Is it worth to get certified

dynamitekid

I currently do support for a financial firm and the work is pretty easy (Hardware/software support, typical Active directory create user/share dirves, typical exchange create e-mail accounts/distribution groups). I do get paid very well so i really don't have an incentive to change jobs. Should i get certified in a technology like networking or server even though i am happy with my current gig and get paid really good?

Kai123

I would, even if it gave you the opportunity to open more potential doors of employment. You might even get a small payrise for the certs you gain.

NovaHax

Yes. Especially if you aren't excerpting a lot of brain power at work...focus that towards moving up. But don't just think of it in terms of the money. Stick with what interests you too.

abyssinica

Even if things seem really great at your job, keep learning and improving your credentials otherwise you may become "redundant" one day. Even if you never become redundant, it's important to keep learning. Do some certs or do your masters or something~

dynamitekid

NovaHax wrote: »

Yes. Especially if you aren't excerpting a lot of brain power at work...focus that towards moving up. But don't just think of it in terms of the money. Stick with what interests you too.

I like the A+ stuff (hardware troubleshooting/installation).

dynamitekid

abyssinica wrote: »

Even if things seem really great at your job, keep learning and improving your credentials otherwise you may become "redundant" one day. Even if you never become redundant, it's important to keep learning. Do some certs or do your masters or something~

I have a bachelor in Computer science and a expired ccna. I do not really like the networking stuff nor the windows server, to me it is very boring. I am currently writing a porgram for my firm that will automate a lot of the task that we do manually. Maybe i should get certified in software development?

NovaHax

Not a whole lot of certifications out there for software development. A good personal portfolio and/or solid presence on github is probably a better bet.

bigdogz

dynamitekid,

You may want to start with the A+ and go into some programming language certifications in Ruby, Java, and Python.

Certifications can open some doors that may otherwise be closed. In addition, your boss may look at your continuous improvement which is a good thing.

N2IT

Most automation engineers, software engineers, etc don't carry many certs if any. You have a CS which IMO is plenty, and then went above and beyond the call of duty and scored a CCNA which is really nice in it's own right. I would focus on another approach personally. Unless you really want to capture a particular language / framework on your resume.

If writing code is your thing I would consider building a portfolio of all your development efforts. I believe GITHUB and some others are a good collaboration site to show you development.

Side note I am currently studying for a MS SQL certification, but that is because I have a masters and bachelors in a business related field. If I had a CS life would be so much easier.

Not that I agree with this approach have you thought about a masters in CS? Not saying you should be have you explored the thought?

That's just me though

CIO

If you feel stagnant in your current job because the work is too easy or too low-level, but you have greater ambitions, it's time to start looking for a position that will allow you to grow and develop. Is it possible to shadow, consult or network with individuals at the financial firm that have positions that interest you?

dynamitekid

CIO wrote: »

If you feel stagnant in your current job because the work is too easy or too low-level, but you have greater ambitions, it's time to start looking for a position that will allow you to grow and develop. Is it possible to shadow, consult or network with individuals at the financial firm that have positions that interest you?

Yes, i shadow the two engineers we have from time to time and help them configure switches when we order them. I think i might just get MCSA just for the hell of it. I really don't want to look for a position because the pay and benefits are very good compared to other top tier companies.

GoodBishop

Yes, it's worth it to learn new things, including getting certifications. When I look at resumes, I want to see what they are doing to stay relevant.