My Certification Path

CJFountain

Hey everyone!

I'm new to TE, and have recently started looking into different certifications. I was hoping some friendly TE folks could help me decide which certs are worth pursuing, and which I should leave out. Currently, I've got a list of about 50 certs I would like to get, but I currently have none. Here's a bit about what I want to accomplish:

Dream job: RHEL Admin, Penn. Tester, Network Admin, etc.
Interests: Cybersecurity, Linux, Virtualization/Cloud, Networking
Degrees: AAS: Information Systems Security, AAS Network Technology
Working on BS in Cybersecurity

First up for me is CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+, Linux+(?) (in that order). Then CCENT/CCNA, RHCSA/RHCE, and VCP. After than, I'm not sure where to go, or if the certs I've picked out are the best ones to start with. Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks!

john_miranda

Depending on your experience/knowledge (judging by your AAS degrees you should have some basic network knowledge.) I would skip the Network+ and just go for the CCNA instead. Honestly I couldn't tell you about the A+ for your career path. A+ is really useful for your Helpdesk/Desktop Support positions and unless you plan to start there then I don't know how beneficial it will be for you career. Definitely get the Security+ though! Linux+ also will not hurt if you start diving into penetration testing, a lot of strong tools are made for unix.

After that your certifications will be dependent on what job you obtain or what technologies you want specialize in. If security will be your specialization then a CISSP certification should be on your path. Looks like school is really well lined up for you though!

Anyways, just my thoughts and opinions.

CJFountain

Thanks John!

If I skip N+ in favor of CCNA, should I also skip Linux+ in favor of RHCSA? I do plan to start at a helpdesk/junior IT position, so I think A+ will definitely help me, if just for a short time.

Lexluethar

Until your experience in the real world superceeds the certification I would still suggest getting your A+ and Net+. Considering you don't have a technical job right now having those certifications under your belt will help you land that first job. If however you've already landed that first IT job then yes I would skip the Net+ and go for your CCNA.

I see a lot of people shoot for the moon and come up short when it comes to certifications. Do yourself (and your sanity) a favor and start small and build on it. You don't have any certifications right now so building a core foundation is paramount IMO. A lot of people shoot for the moon and go straight for a CCNP or their MCSE and fall on their face because they didn't realize the amount of work involved. Build on your success one certification at a time. You will find that your skillsets and area's of interest will evolve with each certification. Let that interest and job prospects drive the direction you go with your certifications.

Since you want to do more networking and security I would suggest going with your Net+ first then Linux+. If you haven't landed an IT job yet with those I would then do the A+ b/c it will help. If however you already have an IT job I would then go for your CCNA then your CCNP and your CISSP.

Start small and build from there.

CJFountain

Thanks Lex!

Yeah, it's probably a good idea to just let the jobs that pop up guide my certifications. In the mean-time, I'll start going for the CompTIA triad, and maybe Linux+. Hopefully that will open some doors.

TechGuru80

Why in the world do people on here keep saying skip Network+...sigh. Cisco themselves say people who complete Network+ have a higher pass rate on the CCNA...they aren't making anything off of it either.

Same goes for Linux+ and the RedHat certifications in the sense that Linux+ will build a foundation, and RedHat makes you complete practical exercises.

Segovia

Going through school with a heavy focus on Cisco has actually made my overall networking knowledge rather limited. Pure Cisco skills are not enough in the workplace, especially when Cisco is so crazy expensive and a good amount of employers choose to go Juniper or something else. In that case a Linux+ would also be tremendously useful.

Fadakartel

Segovia wrote: »

Going through school with a heavy focus on Cisco has actually made my overall networking knowledge rather limited. Pure Cisco skills are not enough in the workplace, especially when Cisco is so crazy expensive and a good amount of employers choose to go Juniper or something else. In that case a Linux+ would also be tremendously useful.

So true Cisco alone is not enough.

I work in a ISP environment that does FTTH, FTTB and is in 33 markets around the world, everyday I am exposed to Juniper, Cisco ASRs and Huawei and I must say even our competitors mostly use Juniper. Cisco dominates a lot of markets but there are a few markets like the ISP world where Cisco simply cannot stand up to other vendors like Juniper etc.

thatguy67

Do you have experience in the field?

A lot of people seem to recommend the CompTIA "Trifecta" (A+, Network+, Security+) to get a good foundation and to get your foot in the door at a help desk job. Personally I am finishing up my associates in IT/Networking and the courses provided me with enough relevant knowledge that I feel like the CompTIA exams would just be a waste of money for me. I realize they have value but I simply can't drop close to a grand for certs I know I won't renew. I have decided to get certified in the vendor certifications that the courses at my college have prepared me for. I have taken Cisco, Microsoft, Linux and VMware classes at my college so I have been studying those to reflect my coursework. I feel like the CompTIA certs would be "assumed knowledge" for someone with an associates, and it could be a very good subsitution for someone without a degree. But to have both seems to be redundant (and similarly priced). The only CompTIA I might recommend would be Security+ because of the DoD requirements of some government contract jobs.

You seem to have similar goals as me. I think you have a good plan going. This thread actually reminds me of a thread I made about a year ago where I was telling everyone how many certs I wanted to get. After a thorough humbling I realized I need to take it slow. You can be ambitious and motivated but the fact is, you need to retain that knowledge. It takes time to do that and by then your goals might have changed. IMHO I would drop that list of 50 certs and take it year by year. A lot can happen in a year...you can gain a lot of knowledge. And Jesus, 50 certs would be expensive. A sick home lab to practice a more modest skill set would be money much better spent.

chmod

Fadakartel wrote: »

So true Cisco alone is not enough.

I work in a ISP environment that does FTTH, FTTB and is in 33 markets around the world, everyday I am exposed to Juniper, Cisco ASRs and Huawei and I must say even our competitors mostly use Juniper. Cisco dominates a lot of markets but there are a few markets like the ISP world where Cisco simply cannot stand up to other vendors like Juniper etc.

In the mobile networks field, huawei is one of the top, also juniper.

Cisco is far behind those two in that field.

Fadakartel

chmod wrote: »

In the mobile networks field, huawei is one of the top, also juniper.

Cisco is far behind those two in that field.

Yup I totally agree, but man I wish Cisco would come in and dominate the service provider world they got a OLT (ME 4600) but its so bad compared to Huawei or Alcatel for FTTH access networks