Recommended Order for Certs?

thewrongadvice

I'm new to certifications. Looking to do Security+, Network+, Linux+ and ITIL v3.

Anyone have any recommendations on the order I should pursue them? I have a general Information Systems degree so there's no domain I'm particularly strong in at this point. Was also wondering if some of the knowledge from one exam would help out with another.

For example, if I take Network+ first would it be easier to understand Security+ and Linux+ material?

Thanks for the help!

Xavor

Security+ is required for many government jobs and could be knocked out in one or two months of study depending on how strong you are with the terminology. It also trumps Network+ in the same sense of government requirements.

I'd recommend Security+, CCNA or Linux+ depending where you want to go in your career. It's easy to get sucked into the alphabet soup of certifications.

ITIL Foundation you can study for in a few weekends if you understand basic service design lifecycle and business concepts.

anoeljr

So are you just looking for general knowledge? I take it you're not really sure which direction you'd like to go yet. If I were you, I wouldn't get any certifications just yet and instead study some material that interests you before spending money on a certification. I agree with Xavor that it's easy to get caught up getting certifications. But if you plan on doing the above certifications anyway, I'd do Network+, then Security+ and Linux+. Network+ and Security+ build on each other. Linux+ is tougher than both as I'm finding out now lol. ITIL isn't too difficult of an exam. Also, another thing to consider is to build a portfolio of skills, i.e. making scripts, websites or something you enjoy that you could show to an employer. Good luck.

thewrongadvice

I don't exactly know which direction I'm wanting go to in, but I like Consulting a lot like software implementation. However, all the consulting jobs I've seen ask for familiarity with a lot of skills, kind of like a jack of all trades, which is why I chose those certs. As I understood, working on an implementation team requires communication with various teams, networking, security etc. and sufficient knowledge of Unix based systems.

As for other skills, I have a good background in web design Photoshop, CSS, HTML, and javascript. I know basic programming in Java and C#. I'm also familiar with relational database schemas and SQL queries. I felt by completing these certifications it would perhaps make me more employable compared to someone who was just a strong programmer. Hope it works! Thanks for the guidance!