Help Me Decide. Which other Certs to go for.

aasimenator

Hi, I am a silent reader here. I have completed the following.

Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA)
>70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment 23-Sep-08
>70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure 8-Oct-08
>70-270: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional 13-Oct-08
>70-284: Implementing and Managing Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 26-Nov-08

Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE)
>70-293: Planning and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure 20-Feb-09
>70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure 23-Feb-09
>70-297: Designing a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure 25-Feb-09

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
>70-649: TS: Upgrading Your MCSE on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008 2-March-09

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
>70-646: Pro: Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator 10-March-09

as you can see i have done only Microsoft Certifications. & would like to know what other certification i can do. I am not interested in Security / Network. I am mostly interested in server handling & exchange.
Can you guys suggest what other certs. i can do that will help me further.I am already studying for Exchange 2007.
I would like to know if i want to do a virtualization certification then what should i go for VMWARE/CITRIX/Hyper-V.

Also i am only 12th passed Commerece stream & not interested in doing graduation as i would have to do it in commerece field. so are there any certification that can be equivalent to being a graduate/ degree holder.
BTW i am from INDIA.

UnixGuy

I think it's a better idea to get experience to back up your certifications, rather than getting more certs.

Welcome to the forums

dave0212

Agree with UNIXGUY, looking at the dates on your certs you haven't been working toward the IT field very long and you need to get some experience to back up your current certification level.

You have worked through the certification track very quickly what have you been using as study materials?

rossonieri#1

hi aasimenator,

wow ... that is brilliant - 2 thumbs for your certification efforts!!!
but, i should agree with unixguy and dave : do you already have a working experience? if you do have - then its ok for you to continue that cert hunting, but if you dont - then it will be wise enough to have that cert hunting a break before your certification will be useless - its software recycle thing to consider

no offense,

cheers

Essendon

Got to agree with the previous posters. You have whizzed through the certs without any experience, which in line with human nature, raises eyebrows.

Certainly get some experience to back up the cert list. If I were you, I wouldnt list all these certs when I apply for my first job. Just an MCP would suffice and say your working towards others.

By the way, what's this ''12th passed Commerece stream''. No offence intended.

Before I forget, welcome to the forums.

zen master

Jeeze you wizzed through those in a hurry. I'd suggest you get CCNA next, and make sure you build a lab at home and get in lots of practice. You seem set out for the Network Admin path, so, you're on the right track so far. Do you have a degree btw?

aasimenator

Well I appreciate all your responses.

I don't have any experience in any type of IT field not even Desktop. I have never worked in this field(on paper). although i have 2 yrs & 4 months irrelevant experience(call center executive).

I did A+ N+ certification in 2003 after my 10th (school) exam after which i have been helping out friends & friends of friend & so on, I don't have any letter to prove it so i don't count it in my resume either. I was simply amazed by the whole server operation & how you can setup a whole company environment.
back in 2003 I already had a PC at home & i convinced my parents to buy me a second hand server & when i did; i used a lot of CBT's, Press Book, Testout's etc to learn how to handle a server & since then i may have formatted & installed 2003 on the server more than 100 times & practiced alot of stuff.
During this time i was joined work with call center & continued my experiment.
last year 2007 i collected enough money to join myself for MCSE & many other course like CCSA, CCNA, CWNA, Red Hat Linux, Securtiy+, Oracle, Sun Solaris & i am still studying & attend the classes for this course till now. MCSE was really easy for me. & 2008 was quite similar except changes here & there.
& although i have these course & i know you guys will say that i am an idiot for not going for redhat exam instead of microsoft but i know if i get employed somewhere i will be able to do manage windows server easily as compared to redhat servers.

Ps. I dont have any degree i only have 12 years of education (high school)

zen master

An idiot for getting your MCSE instead of RHCE? Hardly. I can count the number of jobs I see asking for RHCE on my hand, meanwhile, every week i see dozens of companies looking for MCSE. You made the right choice.

BigTex71

Start looking for a job to get experience. That will help you way more than another cert at this time... but don't stop studying for your Server 2007.

aasimenator

Thanks again,

I will start looking for work & study for Exchange 2007. I have will create 3 resumes
1> will have all my certs mentioned
2> will have MCSE & MCSA Messaging
3> will have MCTS & MCSE
4> will have MCTS & MCITP

I'll see what company requirements are & post resume accordingly.

Thanks Again

undomiel

zen master wrote: »

An idiot for getting your MCSE instead of RHCE? Hardly. I can count the number of jobs I see asking for RHCE on my hand, meanwhile, every week i see dozens of companies looking for MCSE. You made the right choice.

You can also count the competition for those RHCE jobs on one hand as well, while the MCSE competition will be overwhelming. Even though I don't have the RHCE I still get people calling up hoping that I can manage their Linux systems because they have so much trouble finding competent help, or even semi-competent. Sadly I don't feel like the competent help yet so I turn them down. Maybe I should reverse my policy on that ...

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with getting an MCSE, I'm just proposing not to be so closed minded to the RHCE and the Linux market. Niches can be good for you.

darkerosxx

Undomiel!

rossonieri#1

undomiel wrote,

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with getting an MCSE, I'm just proposing not to be so closed minded to the RHCE and the Linux market. Niches can be good for you.

count me in
the same apps - the same functions - just different taste of config and colors, why not?