After MCSE

Currently working on my MCSE (learning great stuff), and trying to get as much hands on experience as i can with videos and book. I wanted to know what to do after MCSE? Would you start looking for a job to gain on the job experience afterward or gain more certs? I want to gain as much knowledge as possible when I achieve it but don't want to go out there looking for jobs that may not be out there. What i do see when just skimming through jobs is that, it seems like if you have the degree or cert or experience or all three, there is a good chance you can get an interview. I just don't want to sit on skills i am trying to gain real world experience in.

thanks, as always

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dynamik

What are you doing for work now?

If you don't already have one, you should look for a job that uses your skills/knowledge ASAP. You might catch a break and find someone willing to take a chance on you even though you're not done with the MCSE. There's no reason not to always be casually looking.

And never stop studying! Start working on Exchange, the 2008 upgrade, Cisco, etc. There's plenty to do after your MCSE, and you can keep working towards any of those goals while looking for a new job.

murdatapes

Got you. Oh I work as a server admin, but mostly entitles doing hardware. i get to do somethings with the OS side of things, but very little. Put it this way, when a 2003/2008 box goes down, my departments is the first one that looks at it but only to the hardware aspect of it. as soon as it boots to the OS, and its still messed up, I have to escalated it to the Windows admins from there. Great advice as usually dynamik. Start right away. I will do that. People at my job told me I should apply up at the support level there, cause that's where windows admin are and I can get my experience there. But I guess I will do the searching and keep what they said in mind.

TopTech

Now that you have the MCSE, I would not overload yourself with other exams yet, as I think some practical work experience would be more beneficial. It's sometimes a bit of a shock for techs who have just walked in to a new job with a handful of certs and are still completely lost in a server room when asked to undertake a specific task.
To be successful in IT, you need both practical experience and certifications. It also depends upon which direction you want to go now. If you do have to take another exam now, make it CCNA and get a real good grip on networking.

murdatapes

Oh I agree toptech. I don't have my MCSE yet. Still 4 more test to take. And yes after the MCSE I will pursue CCNA. But really I want to get the real world every day experience like you said so I might wait a second before going after more certs after MCSE and CCNA.

I wouldn't be completely lost in a server room (I work in a data center

). But yes when it comes to the things I want to do (i mostly deal with server hardware and a little OS stuff) yes I want to know and be prepared as much as possible.

murdatapes

My department is so funny. Talking with some of the guys at work, with the manager being there, and I had mentioned how certs really helping to get more experience and your foot in the door, and one guy said "well no matter how many certs you get, they will always keep you in this department." For some reason the "server hardware" guys just do the hardware and have no passion about getting out of that department so we keep them there and never ask them to move up (thats the perception). But the guys that deal with the OS side (Unix and Windows, even Networking department) have a board were they post individual certs on the wall showing peoples accomplishments and how great they are. My department? Well there just people who do "something." This is the reason I do what I do to gain as much experience as possible.

Do you think after I achieve the MCSE i should try to move up, or try to move out?

NetAdmin2436

I'd say if your bored with your current job role, try to move up/on regardless of where you are in your MCSE studies. You don't need to be a MCSE to be a Network Admin.

In this economy I'd be cautious of switching companies, but definitely keep your eye open and try to move up in your company.

murdatapes

Yeah I think I will try and move up to the Windows admin department after or even before obtaining my MCSE. I want to move up before I finish this A.A.S off. So before i finish that and hopefully moved up (hopefully soon) that will give me a little of a year experience dealing with the Windows environment. sounds like a plan to me.

Big Jizay

murdatapes wrote: »

My department is so funny. Talking with some of the guys at work, with the manager being there, and I had mentioned how certs really helping to get more experience and your foot in the door, and one guy said "well no matter how many certs you get, they will always keep you in this department." For some reason the "server hardware" guys just do the hardware and have no passion about getting out of that department so we keep them there and never ask them to move up (thats the perception). But the guys that deal with the OS side (Unix and Windows, even Networking department) have a board were they post individual certs on the wall showing peoples accomplishments and how great they are. My department? Well there just people who do "something." This is the reason I do what I do to gain as much experience as possible.

Do you think after I achieve the MCSE i should try to move up, or try to move out?

I have the same problem at my job. I want to get out of my helpdesk job which mostly deals with proprietary company software, and move to desktop support, which mostly deals with Windows. The desktop support guys have been in the company for like 10 years, and seem to have no desire to move up in the company, so I'm stuck in helpdesk right now.

blargoe

Get out of your department if you can, even if it means changing companies... I think someone would take a chance on you as a Jr. Windows admin

TopTech

Stay where you are for now and complete the MCSE. The reason being that if you move to a new position, you will have too much other stuff to think about in a new job that your cert study may get pushed aside for too long.
After you've proven yourself with the MCSE, then make it known to your managers that you want to work more in the system admin field. If there is a position available and they like you, you'll hopefully be first in line, with MCSE in hand. If nothing comes up, move out to another company if you can. It's your career and you must decide how to work it.
Don't think that by getting thrown into a sys admin position now that you will magically pick up all the info you need to get through the exams. There are many, many concepts that you will never touch that you need for the exam.
That's how i see it - my 2c worth.

murdatapes

Damn good reply's. I read each reply carefully cause I was stuck on what to do. I will finish up the MCSE then try to move up, if not out. I mean i am working hard at this thing and just getting tired of being in a department that gets looked down upon, and seeing the previous people in my department (the ones that already moved up) move over to sys admin and networking positions cause they proved they had the basic skills to do it (they weren't experts, just knew wanted to get out and had the basics down).

Great advice yall. More than you can imagine. Thank you