What certification has opened you doors?

impelse

It is a fact, certification is better to be hire.

My main question is: What certification has helped you to open doors?

I know it is depend what kind of job you are looking for, your exp. etc.

But I want to know what kind of them you feel that helped you to obtain a job.


Raul

NPA24

I would have to say getting my A+ and Network+. Those two certs played a big role in landing my first IT job.

I have also done some hiring recently and when I looked and reviewed resumes....those were the first certs that I looked for. Of course there is always more than certifications that gets you hired but don't let anyone say that those certs are worthless. They set the standard a long time ago and is still a highly visible cert in resumes.

Good luck!

bas13

Yeah I don't know if A+ or Net+ helped but I had those when I first got my tech support position. I think they are pretty vital for a first job career. It shows companies you have the basic skills you need to perform those basic job duties.

royal

A+ and Network+ landed me my first job. I got a job where I supported around 50-75 users and began learning Active Directory and Group Policy.

Steely

So far, I only got contract work with my A+/N+. I almost nailed a full time helpdesk gig that pays really well, but the new manager came in and put an end to that hope. But gaining skills through contract work is just as valuable I guess. BTW, I started my IT career in January.

nel

i personally think that for a entry level trainee position things like a+/N+/ and a mcp is a good start. eventually towards higher end jobs i would say and MCSE or ccnp. i would say ccna helps if you have experiance to go with it but if you have no experiance and the ccna then (ive found from people i know) that it has not got them very far. even mcsa is not looked upon as ground breaking - its an achievement dont get me wrong - but an employer would be more impressed by mcse after your name .

Slowhand

The cert that opened doors for me was my MCSA, it got me the job I currently have as a systems engineer. I took the A+ during my time as a PC technician, but it did help me land a contract job at Kaiser while I was studying the Microsoft certs. Right now, the Linux+ has gotten some attention from potential employers, (one of which is a little movie and game studio in Marin county. . . you know, the one that made those movies about space samurai and that archeologist in the fedora. . .), as has the prospect of being CCNA certified.

I'm sure I'll get more attention as I move towards MCSE, a lot of employers assume I already have it when they contact me, thinking the "A" is a typo. Personally, I'd love to get into CCNP as well, but my employer wants me to get CCDA certified before I get to do more MCSE training, so the CCNP type of stuff will be quite a ways off. The Security+ cert hasn't really been part of the equation just yet, but I'm sure it hasn't hurt. Hopefully, if I land the MCSE: Security, Security+ will play a bigger part in any job-offers or job-searches I do; it'll more than likely add some clout to any security-related work I do along with the Microsoft (and possibly Cisco) security training.

sprkymrk

MCP got me my first IT job. I'm not sure I would have gotten it with a CompTIA cert, but one never knows.

eltoro

For me, It is A+ and Net+ that got me my first and only job as a PC tech for a bank. I am so tired of this job and I am aggresively pursuing my MCSA and will also get my BS in MIS in 9 months. Can't wait to get a better job!!

manny355

I got my first IT job (help desk for a hospital network) with only a BIT and some customer service experience. That was a little over 8 months ago.

Since then i've picked up my A+ and Net +

I recently interviewed and got hired for a network technician position for a major bank in my area.

I should be picking up the MCP in less than a week and MCSA in less than 3 months. I've taken a lot of college classes for the MCSA track and have managed to set up a home lab with server 2003 and a few workstations to get done and dirty with the concepts.

jasonboche

A+ and MCP (Windows 95) allowed me to get a gig or two while I was contracting but the big shot in the arm was completing MCSE certification in 1997. I almost doubled my salary when that happened (through a job change of course). I went from $29k/yr. to $53k/yr. My phone was also ringing off the hook with job opportunities for the next year+.

famosbrown

My bachelor's degree got me my first I.T. job, but it was networking/systems/support. It was programming/software engineering. Once I got tired of programming, my degree got me a Tier 2 Help Desk Supervisors position. My MCSA landed my Systmes Administrator/Engineer job.

TechJunky

A+/N+ defiantly for letting me break into the IT field. I was only 17 at the time and this I believe was the deciding factor considering I was competing against 700 other candidates at a large company.

keenon

in thinking on it NONE all of the work i have gotten required just the skills and not the paper to boot

garv221

none

Mishra

None! Networking got me my first job. Networking is more important than certifications. Trust me!

Stats say that about 75% of jobs are found through networking. (meaning people networking :-p not IT networks)

sprkymrk

Mishra wrote:

Stats say that about 75% of jobs are found through networking. (meaning people networking :-p not IT networks)

Many of those who got their jobs by "networking" may very well have been certified too though. People tend to network with other people of like interests and skills, so be careful when using "statistics".

Mark Twain wrote:

Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.

For example, did you know that research on bread indicates that:

1. More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread users.
2. Fully HALF of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households score below average on standardized tests.
3. In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever, and influenza ravaged whole nations.
4. More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread.
5. Bread is made from a substance called “dough.” It has been proven that as little as one pound of dough can be used to suffocate a mouse. The average American eats more bread than that in one month!

So saying that 75% of jobs are found through networking does not mean that certifications did not play a role.

mrhaun03

None...had no certs when I got my first IT job.

sprkymrk wrote:

Mark Twain wrote:

Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.

For example, did you know that research on bread indicates that:

1. More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread users.
2. Fully HALF of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households score below average on standardized tests.
3. In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever, and influenza ravaged whole nations.
4. More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread.
5. Bread is made from a substance called “dough.” It has been proven that as little as one pound of dough can be used to suffocate a mouse. The average American eats more bread than that in one month!

Man, I'm never eatin bread again!!

Slowhand

sprkymrk wrote:

Mark Twain wrote:

Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.

For example, did you know that research on bread indicates that:

1. More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread users.
2. Fully HALF of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households score below average on standardized tests.
3. In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever, and influenza ravaged whole nations.
4. More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread.
5. Bread is made from a substance called “dough.” It has been proven that as little as one pound of dough can be used to suffocate a mouse. The average American eats more bread than that in one month!

So saying that 75% of jobs are found through networking does not mean that certifications did not play a role.

See, that's why I eat cookies, instead.

jasonboche

VCP certification has opened some interesting doors for me also.

Megadeth4168

The A+ is what got me the job I have today, which has evolved overtime to a systems administrator job, still working on getting that title and pay though.... That's where the MCSE will come in... Hopefully.

emmajoyce

To be brutally honest, i would have to say none of them have helped me find a job. I have been trying for employment for almost 5 months in different cities and not had one interview. The career guidance counselor at the school and the one at the Dept of labor tell me that my resume is excellent. As you can see, ive acquired a few certs while in school. I was told that this would get me a job since i didnt have experience. A big lie. enough about me. But to answer the question at hand>> no certs has helped me locate even an interview.

-EOS-

I know it's not a cert, but once I earned my BS in Computer Science, there were a ton of doors opened.

BeaverC32

I was able to land my current job without any certifications (fresh out of college).

However, I have already been presented with more opportunities because of the certifications I have since obtained, and the knowledge I gained because of them.

My manager is more willing to assign me more responsibility, and more responsibility typically means more $$$. Plus, by showing that these certifications are helping, he is more than happy to pay for additional certifications. With even more certifications, I can handle an even larger range of responsibilities, and make even more money....

I think you get the point.

For those of you who say certifications haven't helped you, what amount of experience do you have? Certifications, ideally, should go hand-in-hand with experience. This is usually true even with Bachelor's degrees...employers were more interested in my internship than they were with my college education.

sharptech

I did not have any when I landed my first job ;p

I was working as a college student for an IT Dept and I worked my way up to the full time Lead IT Tech my senior year of college. I was their lead student tech and the lead IT Tech left to go to law school and they offered me the job.

I was at that job for seven years (3 as a student, 4 professional) before I decided to move on. While I was there I only got my A+ Cert.

I have a new job working for a smaller company taking care of their network and managing projects. I am working on Linux certs (All their servers are Linux based) and working towards my MCSA.

Ricka182

A+ was my first cert, and I thought I would conquer the IT world with it....hahaha, hahaha, hahaha...yeah, I was wrong....It did get me my first, "working with computers" job, although that was crappy field service for a company that still supported a machine with a 100Mhz chip, running Windows 3.1........nowadays, I load software, and read the forums here....yup, real hard work, which is good to relax with, but no good for advancement or motivation to keep getting more certs.....

SRTMCSE

My MCSE:Security is what got me my role managing Active Directory and enterprise security for a mid size nonprofit organization. I hope to pursue the Messaging designation as well as the Longhorn cert when it becomes available, plus a CCNP and/or CCSP in the next year or 2 so that should open up more...higher $$$....jobs.

Pash

Applied for 10's of jobs with just my 270 mcp, got one interview. Me being wet behind the ears (no experience) didnt help. Got my CCNA, two job interviews in a week, both instances I was offered the job. Granted one of those interviews was setup through my brother who had just started at that company himself.

impelse

You comment gave me a hope. I am studying for CCNA certification, I have some exp in my country, this month I will have my permition to work in Houston, so this will be my first job here.

I will sit this Friday and later I will try to have or A+ or MCP.

Raul

malcybood

My first job I got part time around study doing 1st line helpdesk but face to face as opposed to telephone helpdesk. It was in university and involved helping students with basic queries. Had no certs but was in 3rd year of bsc degree

first proper job was helpdesk at current company and I had a HNC/HND and a Bsc degree in Network Computing and no IT certs. I still work for them now, but as a field engineer.

I had been working for 3 years before studying for certs which gave me a good grounding and I think it helps me understand theory stuff better. Since last august 2006 I've obtained Net+, CCNA, ITIL Foundations and soon to sit the CCDA before July 13. After that I'm going to do MCSA or possibly some Nortel certs as we run Nortel IPT, so I have a good mix of Cisco, Microsoft, Nortel and Novell. I currently work in a Novell environment but don't plan to pursue the Novell certification route despite having good experience in it.

When I reposted my CV on monster after passing the CCNA last month I have been getting alot of interest, 1 of the companies in Germany which never worked out but I have the IT Manager I spoke to as a contact now and another I have in the pipeline involves world wide travel 19 weeks per year but based in the UK. Also in discussions with my current work for them "creating" a network management role for me as they know my intentions are to progress at a fast rate.

In a nutshell certs have opened up more doors after I got into the industry and a degree got me in initially.

blargoe

CCNA helped me land my first job back in 2000.

Since then experience and soft skills has been far and beyond the deciding factor in getting me hired. Though the jobs did have other minimum requirements (college degree, ms certs, etc) they were not "the" factor.