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Hi all. I haven’t been very active on here. I mainly lurk and use the site for research. I don’t want this to get too long, but it might.

I went to a school in 2008-2009 that taught/trained us to get our MCSA in Server 2003 (Vista, Server 2003, ISA server) Which I got. After school I worked a paid internship/part time with an IT admin for a small healthcare business here in Columbus, then help desk for Chase. In 2011(or so) I started working as a datacenter technician where I worked for 9 years. Did very little work, and made great money. This is when I got comfortable and stopped learning and didn’t try to get a single certification. I’d start but never made it far.

Then I got laid off and I was stuck. No education and no real job experience in the last 9 years. I got a job working in a 1 person IT department (now 2). Which was great. I did the help desk side, while learning and taking over more and more admin work. My boss fully understood where I was coming from and was willing to help me learn on the fly.

4 months ago our CEO and other higher ups sold the company to a rather large corporation and I’m already seeing more and more admin responsibilities being stripped away and sent up to “Corporate IT” I’m sticking it out because I still haven’t tested for any certifications, but I was able to get 9000$ worth of training and test fees approved for SQL and Sharepoint (Which I am supposed to the admin of) I also put in testing fees that got approved for the 2003 to 2012 MCSA upgrade test which would be the easiest for me. I’m hoping not to be here next year. What certs do you think would be most beneficial in 2020 for someone that really has nothing current?

TL:DR - I’m stuck in my job after being lazy for 9 years. I need new/updated certs. Where would be a good starting point?

Thanks everyone in advance if you managed to make it though this. Any advise is appreciated. I’m starting to dislike this job more and more, and leave feeling almost depressed half the time. I’ve been in IT for 10 years, and I’m seemingly moving backwards to a more helpdesk role.

18 Spice ups
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You don’t need certs, you need experience. Certs are a handshake and experience is the conversation. You can get the job without shaking their hands but you absolutely cannot get the job without having a conversation.

Spend the year, if you intend on staying that long, doing some projects outside of your skillset to broaden it for your resume enough where you are confident with including it on the document in the first place and being questioned about it.

Once you have a resume you’re happy with, start aggressively searching. Before then, you should have your eye on the market. If something comes up that seems up your alley, apply and go for it.

You mentioned company funding - if that’s still an option, don’t stress the certs as much as the actual learning a new skill process. Find something you need to better yourself in and let the company pay for you to learn it - cert or no cert.

11 Spice ups
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you already HAVE 9 years experience, and that counts

but as you DO have the training available, personally, I would go the SQL / SharePoint route, as not that much has altered in the basic approach to Windows, but the additional certs in a different sector will help more, you don’t need to put down on the CV MCSA 2003, just put MCSA :o)

3 Spice ups
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Don’t get caught in the certification trap. You’re existing MCSA, dated though it may be, coupled with your experience is far more than you need to move on.

I’ve been in IT for several decades and I have three, count 'em, THREE certifications. two of them are the A+/Network+ that I got years ago just to help break into the field and just last year I finished my MCSA for SQL Development 2016 because it’s what I love doing. I might look into one or more of the Azure certifications this year but that’s really for myself because cloud-based services are a reality these days.

The real issue is you’ve stopped learning, NOT because you haven’t got recent certifications. Like Dim said, find something that interests you or challenges you and set out to master it - certifications or no. If the company is willing to pay for it, so much the better.

4 Spice ups
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I agree with the others, certifications are overrated. Experience will always win out. It shows that you’ve actually been doing the work. I would just start throwing my resume out. You’ll be surprised at what you might be offered.

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Thanks everyone for the responses! Since I already have the allotted budget, I’ll still do the training classes for SQL and SharePoint.They’re actual classroom trainings that I could never afford on my own.

The 9 years in the data center doesn’t amount to much. It was a lot of “I racked a switch and plugged in a couple cables” I can make it sound good on a resume, but in an interview, it’s a little tougher.

2 Spice ups
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This is just my personal opinion - skip Sharepoint and spend that time and money on something more useful. Do a Powershell course. Do a networking course. Do a generic Server 2019 course. Hell, do another SQL course. Sharepoint isn’t worth the time and money in my personal opinion.

3 Spice ups
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I’m supposed to be our SharePoint admin. We haven’t fully launched it yet. It’s seemingly impossible for me to learn as I go. If I’m here any longer, it’s something I have to know better.

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I would skip the certifications and start asking about projects/etc. that you can work on that you may not be working on now at work that may interest you. Talk to your manager and have some genuine conversations about where you want to go and how you want to get there (if you feel this conversation might be worth it). If it doesn’t work out then I would do some real world experience/learning on your own outside of work. I would setup a homelab; its an easy thing to do and doesn’t really cost a lot (especially if you have a beefy PC/etc.). If you want you can even go to ebay and buy a used old server (like an Dell R710) for a few hundred bucks. Throw a free version of VmWare Esxi, MS Hyper-V, Proxmox, etc. on there and go crazy. Install some VM’s, etc. I setup a full Domain with 2 DC’s, a file server, etc. This is where the real world learning really begins and will get you MUCH further than a certification (in my mind).
You already have the experience, you just need to learn some new skills. This is a big win when you go in for interviews as you can incorporate this into your answers. You can use this as not only something that you are actively learning in but something that you are passionate about. I have used this approach with GREAT success and have landed SysAdmin jobs with this kind of a process.
GOOD LUCK!
CK

1 Spice up
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HI there, 9 years in IT is nothing to laugh at. It really counts. I would work on getting your resume to describe the many facets of the jobs you’ve held. Focus on achievements, how you saved money, created programs and things like that. Don’t overinflate make it represent you to a new employer.

I agree with others on the certs. Nice to have but your well documented experience is what speaks for you.

Final note: don’t give up you current job until you’ve got an offer in hand.

All the best to you

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Certs are mostly useless, with the exception of Security+ which seems to be a requirement for any job with DoD and/or security clearance.

1 Spice up
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I think you guys are missing the OP’s description of experience. He has worked in the same place for 9 years. That does not equate to 9 years of experience.

I go back to my guitar playing analogy. I picked up the guitar over 30 years ago. This does not mean I have 30 years of experience playing guitar and all that implies. I haven’t really grown much beyond a bunch of open chords and a few scales. I don’t have 30 years’ worth of theory and dexterity. I can’t play leads very well because I lack the theory that one should have been expected to pick up after 30 years.

What raised a red flag for me is the upgrading of MSCA Windows Server from 2003 to 2012 because 'it’s easiest." Is that really how you want to explain it in an interview?

Interviewer: “Why not Server 2016 or 2019?”

You: “because it was easier to upgrade to 2012.”

What does that tell the interviewer?

Point is that you’re in a rut and you know why – you stopped trying. Is taking the easy road really a good way to regain motivation and momentum to grow?

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Is it easiest? Probably. But it seems to make the most logical and financial sense. It’s 1 test to upgrade from 2003 to 2012. (70-417) then 1 test to go from 2012 to either 16 or 19. So 2 instead of 3.

But the rest of what you said is how I feel.

1 Spice up