Certifications Questions

KosstDukat

Hey everyone,

I'm very new to this site (as in, I just joined about 2 minutes ago), so I apologize for breaking any rules

I've got a couple years of IT experience under my belt (2 years on Help Desk, about 9 months doing Desktop Deployments), and am looking into certifications.

The problem - I don't know what I want to do in IT yet.

I only know that I'm not interested in being customer-facing anymore. I did customer service for 15 years before moving into IT, and have officially had enough of it.

I got an Associate's Degree in Network Administration, so I have that educational background, but nothing professional. I went out for my CCNA, but failed by a VERY small margin (VPN was my downfall), and haven't been back to re-take it. I think with some refreshing (and re-doing the VPN section of the CCNA prep), I could probably pass it the second time.

Beyond that, I feel like I have an OK grasp of AD - I worked with it regularly during my time on the help desk, but that's just basic group memberships and password resets/unlocks. I took one Intro to Databases class during my coursework and REALLY loved it. Not sure why. Considered going for a DB cert, but I get the very distinct feeling that my really basic knowledge of SQL wouldn't be enough to get me through it.

A friend of mine recommended a CIW DB cert because that's what she got, but other things I read online say they are borderline worthless. Also thought about getting my basic A+ certification, but the general consensus is that they are also not worth having if you get other certifications.

So, my question for everyone else..

What certifications would be the ones to get?

I'm not 100% convinced about going into Networking anymore, although I think I'd be able to do it. Considered Database and/or AD certs, but I'm not sure which ones are a good place to start.. or what materials would be good to learn from.

Any suggestions people might have would be GREATLY appreciated! Especially if you HAVE the certs - I'd love to know what you did to get them, or books/online courses you would recommend.

Thanks in advance!!

N2IT

MS MTA SQL exam I hear is pretty basic. Maybe you could look into that, if you are interested in database roles.

markulous

CIW certs are pretty much useless from my experience. No one knows what they are which is an issue.

jonny72

For AD certs, only option is the Server 2012 MCSA. For databases, Microsoft's SQL Server has it's own MCSA - other databases have their own certification schemes.

For the SQL Server and Server 2012 MCSA's, go to the Microsoft certification website and read through all the blue prints for the exams so you can see exactly what is covered. Maybe have a flick through the Microsoft certification books for a better feel of the material.

Best thing you can do is get a junior level job in the field you want, nothing beats on the job training and experience.