What certifications are necessary?

Shout

Hello,
Im doing my CCNA final semester this year at school and next year i am doing a MCSE and Security + course, I am wanting to leave school next year after I have finished CCNA and do the MCSE and Security + courses. So what I was wondering was if I chose to do this would and got certified in all three would I be able to get a job even though I left school. This is a really important decision and I just need to know if im going to be able to get employed, any help greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Tristan.

garv221

If you have an MCSE & CCNA without any experience, I would think you would get your foot door. However I would not leave school early without a degree. Finish what you start.

KatanaSam

The fact that you didn't finish school will come up when you don't want it to... and it wouldn't look good. Remember... the person you are and your soft skills including dedication to whatever you are doing will be at least as important to a potential employer as what you can do or what certs you hold.

sab4you

im guessing your young, in college and dont have much computer work expereince. If this is correct then I advise you finish college.

Having experience is very important as well, so try to pick up a side job doing some sort of computer tech support or help desk.

Good idea though to work on MCSE/CCNA while still in school - having these under your belt early will be helpful.

Job market is tough and without experience its not going to be easy. Once you get some experience under your belt, the degree, MCSE/CCNA will give you an opportunity to quickly move up - but thats also up to you and initiative to switch jobs if need be.

ajs1976

Stay in School. Get the degree and the certs. Use Internships to get experience.

Before the dot com bubble burst, I left school and was able to get a job. I quickly found out it was hard to move up and went back to school.

Shout

ok thanks for all your help, just one note, the SECURITY + course is equilivent to one year on the job.

garv221

Shout wrote:

ok thanks for all your help, just one note, the SECURITY + course is equilivent to one year on the job.

Not true. The only thing equilivent to one year on the job, is actually ONE year on the job.

keenon

thats true i have more experience that formal college education and certs don't count unless you have used them in the real world. it means that your able to pass the test and doesn't signify that your able to do the job.

finish school and go for internship. i have gone back school and about 1/3 of the way til degree, with experience and my recent cert and still it can be fight to get a decent job in your career path

Shout

ok well thanks for all your help, i really appreicieat it.

skully93

garv221 wrote:

If you have an MCSE & CCNA without any experience, I would think you would get your foot door. However I would not leave school early without a degree. Finish what you start.

I agree! Don't be in a big hurry just yet. There are still a lot of people with a decade of experience looking for jobs, and most of them have degrees, so keep at it a while.

On a similar note, I see a lot of people that get an MCSA/E or something equivalent for another vendor, and automatically expect a 40k job to appear. The market just isn't like that this very second, so don't be afraid to apply for jobs a couple of months before school is finished. It takes HR for a lot of companies that long just to call you to even consider an interview.