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I’m looking to move into a system admin role in the near future, but have had little luck in terms of opportunities. I’ve been in a IT support type position for longer than I care to admit and can’t seem to make that jump. I do a little bit of everything where I’m at now, but I’d say 60-70% of my job description is desktop/end user support. I’m currently enrolled in a university to get my bachelors and have about 2 years left. I have my A+, Net+ and MCDST certifications. My only limitation is time really, since I have so much on my plate at the moment, but I am considering getting another certification that will boost my resume and open some doors for a system admin position. Would you guys recommend starting with Cisco, Microsoft or a VMWare certification? Or maybe something else? Thanks

@VMware @Cisco

7 Spice ups
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Cisco wouldn’t be a bad idea, But i’d focus on finding employment outside your current employer.

It’s easier to Jump to a different position, as a new hire.

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Yeah, I meant at a new employer. The IT department consists of my manager and me, no real room for growth here.

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I would start considering Cisco certifications, and then move on to Microsoft certifications like 70-410 that have to do with installing and configuring the latest version of Microsoft Server operating systems. Also if you aren’t familiar with it, you might want to read up on VMware and be comfortable with virtualization. These are all 3 good areas to move towards, but until you find an opportunity that works for you there is no “best” one to start with.

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I would say that CCNA from Cisco and MCSA in Windows Server from Microsoft would be a good place to start. Security+ would be also be good to have these days when IT Security is always a hot topic. VMware would be good, but most likely useless without the Server Admin and Network Admin skills.

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If you are planning on going into SysAdmin, specifically for Windows, then I would go MCSA2012. If you want to add to that, I’d add a VMWare. You already have Net+ for networking.

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What do you want to do in the future? If your interests are more rooted in networking, consider Cisco first. If you’re more interested in server infrastructure, I would suggest MCSA2012 to start and then add VMWare if you’re really into virtualization. Sec+ would also be a nice addition to the resume.

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Nothing is “bad” except that you do it instead of something specifically useful. He wants to be a system admin, getting unrelated network admin certs is almost entirely a waste. Getting them INSTEAD of getting certs in his chosen field would be horrible.

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I’m blown away that anyone thinks Cisco is even worth discussing. How did something in networking come into the discussion at all? This seems crazy to me.

If you want to be a Windows Systems Admin, you get Microsoft Windows certified. It’s that simple. It can’t be more obvious. Nothing matters but this. Everything else is a complete waste of your time.

After you have your MCSA as well as your MCSE and have effectively exhausted the certs that are specifically for what you want to do then, and only then, can you remotely consider doing something unrelated or loosely related to “round out” your experience. CCNA is okay, but I’ve never even heard of a shop that cared. Big shops don’t care if you have Cisco unless you are on the networking team, little shops rarely use Cisco. It’s mostly just something that SMB IT people say and no one seems to really benefit from.

Security+ is great to have, but again, only AFTER you have the MCSE. If you had the CCIA, the Security+ and a hundred other unrelated certs, you are the bottom of the resume pile compared to a guy who got the MCSE and nothing else. Get the cert that applies before the certs that don’t apply.

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In my view, certifications are often just a means to an end.Some employers want them - but only as a way of weeding out candidates. If I ask for 5 certs, I may get better or more appropriate CVs to look at. In some cases, certs are required by vendors (eg MSFT requries partners to have some number of people to be certificed in order for the parter to get to gold status). But at the end of the day, most certs are not really all that helpful other than a tick in the box sort of way. To pass the exam, you really do need to know the exam’s topics - so that;'s a good thing. But just because someone has a cert does not mean they know much - just that they passed the exam. With the proliferation of brain dumps, all too often. the cert just says the person read and remembered a brain dump.

Having said all that - the trick for the OP is to work out: where do you want to be in 5 years time? And what certs will help you get there?

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This is sound. MCSA before anything else, stay focused, don’t go off looking at a cert over here and a cert over there. I’d recommend going on to the MCSE, though, before looking around.

I also agree, you have the Network+ which mostly overlaps with the CCNA. When I see a CCNA on a resume I assume that the candidate was either confused and didn’t understand what the cert was for or that he wanted to be in networking and couldn’t cut it and is now trying to flounder by with Windows. When I see the Network+ I see a practical grounding in networking from someone who intended to have a firm foundation. The CCNA is Cisco specific and is for people attempting a network, not a systems, career and one specific to Cisco (as opposed to Juniper, Brocade, etc.)

VMware is good and often compliments an MCSE very well. Most shops run Windows on VMware so this works out really well. But the Microsoft certs are way more important first.

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Scott, you made some very good points. I will definitely start with the MCSA certs. I’ve always been a jack of all trades kinda person which is why I included Cisco and VMWare. I’ve done a little bit of everything in my time as a tech.

Tfl, I agree that certifications don’t necessarily mean a person knows anything outside of reading a book and passing an exam. My experience alone hasn’t worked and the fastest way for me to boost my odds of openings doors is getting certified since my degree is going to take a couple more years to get.

Thanks got all your input guys, made this decision really easy for me.

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If being a generalist is what interests you, system admin which is a highly focused career might not be for you. You might want to think carefully if LAN Admin, rather than System Admin, might make more sense for you.

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What does your home network look like? What do you do to gain experience outside of the day job?

Certs are good, I think you should definitely do them. I think that certs make for a very valuable way to improve what you know AND show dedication to employers.

But your home education, volunteer experience and other things are huge too.

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I would like to go the system admin route. Always aspired to do so. I do find that most job descriptions for a sys admin include Cisco networking, at least around here. Most likely many smaller shops that have 2-3 IT people where each person handles everything from A-Z.

My home network isn’t anything aside from a wireless router, a desktop, a few laptops and a couple network printers. I did have a server running at one point with VMWare and a Server 2008 VM to play around with. Unfortunately, I just haven’t had the time to mess with it since I started school.

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That’s not systems administration. SMBs don’t have system admins, they are too small. Lots of SMBs make up their job titles. No system admin would have Cisco networking as part of their job. That’s a LAN Admin, every time. Nor do shops with 2-3 people have either systems or network people, the volume makes no sense.

If you handle A-Z, obviously you can’t be a system admin since a systems job is specific. LAN Admin or IT Generalist are titles for someone who does A-Z.

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Top thing that I advice people on when trying to improve their careers… avoid school. You’ve already mentioned the reason… you are choosing schooling over your education and experience. The very things that you need for your career are taking a backseat to school which does… what, exactly?

The top things that I look for when hiring… experience, drive, initiative, self learning and to some degree certs, are all missing (more or less) and the one thing that I couldn’t care less about (paying someone to talk at you until they give you a piece of paper saying you paid to be talked at) is the where you are focusing.

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Titles get tossed around a lot, and usually mean one thing at one company and something else at another. I went on an interview for a Network Admin position but the job description was about 10% networking, the rest was Windows, VMWare, etc. Id like to get a position where i have one main focus, preferably systems administration, rather than handling anything and everything as I am currently.

I wish more companies would hire people based on what you listed. Larger companies wont even consider you without a bachelors degree. I’ve applied for countless jobs at bigger corporations and have never received a call back, even for a desktop tech position. They all listed a bachelors degree as a requirement. I feel like it’s holding me back. That mixed with living in a tristate area thats saturated with candidates, who are probably more experienced and have better credentials, it’s difficult for me to stand out.

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Wow, lots of great advice! As far as obtaining the certification, do you plan on acquiring training through the university you are enrolled in or are you looking for other resources?

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A friend of mine has the CBT Nuggets material for Cisco, VMWare and Windows certifications, so I will probably use that to start with.

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