted to work on getting my certifications.

I’m looking into getting my CCEE, MCSA and CCNA. Can any of you recommend where I can get resources to get certified? Although I’ve been a System Administrator for years, I don’t have my cert and would like to acquire them.

11 Spice ups
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I’ve had some success with the Microsoft Press Books, best prices have been from Amazon. I’m currently working on my MCITP: Server Administrator cert and have been using the MS press books for 70-640, 70-642, 70-643 and 70-647. It helps to have a hands on lab you can test on. I’m sure you will do fine if you have some SysAdmin experience. the MCITP: SA is the equivalent of MCSA, just for Windows 2008 Server they changed the certification names.

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/cert-overview.aspx

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I would ask myself what is more important to me. Which way do you want to go Microsoft or Cisco and plan map out that route first. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/cert-overview.aspx#tabcerttracks and find out which track best represents your interest and career path. When getting ready for an exam get all the reading material you can. I still do like the MIcrosoft press books. Go to your local library and get the CCNA training book. You ARE going to spend money getting your exams. If you have $$ to burn the trainer lead classes are (usually) excellent.

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If you can afford the time and expense, boot camps can be a good option, especially if you already know your stuff and just need to learn how to do it the Microsoft way. I went through these guys: http://www.mntview.com/ , mostly because they’re local to me, but there were guys coming from all over.

Certs are not the useless piece of paper that they used to be. Unless you go the brain dump route, boot camps are a pretty brutal learning process. You will be exhausted by the end of it, but it is a good kind of exhausted.

Philipmjr has a great write up on his experience at an MCITP boot camp that is worth a read: http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/124251-getting-certified-day-1

1 Spice up
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There are ways of studying for a CCNA for free. There is a thread on the CIsco Learning Network that covers how to do that.

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/thread/15662

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Ingwe wrote:

I would ask myself what is more important to me. Which way do you want to go Microsoft or Cisco and plan map out that route first. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/cert-overview.aspx#tabcerttracks and find out which track best represents your interest and career path. When getting ready for an exam get all the reading material you can. I still do like the MIcrosoft press books. Go to your local library and get the CCNA training book. You ARE going to spend money getting your exams. If you have $$ to burn the trainer lead classes are (usually) excellent.

This looks like a good start and thank you. I recently purchased a CCNA study guide from Amazon for $1. The book is by Lammle and read great reviews. I kind of want a piece of both. Cisco and Microsoft. CCNA is the goal for me and the other is for MCSA or I guess now called MCITP. Anyone know what’s the best place to look where I can find a testing facility for my Certifications?

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Another +1 on INGWE’s advice on figuring out your direction.

Hats off to the guys who can maintain BOTH Microsoft and Cisco high level certifications, but my brain just isn’t that big. I chose to let my CCNA\CCDA expire when it became apparent that both directions were increasingly becoming very complex.

For the Microsoft exams, Transcender Practice tests are pretty much invaluable in my book. If you can pass those, you can pass a MS exam.

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Dthraco wrote:

Another +1 on INGWE’s advice on figuring out your direction.

Hats off to the guys who can maintain BOTH Microsoft and Cisco high level certifications, but my brain just isn’t that big. I chose to let my CCNA\CCDA expire when it became apparent that both directions were increasingly becoming very complex.

For the Microsoft exams, Transcender Practice tests are pretty much invaluable in my book. If you can pass those, you can pass a MS exam.

So many that’s listed that I’m confused where to even begin in Transcender Practice.

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Transcender would be the place to go once you have already chosen the exam you want to take, and have spent time with regular study material.

Transcender practice exams are more of a test preparation and gap assessment tool.

Since you have been a systems administrator for some time, you might take a look at the current Microsoft certifications and pick one you would like to go for. The nice thing is that you pass one test, and you’re a MCP. That is, assuming you want to stay a Sysadmin.

The exams for MCITP:SA are not stepping stones for the MCITP:EA, as it was with MCSA to MCSE. They are a bit more involved than the MCSA exams, IMHO (I have both).

Note that once you certify with a Microsoft exam, you are certified for life. While not all that useful anymore, my MCSE\MCSA 2000 credentials are still valid. I can’t put CCNA/CCDA on my resume anymore because they expired in 2004. Cisco, and CompTia exams expire after 3 years, requiring you to re-certifiy. Not always a bad thing, but definitely something to consider.

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Dthraco wrote:

Transcender would be the place to go once you have already chosen the exam you want to take, and have spent time with regular study material.

Transcender practice exams are more of a test preparation and gap assessment tool.

Since you have been a systems administrator for some time, you might take a look at the current Microsoft certifications and pick one you would like to go for. The nice thing is that you pass one test, and you’re a MCP. That is, assuming you want to stay a Sysadmin.

The exams for MCITP:SA are not stepping stones for the MCITP:EA, as it was with MCSA to MCSE. They are a bit more involved than the MCSA exams, IMHO (I have both).

Note that once you certify with a Microsoft exam, you are certified for life. While not all that useful anymore, my MCSE\MCSA 2000 credentials are still valid. I can’t put CCNA/CCDA on my resume anymore because they expired in 2004. Cisco, and CompTia exams expire after 3 years, requiring you to re-certifiy. Not always a bad thing, but definitely something to consider.

This is a good thing to know. So any suggestion in taking my MCITP:SA?

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Yup, you will need to take these exams:

Exam 70-640 - TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring

Exam 70-642 - TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring

Exam 70-646 - Pro: Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator

My recommendation would be to pick one of the two TS exams that interest you the most, and take that one first. Note that BOTH of the TS exams do count towards the MCITP:EA exam. So if you chose to go the EA route once you take a couple exams, you certainly can.

Here’s a handy list of the Certifications and their required tests:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/mcitp.aspx#tab2

(I stand partially corrected on the MCITP:SA being a stepping stone to MCITP:EA. The one difference is the Pro exam).

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If you don’t enjoy being treated like crap then you should get out of IT!

1 Spice up
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That’s almost comical.

If you don’t enjoy being treated like crap, find another company to work for.

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Dthraco wrote:

That’s almost comical.

If you don’t enjoy being treated like crap, find another company to work for.

Yea because where Im from the IT departments are treated like Gods! CEO would probably be about the only position where you wouldnt get treated like crap, lol.

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If you are working toward a Cisco cert then make sure to get a simulator.

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Currently using the Sybex CCNA books and they are outstanding. The entire kit ran in the $300 range but it includes books, reference CDs and Cisco device emulator software…Good luck! :->

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UPDATE!

After coming back to work and determined to moving on with getting certs, I spoke to my direct manager who is also the COO since I’m the only IT person here. Since I was not happy working for the company, I gave my two-week notice and HE FREAKED OUT! He begged and asked me to reconsider as I’m now the “Biggest Asset” that the company can’t afford to lose. I took it as a grain of salt and I noticed some attitude changes in the company.

But regardless of what he said, I’m moving on. Working on my certs and John2851, I definitely picked the emulator and I also happen to have a Cisco router I can work with.

Thanks everyone for the advice as I’m excited for the change.

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Maybe a dollar short and a day late, but do you have something lined up? Just getting one cert could (should) take weeks of study. But good luck to you anyway.

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I’m getting things lined up right now. =) Two interviews since I’ve posted this original post. Hopefully one of them or both want to hire me.

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Bold move to give notice without something lined up. Sounds like it could work out for you though. Best of luck.