Path to MCSA/MCSE

rterrasi

Good afternoon: I will start off by saying how much I have enjoyed these forums, Cisco and Microsoft both. I am at kind of a crossroads and I would like some advice.

I am pretty much decided to pursue the MCSA/MCSE track. I will be shying away from Cisco for now after obtaining my CCNA, reason being is that I have put myself back out in the job market and most positions I have seen posted minimally require both CCNA & MCSA or MCSE certifications. Now granted, it is important to try to stick to what you are most interested in and my vote is definetly Cisco, but I have to adapt to what employers out there are looking for.

That said, I have looked over the requirements for the short term goal, MCSA, and see that along with the 2 core exams (290, 291) The XP (270) and Vista (620) would reward the MCSA certification. And if I am not mistaken, all 4 of these also apply to the MCSE.

I have decided to start off with the 290 exam, then from there the 270, then the 291, or "The Beast" as it is so affectionality called, and then the Vista exam. I would appreciate any feedback if anyone feels I should perhaps go another route.

I chose the 290 exam first because I have obtained the CBT Nuggets, MS Book, and the Sybex book for this exam. And I have also seen posts on here in which individuals have gone this route first and then tackling the XP exam.

I also took the 640 exam back in October, but I realized that this might not be a good time for it after reading some posts on here. Job search for Win 2008 is very rare right now.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

dynamik

You need to ask yourself if adding MS to your repertoire is as beneficial as dedicating as much time and energy to furthering your Cisco studies. Have you thought about pursuing any of the specializations or starting on a pro track?

If lack of experience is what's holding you back, adding MS certs to that isn't going to change anything. You might be better off volunteering and donating your time to start building that up.

If you do pursue the MCSA/E, those exams you have laid out are fine and will apply to both tracks.

rterrasi

I guess it is the old saying "if you cannot beat them then join them." I have been doing IT work for over 14 years, varying from helpdesk, bench tech, Network admin, and so forth, but only started on Certs just recently. It used to be that just experience would suffice; but it has become more and more that a recruiter will not even look at your resume unless you satisy the minumum requirements. Especially in this economy when they can be much more selective as more people apply for any one open positiion than ever before.

So yes, I would love to pursue Cisco to the fullest extent. As a matter of fact, I would like to pursue the CCNA sec after I complete the MS track. Comments? Thanks

thenjduke

I was in the same boat as you did not believe in certs and expierence was the key. Well I started my certs course 2 years ago and working towards my master now and CCNA. I am MCSE/MCP/MCSA/MCITP EA Administrator after next exam next week. I wouuld tell you the truth I went to college for CCNA because I wanted to get some expierence on routers and switches. I still have second part of CCNA to complete but I am close. Once I get my masters though I am done with my certs and hitting management or engineering so Cisco world were i will be.
Earl