You Indecisive #@%&*$

Time for another installment of "Slowhand likes to make things complicated".

My current certification plan is as follows:
MCSE (finish)
~ 70-293
~ 70-298
~ 70-294

MCITP: Enterprise Administrator
~ 70-649
~ 70-647
~ 70-620

Then I'd want to do the Exchange exam (70-236) before moving on to doing the CCNP exams. The trouble is this, I'm starting to feel like I've been on this road a long time, and I've kept on getting delayed with doing the MCSE exams. Delayed since 2006, in fact. I kept thinking "I'll just do them, and then upgrade to the 2008 cert", but that was before the Windows Server 2008 launch came and went. I've invested quite a bit of time studying for 70-293, and I'm practically ready to take it, but I'm having some doubts at this point if I should or not. The real turning-point in my thought-process comes from the fact that I actually don't work with Server 2003 anymore, we run a Windows Server 2008 native AD environment where I work now. So, I'm kind of stuck with a choice to "finish what I started" with the MCSE or move on.

I bounced my thoughts off my girlfriend, and she seems to think that it makes more sense for me to move on to doing the 2008 exams. She thinks it makes more sense for me to simply do the 70-648 exam, then do the 70-643 exam, and then get the PRO and Vista exams out of the way, rather than doing all three remaining MCSE exams and then doing 70-649. If I did that, I would be moving a little faster, I wouldn't feel like I'm spinning my wheels with technologies I no longer really use, and I could potentially earn the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator cert by the middle or end of summer, at the pace I'm moving. That would free up some more time to do the Exhange cert and get started on the CCNP studies before I go back to school full-time in the fall of 2010, (as opposed to the part-time classes I'm doing now). She even suggested that I could always go back and do the MCSE exams when I have the time, if I really felt like I should still do that cert after all is said and done, but get the things I really need done now and see how it goes. I suppose I'm just a tad sentimental, wanting to finish the MCSE journey I started out on in 2005.

So, what do you guys think? I'm torn between finishing up the MCSE, which could take another two or three months, then upgrading to the MCITP? Do you think I should just swallow my pride and move on to the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator exams now and get a head-start on my plan to be uber-certified when I'm back in school, (so that I can always fall back on an IT job, rather than working at McDonald's)? I'm leaning towards skipping the MCSE exams, (at least for now,) and moving forward, but I thought I'd get some feedback from people who understand where I'm coming from.

(Incidentally, I'll also be earning my A.S. degree in CIS, with a focus on network management, before I go back to school full-time and study EECS. I'm taking this whole "have a career to fall back on" thing very seriously, considering the state of the economy.

)

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Comments

Turgon

Either way works. But I would be inclined to crack on now and get the MCSE finished. It will give you a feeling of accomplishment to complete this after so much time and its doable in a couple of months hard work. I finally finished my remaining exams to become a CNE in 2007 after a hiatus of several years away from Novell. Certainly felt good to get something done that was half finished since 2001! Now if I can just keep going until I manage to find the time to get that CCIE..

undomiel

I would say it would depend upon your reasons for getting certified. If it is to learn the technology then by all means jump on over to the EA and finish up the MCSE later. If it is for making yourself more marketable though, then that's a different story. I have not seen much boost from my EA in my job search. I've run across a handful of places looking for it and only one person I've talked to that has recognized it. Everyone else is still MCSE crazed. That is just something you might want to keep in mind, why you are looking for certification. You could also calculate how many exams it would take to do things. If you do the EA first that will wind up with a lot more exams in the end than the MCSE -> EA route. I would have to say though, that I feel you learn a lot more from working through the MCSE exams than through the EA exams, albeit mine was the upgrade route.

skrpune

best path is really up to you, but if it were me I'd finish the one that I'm partway done with and then move onto the next one. However, if you're stagnating in your studies and need to freshen things up, then it might be best to move on to the MCITP:EA and then backtrack afterwards.

Slowhand

Good feedback so far, but I guess I should clarify the "why" point. The reason I'm getting certified is twofold. One, I enjoy learning and I feel that certification is a great way to get a baseline set of skills on a technology. The other reason is to be able to market myself. . . down the road. Right now, I have a job and I have no plans on moving for at least another two years, and once I do that it will be to go back to school. The ironic thing here is that I never really planned to go into IT, it just sort of happened while I was procrastinating with math classes for the EECS degree. I plan on going into that program full-time come next year, at which point I won't have time to balance both a job and full-time cert studying, so I'd be slowing down considerably at that point. (Doing part-time work is the hope, as well as some smatterings of Cisco studying here and there, but it would be ideal to just be going to school with no work at all.)

So, basically, I don't really "need" the full MCSE, it's really more of a sentimental type of notion that I'd like to finish what I started. The other side of the coin is that I can get direct use from fleshing out my Server 2008 knowledge, as I work with it every day and I need to be doing more with our internal infrastructure, (such as getting NAP and some of the other new, fun toys working). I'm still torn, though, especially based on the feedback, since I was leaning in the direction of just sticking with my MCSA and moving on. The marketability factor isn't such a huge one, as I'd be looking at getting another serious IT job no sooner than three or four years from now, (notwithstanding a disastrous lay-off session at my current gig,) so I figure that the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator cert should have some recognition then. Another factor that started this line of thinking is that I got plenty of hits on my resume once I listed a recent project of deploying a Windows Server 2008 network with Exchange 2007, it seems that the actual products, if not the corresponding certs, are becoming more popular than Elvis where I live.

Keep the feedback coming, guys. I appreciate the input.

dynamik

What's with all the coddling? Slowhand, suck it up and finish your MCSE.

You're practically done with 293, and you could probably take 294 and 297 simultaneously. I can't imagine you'd have much of a problem with AD, given your experience. Plus, you'll have to do an extra upgrade exam if you upgrade now and then go back for your MCSE. Why don't you quit whining and just buckle down and take care of it?

Sorry man, but you know I'm only harsh because I care

blargoe

I'm not sure what I would do, but for you, do the one that motivates you. If that's 2008, then do that. If you're not driven to finish the MCSE and you can't see the value in finishing it, I can't honestly advise you to spend time on it anymore if it's going to hold up progress on something that's more worthwhile to you.

JMHO

JJArms

Slowhand wrote: »

Time for another installment of "Slowhand likes to make things complicated".

My current certification plan is as follows:
MCSE (finish)
~ 70-293
~ 70-298
~ 70-294

MCITP: Enterprise Administrator
~ 70-649
~ 70-647
~ 70-620

Then I'd want to do the Exchange exam (70-236) before moving on to doing the CCNP exams. The trouble is this, I'm starting to feel like I've been on this road a long time, and I've kept on getting delayed with doing the MCSE exams. Delayed since 2006, in fact. I kept thinking "I'll just do them, and then upgrade to the 2008 cert", but that was before the Windows Server 2008 launch came and went. I've invested quite a bit of time studying for 70-293, and I'm practically ready to take it, but I'm having some doubts at this point if I should or not. The real turning-point in my thought-process comes from the fact that I actually don't work with Server 2003 anymore, we run a Windows Server 2008 native AD environment where I work now. So, I'm kind of stuck with a choice to "finish what I started" with the MCSE or move on.

I bounced my thoughts off my girlfriend, and she seems to think that it makes more sense for me to move on to doing the 2008 exams. She thinks it makes more sense for me to simply do the 70-648 exam, then do the 70-643 exam, and then get the PRO and Vista exams out of the way, rather than doing all three remaining MCSE exams and then doing 70-649. If I did that, I would be moving a little faster, I wouldn't feel like I'm spinning my wheels with technologies I no longer really use, and I could potentially earn the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator cert by the middle or end of summer, at the pace I'm moving. That would free up some more time to do the Exhange cert and get started on the CCNP studies before I go back to school full-time in the fall of 2010, (as opposed to the part-time classes I'm doing now). She even suggested that I could always go back and do the MCSE exams when I have the time, if I really felt like I should still do that cert after all is said and done, but get the things I really need done now and see how it goes. I suppose I'm just a tad sentimental, wanting to finish the MCSE journey I started out on in 2005.

So, what do you guys think? I'm torn between finishing up the MCSE, which could take another two or three months, then upgrading to the MCITP? Do you think I should just swallow my pride and move on to the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator exams now and get a head-start on my plan to be uber-certified when I'm back in school, (so that I can always fall back on an IT job, rather than working at McDonald's)? I'm leaning towards skipping the MCSE exams, (at least for now,) and moving forward, but I thought I'd get some feedback from people who understand where I'm coming from.

(Incidentally, I'll also be earning my A.S. degree in CIS, with a focus on network management, before I go back to school full-time and study EECS. I'm taking this whole "have a career to fall back on" thing very seriously, considering the state of the economy. )

Finish the MCSE -- when job hunting this word is key on resumes.

For no other reason than that the people who will be reviewing your resume are generally on the lowest rung on the technical ladder; they are looking for key words without knowing what they mean.

Regards,

JJArms~

bertieb

Slowhand wrote: »

The other reason is to be able to market myself. . .

In that case, finish the MCSE. You know just how many years of marketing it's got behind it, and I'd hazard a guess and say it'll be like that for some time. Plus, if you're ready for the 293 go get it done mate. Then, it won't take you long to knock the others out. Whats another couple of months studying 2003 stuff in the long term?

nel

Jeez, slowhand your starting to sound potty in your old age

I would finish the MCSE then upgrade to EA. But you will have to buckle up if you intend to finish all of this + ccnp before starting school again in 2010!

Good luck mate

NetAdmin2436

If you've been studying for the 293 test and are at the goal line, you owe it to yourself and more importantly you owe it to TE to go take the exam. Don't let us down, we are counting on you Slowhand.

How is that for a guilt trip?

LBC90805

Don't know what I really want to do after CCNA. Thinking about doing something with Linux or SAN stuff, just don't know which yet. Eventually Management Certs Like ITIL, COBIT, SIGMA SIX (Job Process reall with that one), And Project stuff. Not really thinking of M$ as an option at the moment.