Passed with an 830

esrink1

First post. (Green Horn)

Took the exam today and got an 830. A lot of encryption and acces controls. More ports than I expected.

Any advice on which cert to go after next. Also, I'm not currently in the field and I was wondering what optons I might have, if any?

Thanks

impelse

Congrats.

If you line networking you can go to Cisco route CCNA.

Raul

Webmaster

Congrats and welcome on board!

A common option considering your current certs would be the MCSA, considering you already have A+/Net+ which combined are good for the 'elective' exam in the MCSA track. Your CompTIA certs combined with a MCSA are more likely to lead to a job if you'd go for a Cisco cert without any related experience.

But there are a lot of other options (Linux and CWNP for example) and what's the best next cert depends mostly on what you do and what you want to do.

Slowhand

As mentioned, CCNA and MCSA are good options for you to follow, depending on what you want to do. If you're into networking, working with switches and routers, then Cisco certs are a good path for you. If you're into systems administration, then Microsoft or one of the Linux certifications are more up your alley. You also have the option of taking a look at other CompTIA certs, (Linux+ is a good choice if you're looking for a broader range of skills and an introduction to a new area).

Either way, you can take a look at some different areas. Microsoft, Cisco, and LPI are good next steps from the CompTIA certs, as are the vendor-specific Linux and Unix certifications, like the ones from Red Hat, SuSE/Novell, and Sun. There's also technology-specific certifications from organizations like CWNP for wireless technologies and (ISC)2 for IT security. Again, it's all about where your interests are, and what type of job you're looking for. There are lots and lots of different certs out there, and a whole lot to learn. Don't forget to check out local job boards and want-ads to see what employers in your area are looking for.