1

A year ago, i asked this question, after being made redundant and after a few months of dithering made a start on my 2008 certs. Only got as far as 1 exam, which had a number of odd questions on subjects I have never heard of. I seemed to pass bits I didn’t expect and not past bits I thought I had got right. Anyway, since then I had some upheaval, a change in jobs, a move to London, and initially no access to my pc to do lab work.

Since then, Microsoft have said the certs are going next year and I don’t wish to waste my time on a cert I know I will not finish in time. So the question, What should I be focusing on, I’m in a 2nd line job at present wanting to move to 3rd line in the future, I had to take the hit to get work, so appreciate I need to do some self training to get back into the market properly - though not looking to change jobs anytime soon.

What areas would you suggest - cisco? the Microsoft certs look more confusing now than they used to.

Thanks,

4 Spice ups
2

Whats your 2nd line job in mainly?

2 Spice ups
3

I don’t know if you’ve made use of these resources

Rather than getting certs, they will let you get hands on experience of the various technology. Cisco is a get option, but not cheap. I would also highly recommend doing stuff on VMware if you get the chance; that is something that will prove useful.

I would also suggest making use of this site for free reading material Download free eBooks for students and read business books for professionals online | Bookboon they have some useful material for some of the softer subjects.

4

Server/windows based stuff. But none of its really 2008 stuff anyway. We don’t get access directly to the infrastructure or networking here. But I do not want to be desktop support (I have previous done more in previous jobs, however redundancy followed by temp work led me to here, money is better, but there is limited server hands on work.

I have access to Technet, but I’m not sure whether I should be focussing down that road, and wondering whether i should broaden my knowledge a little, or if i continue down the M$ road, whats going to be the most useful.

5

Company is moving to exchange 2010 - not that I will have backend access from here. Its something that would interest me though whether its worth doing that without server exams first - probably not.

6

Hey Daniel

I feel your pain with MS continually changing the certs - it’s a giant hassle to keep track of everything. The simple version is they went from MCSA/MCSE Server 2003 > MCTS/MCITP Server 2008 > MCSA/MCSE Server 2008/12. As they call it, re-engineered for “the cloud.” :stuck_out_tongue:

2 Spice ups
7

Question is on the certs - what is the one most likely to prove more useful? I have the 2008 cert books from the original certs - but if the exams have changed - not much use!

8

are you ruling out a degree fella… I dont know what things are like round your way, but I cant remember the last time any job I looked at wanted any certs, but loads wanted a degree. If memory serves your a young chap so it might be worth the thought, its certainly not going to expire like these certs.

Certainly the though path Im on for myself.

9

I have an IT Degree - but I have been working in IT long enough for that to no longer matter. (I’m almost 34). The degree was predominately programming - something I found difficult - though I did pick up a decent amount of Java in my final year - I haven’t used most of my degree for the last 12 years…

10

Its not that I need certs to get a job - I am not looking for a job at this time - its more a combination of illness and job moves, I feel my IT knowledge has started to fall behind and I need to catch up to a level where its useful again. 2nd line support yes ok you are always learning, but as I’ve been in it for a long time (be it 2nd line desktop/2nd line server/ or sole IT support roles where I did 1st/2nd and 3rd line) - that day to day work at this time only provides increased knowledge of nich software products that I don’t really have any interest in.

I guess I would like to be more involved with infrastructure - which often means server and network. I don’t want to be left unmarketable say in 5 years time, or 10 years time.

11

Biggest question of Cisco vs MS, is what do you do & are interested in? Cisco is great for networking. Of course, more valuable for Cisco networks but a lot of it, especially principles & underlying technologies are the same reqardless of whose equipment you use.

If you’re not into networking & primarily work or want to work with MS systems, go for an MCSA/MCSE. The current MCSA for server 2008 is almost identical to MCITP: Server Administrator & it covers things like IPv4&6 for MS networks, DHCP, DNS & Active Directory as well as more complex scenarios for things like AD Federatation Services or Certificate Infrastructures.

If you want to focus on *nix systems, the two things I’ve always had recommended are LPI for distro neutral & RHCE (Red Hat Engineer) for a big name.

Word of warning - none of these things are easy. I’ve done the old MCSE & newer MCITP certs as well as CCNA & I can honestly say if you don’t know what you’re doing, you wont pass. The exams for all of them have gotten harder.

1 Spice up
12

VMWare is by all accounts an awesome thing to get certified in but it’s bloody expensive - they require you to attend training at a VMWare authorised provider before you can even attempt the exam.

1 Spice up
13

VMWare is probably priced out of my range atm, if the certs for the new exams are valid still I may continue with them, I just didn’t want to do a exam thats being discontinued! i have far more experience with Microsoft servers less so with 2008, though I have used them, plus I have technet so I have a lab setup on my home machine with Hyper V installed.

Cisco - I appreciate you need to have some experience, but my manager has managed to do the first exam without hands on experience (he may of purchased a couple cheap end switches to complete it - he invested a lot of time doing it though. But its catch 22 with cisco, noone gives you hands on experience without knowledge/training, and to get the knowledge you need hands on…

14

In terms of my current employer, the networking is outsourced, so will never get work hands on experience anyway.

15

If looking for certs, some of the CompTIA ones count to the MCITP, and can give a increased cert count (to get past HR and to the interview stage):

Cisco CCNA is a designed as 4-semester (2 year) offering. It is frequently compressed to 2 semesters/1 year. First half is straightforward, the second half tougher. Cisco Academy (typically attached to local colleges) offer the classes – and equipment to work on. As you know, the important item is the CCNA is the gateway prerequisite to almost all other Cisco certs.

CCNA is valuable in knowing the secret sauce behind the wall. It can be passed by mostly book study. Other Cisco get more interesting – CCNP, wireless, and security.

It is worthwhile for SMB/SME sysadmins to have the systems and networking validation. Differentiation should be assistive: PowerShell; VCP (VMware Certified Professional); Linux+/LPI 1; EMC ISM (EMC Information Storage and Management); etc. Later certs could be CCNP, LPI 3, ITIL, PMP/Prince 2, CISM, and/or CISSP.

Don’t know how it works in the UK, but US has college classes for these. It can be a good dual approach – certs and college credit for a degree.

16

If your doing the MCITP exams then there is no need to stop studying towards it. When you have finished Microsoft will award you both the MCITP 2008 and the MCSA 2008. The MCITP is being discontinued next year and replaced with MCSA with exactly the same exams.

To emphasise that - The exams that count towards the MCITP 2008 are NOT being discontinued, just the award is.

2 Spice ups
17

Ok, get ya, the exam I did - which I had the problem with was windows 7 - I didn’t really want to do the exam but had to for the old cert - it doesn’t seem to be included in the mcsa so may just move onto the exams I do want to do - which would give me mroe motivation, looks like there is an upgrade path to 2012 too.

18

Check here first to see if the points from the exam you did are applicable to the new certification. Usually when they stop awarding an exam they’ll allow the points to be used for a similar certification for a year or so.

19

RichGK wrote:

If your doing the MCITP exams then there is no need to stop studying towards it. When you have finished Microsoft will award you both the MCITP 2008 and the MCSA 2008. The MCITP is being discontinued next year and replaced with MCSA with exactly the same exams.

To emphasise that - The exams that count towards the MCITP 2008 are NOT being discontinued, just the award is.

This. Don’t assume it’s a waste of training.

On the other hand, are you saying you’re not actually interested in pursuing the MCITP/MCSA?

20

I didn’t complete the windows 7 exam, a combination of moving/change in job/rushing the exam I missed it by a few points. I never got back into it. So effectively restarting. Just wanted to know what the best exams to restart in would be that would still be useful, afterall I was under the assumption previously that the exams I was planning to do were being discontinued - but seems not. I’d like to do the MCSA(skipping the old client exam) - MCSE will depend on a lot of factors - namely knowledge levels at that time - I haven’t used Windows 2012 yet, and its unlikely i will in my current job for a little while.