MCSA where now..

noel123ie

Hi all,

Currently have mcsa and hope to do further MCPs to get MCSA Security and Messeging.

However after this I do not know whether to go on and finish MCSE or do Linux + first.

Im currently at Level 1 technical support and want to do something that will enhance cv and get me to the secong level.

I understand I may be over qualified for desktop support with MCSA but want to do all I can to get a move on career.

Also Ive got Security+

Currently studying for mcsa security and messaging what certs should I include on cv?


Any help would be great,

Thanks
Noel

mrmcmint

With an MCSA you should be applying for third line positions now!

noel123ie

ha ha i wish!

I can not seem top find link on mcp site to add sec+ cert?

dynamik

noel123ie wrote: »

ha ha i wish!

I can not seem top find link on mcp site to add sec+ cert?

You send it through CompTIA. They moved everything on their site around, and I can't find the link. Try contacting them to see how they want you to do it.

skrpune

dynamik wrote: »

You send it through CompTIA. They moved everything on their site around, and I can't find the link. Try contacting them to see how they want you to do it.

Yeah, their new site is kinda sucky - nothing is where it used to be and there's no trace of how to publish credentials on their site if you use the search feature. Yar.

Anywho, I pulled up my history on the CompTIA site to get the info on what i did when I published my stuff to MS, since they aren't being very forthcoming with it. Go to https://certify.comptia.org/ & sign in and from there you can publish your credentials to MCPHelp@microsoft.com, and include "MCP ID# XXXXXX" in the "personal note" section. That way, MS can track who the heck you are and add the info to your transcript. Within a couple business days, you'll see it on your MS/MCP transcript.

snokerpoker

"I understand I may be over qualified for desktop support with MCSA"

I once thought the same thing as I was moving up at my job and was on my way to becoming a sys admin. But then......... my whole department was outsourced to India. I was job hunting like crazy for a couple of months and I found that even with MCSA and 3 years experience in IT, it wasn't enough to land a full time sys admin job. This very well could just be in my area (SF Bay Area) but I found that I needed at least 5 years experience to even land an interview. You should be open to a desktop support with the possibility of moving up within the company or sticking with your current job and speak to your boss about moving up. I got lucky and now am working in an entry level sys admin job/desktop support & helpdesk all in one with one other guy who is the network admin. So you never know what might happen... best of luck!

Slowhand

snokerpoker wrote: »

"I understand I may be over qualified for desktop support with MCSA"

I once thought the same thing as I was moving up at my job and was on my way to becoming a sys admin. But then......... my whole department was outsourced to India. I was job hunting like crazy for a couple of months and I found that even with MCSA and 3 years experience in IT, it wasn't enough to land a full time sys admin job. This very well could just be in my area (SF Bay Area) but I found that I needed at least 5 years experience to even land an interview. You should be open to a desktop support with the possibility of moving up within the company or sticking with your current job and speak to your boss about moving up. I got lucky and now am working in an entry level sys admin job/desktop support & helpdesk all in one with one other guy who is the network admin. So you never know what might happen... best of luck!

I can definitely confirm this. The Bay Area is a cut-throat environment for IT workers and you need either luck or experience/certs/a 4-year or graduate degree to get a decent job. The cost of living is pretty damn high out here, and even MCSEs and CCNPs are doing junior-level work. I managed to find work by getting in and interviewing with people until I found a company willing to hire me as a systems engineer doing mid-to-advanced level work. (I was expecting to be at a helpdesk until I was through college, but I got VERY LUCKY.)

My advice to the original poster is this: start applying for jobs now, continue your path to MCSE, and go on to other certs after that. If you don't have a degree, think about going back or doing online classes, it just might help your situation no matter how good you think you have it. Keep in mind, though, that you should never be discouraged by crazy skill-requirements in job-listings - i.e. requiring a Bachelor's degree, the MCSE/CCNA/CCNP/RHCE, years and years of experience, etc. for a junior-admin or even helpdesk position - they're just trying to see how much of that list-o'-requirements they can get. Even if you don't think you're 100% qualified for a position that seems up your alley, apply anyway. I'm still working my way through community-college, gearing up to transfer to a university, and all the IT jobs I've held in the last five years have listed a Bachelor's degree as a "must-have" or under "required prerequisites".