Need advice on where to begin

iAnonymity

So I currently have a pretty decent background with no certs. I currently have been going for CompTIA exams, but paying 188 per test for A+ doesn't seem the right way seeing going the MS route would get my foot in the next door, and I laid out a table on where I could begin. So I'm thinking of just starting simple and getting the MCSA: Windows 7, so that would require exams 70-680 and 70-685. Now if I wanted to do Windows 8 can I take the exam 70-689 and then have the MCSA: Windows 8 as well? Or do I have to obtain 70-687 and 70-688 to be MCSA: Windows 8?

I believe on the server side I will start off with MCSA: Windows Server 2008, so exams 70-640, 70-642, 70-646. Now here, I have it laid out as taking the exam 70-417 to upgrade to MCSA: Windows Server 2012. Finally after 70-417 will hopefully be achieved, I hope to get both the MCSE: Desktop and Server Infrastructure, so exams 70-415 and 70-416 and desktop and exams 70-413 and 70-414 for the server infrastructure. Am I right on this way of taking the tests, and this might not be the best way I'm just trying to push myself, I need advice on what you guys think of this layout. Any advice would be awesome. Thanks!

Tom239

Yeah, without trying to sound rude, what you just said is crazy. lol. The amount of hours you would have to dedicate, doesn't matter how much experience you have, just to fire out those exams is impossible. Unless you're talking like a four or five year period or something Or you have days of study time each week available.

70-680 and 70-685, not simple!!

I'm not trying to say, No, or don't go for it.

But let's stay real now

iAnonymity

Sure, I understand, I should be okay on Windows 7 680 and 685, I took the classes in school and already build wims and deploy custom images so I imagine I should be okay starting off. But I'm not saying this is short term no matter what, I was just reading the website and it seemed easy mode to take one test to bypass 2-3 exams, which of course would be harder. All I was trying to get at was taking the short cut exams but I understand where your coming from. I will take my time going for them but I'm chasing a company that is demanding MCSE certs so this is where i'm coming form. I'll be real though it will take time

Tom239

I think I misunderstood lol I thought you were talking about doing all these exam within a period of like 3 months or something.

#Yeah to be fair, if you have experience in deployment, imaging wims etc you probably will find 70-680 alot easier.

ajs1976

iAnonymity - What is your background? What is your job role now? What do you want your next job to be?

iAnonymity

Kinda a loaded title - Implementation Specialist for a healthcare company, aside from configuring and deploying equipment, I handle the configuration of break fix also. I've been working with this company for a little over a year and already deployed around 15k devices, a lot of those devices are mobility also, Ipads, Samsung devices. Before this job, I was a HP repair technician/diagnostics tech while in college, which is where I learned everything from a hardware standpoint, probably 80 %, and 20 % software. Now I'm around 90 % software, and 10 % hardware. We have so many different Windows 7 configurations for different parts of business. I think I should be fine for the MCSA: Windows 7, and I just graduated so now my full focus is on certs. I just never had a place or idea of where to start because I never needed them, but honestly, certs with experience seem to overthrow a degree from what I've seen.

iAnonymity

I forgot, my next job I want to deploy on a higher level, right now desktops, laptops, and thin clients are the majority. I found a job in my area starting off at 60k but needed MCSE or CCNA. To put into perspective I'm around 35k now. Since I've had classes and experience I figured MCSE would be quicker than the CCNA route, because besides school and maybe 1 or 2 a week that I actually touch Cisco switches to check the config, CCNA will need more time. A lot more time.

ajs1976

If you want to improve your skills at your current job or maybe get a cert that will be easier because of your current experience, then go for MCSA win7. If you want something that helps to open up the next level then go for MCSA server or CCENT/CCNA. From your background MCSA server will probably be easier.