Where do I go..?

I was actually planning on making this thread a bit further down the line after I'd knocked down some more of my certification goals, but I guess it's nice to have something concrete to aim for.. so basically I need some advice on where to take my career.

I've been doing desktop support for a couple of years, gotten the certifications listed on << the left, and I'm going to be doing 70-686, CCNA, Sec+ and linux+ before leaving my current job, most likely in about a year's time.

Now, I've always had a strong pull towards DevOps, I'm not even sure why, but I tend to trust my gut instinct with these things, so that's where I'd like to end up. Now, some clarification on terms.. DevOps is essentially the same thing as an automation engineer/cloud engineer right? I really would like to future proof my job, and it seems like this is the right way to go.

What I'd like to know is, what should I be looking for in my next job keeping in mind my certs and job experience. I was thinking about looking for maybe a junior sysadmin type of job, and try and find somewhere that will let me get my hands on linux as well, and maybe use that experience to transition to a more linux based environment later on. What kind of jobs will allow me to learn scripting/development? Are there ways in which I can learn to do a sysadmin job and incorporate powershell/python etc? Will learning Powershell help me understand python?

Also, what should I be focusing on cert wise/education wise once I'm finished on my current track? RHCSA/CE? AWS? MCSE? VCP?

Thanks for your time guys

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Comments

atippett

I don't think the CCNA lines up with your goals. If you want to work with networks then you should get the CCNA. But if you're looking into DevOps, or even a sysadmin job, a CCNA wouldn't line up much.

Pseudonym

I want a good understanding of fundamentals. I've already decided to do the CCNA, so I'm not looking to change any of my current plans.

Blucodex

Pseudonym wrote: »

I want a good understanding of fundamentals. I've already decided to do the CCNA, so I'm not looking to change any of my current plans.

I agree that the CCNA doesn't really lineup but I worked with a DevOps guy who didn't know anything about troubleshooting. I found that a little odd. I've also worked with a DevOps/Database guy who could do anything.

Pseudonym

Plus I think you're underestimating how much overall knowledge may be required for that type of work. Take this job listing for a Devops engineer I just found for instance:
Who should you be/what skills should you have?

* Experience in automating software releases and testing
* running production hardware and software environments at scale
* Knowledge of any of the following:

* MySQL (and MySQL Replication too)
* C# .NET
* Test automation (NUnit,xUnit,Selenium, QUnit, TDD, BDD, CI)
* Centos Linux and Windows Sysadmin (Postfix, dnsmasq, Apache, Bind etc.)
* HTTP,DNS,HAProxy, Icinga, Cacti
* Cisco Firewalls
* TeamCity,Octopus,Jenkins, Maven, Ant etc.

Although not part of the core requirements, any experience with Azure/AWS/Rackspace would be a bonus; although not used currently, we're not ignoring them. Likewise if you're CCNA or MCSE qualified, then that's a nice bonus, but not a requirement.

I'm not yet in a position to specialise yet. I want to broaden my skillset as much as possible, as the industry can change very quickly and I want to be in a position where I can adapt quickly to changes.

Pseudonym

Or this:

[FONT=inherit !important]As a Microsoft System Engineer / Administrator, you will:[/FONT]

Deliver hosted email and web solutions to individuals and businesses around the world.
Provision new email, web and DNS servers, debug service problems, write new software, and support the wider team with technical tasks.
Be agile and forward thinking, constantly driving systems forward to provide the best service.

[FONT=inherit !important]To succeed as a Microsoft System Engineer / Administrator, you need:[/FONT]

Genuine passion for technology!
Project management skills, as the role has the view to become Senior very quickly.
Good network and server diagnostic skills and the ability to communicate well.
To get to Manchester data centre sites within 90 minutes outside of normal office hours (for on call duties).

[FONT=inherit !important]Experience with:[/FONT]

Windows Server
Microsoft Exchange
Office 365.

[FONT=inherit !important]Ideally:[/FONT]

Unix/Linux (Redhat & Centos) -
VMWare – Virtualization.
Zimbra – Enterprise Email.
Plesk – Web Hosting.
Netapp/Nexenta – SAN Storage.
Cisco – Core Network.
Knowledge of programming, scripting and web applications.

Verities

I've interviewed for quite a few DevOps positions and they're generally looking for people with 8-10 years of IT experience or people who have a few years of experience along with a computer science degree. They expect everything under the sun from you, including networking knowledge, especially load balancers and firewalls. So pursuing the CCNA will be beneficial for you as long as you absorb the content you cover. I'm pursuing the same path towards DevOps and/or a senior level position and picking up the CCNA as well.