Certifications to Pursue After A+, MBA, and CISA

greentiger29

I've worked a few years in IT helpdesk positions and managed to get an IT auditing job through my MBA program, which I have been in this position now for over a year. I have a BA in a non-IT (Information Technology)/IS (Information Systems) area and a general MBA with no specialization. I have a CompTIA A+ certification that will expire soon unless I pursue another CompTIA certification and I passed the CISA exam as a work requirement last year, but still need to get enough IT auditing work experience before I can apply to get the CISA certification.


I'm hoping to pursue the following certifications to keep my skills in the workforce marketable. Of course, there's always time and budget constraints so I'm trying to decide which one to pursue first or completely skip. The first two would help renew the A+ certification that I have although I'm not sure how relevant they would be since my career trajectory shifted from a helpdesk position to an IT auditing position. Both the Network+ and Security+ would have beneficial knowledge for an IT position.


- Network+
- Security+
- PMP
- CISSP (probably later down the line)


Any recommendations for which certifications to take (or ignore) and in which order? The order listed above seems to be how people may go about getting the certifications from a helpdesk career path.

Thanks in advance!

yoba222

You don't need to take another cert to renew your A+. Just do some online video courses or whatever that would count towards CE (continuing education) units. But I think you're right that it isn't all that relevant of a cert for your anymore.

I think the Security+ would benefit an auditor. I felt the Network+ helped me in understanding stuff on the Security+. The PMP, eh; you'll need several thousand project hours to qualify.

soccarplayer29

+1 Security Plus

greentiger29

Thanks, yoba222! I did notice there were some CE credits I could get to renew, but I figure I might as well learn some new information. Do you think the Network+ would be worthwhile for an IT auditor? If I end up getting the Security+, would it make sense to even go back and get the Network+?

As for the PMP, I think I can eventually start studying as I rack up the thousands of project hours I need.

greentiger29

soccarplayer29 wrote: »

+1 Security Plus

Thanks, soccarplayer29! What's the thought process behind choosing the Security+ over the Network+? I've read and heard that the Network+ builds upon skills needed for the Security+ cert. The Security+ exam objectives seem more interesting to me though.

soccarplayer29

I suggested Sec+ since I think it'll be most relevant to your career. Another option I'd suggest is CISA. CISA is more audit process focused with some technical.

Network+ covers a lot of materials which you probably won't use everyday--types of ethernet cables, attenuation lengths/rates, and historical stuff that you're unlikely to come across. Net+ will have a lot of information that is good knowledge to have and relevant to prepare for the Sec+. If you're still hung up on Net+ I'd suggest grabbing a Net+ book/videos and reviewing. Then you can make the determination if you want to do the Net+ first prior to doing Sec+ or maybe just reading the topics you're interested in and then jumping to Sec+.

As for the PMP, I'd definitely hold off on that while you focus on the other areas. Maybe revisit that in a few years and see if it makes sense.