What to do after MCITP:SA

crrussell3

By years end I plan on finishing up my MCITP:SA, and I keep changing my mind as to what I should do next.

My background has been in as an IT Support Specialist for almost four years, doing everything from desktop support, deployment, and managing my sites DC, File, and Print server.

I keep bouncing between my next certification route to achieve my end goal as a Systems Administrator. While I know I will most likely have some more time as desktop support to round out my experience and knowledge, I just can't decide on what I should focus on next?

Exchange? CCENT/CCNA? Windows 7?

While I eventually want to achieve them all, I am almost thinking that Exchange will suit me better as my previous experience was in Lotus Notes, but yet knowing I have more time as desktop support, should I go for Windows 7 instead?

Decisions, decisions. What would everyone else recommend? Looking at job postings locally, majority ask for MCSE, Exchange, VMWare, Citrix, etc experience.

dynamik

Why don't you do the EA? Do Win7 and the EA exam. After that, I'd branch out into the CCNA or Exchange/SQL Server/Sharepoint, etc., depending on your current responsibilities and where you want to go.

Hyper-Me

I think to be an effective Windows Sys admin in a job role that you have to do almost everything for the company, you really need to know the general admin stuff/Active Directory (MCITP EA), know how to configure and administrate exchange, and know how to configure and run programs against MSSQL.

Having said that, lots of job postings i see now are asking for windows sys admins to be dual certed in both MS stuff and Cisco stuff, so a CCNA might not be a bad idea.

RobertKaucher

I think the days where a network admin could specialize in one technology and expect to not have to deal very much with things out side of that knowledge domain are gone.

As an admin you will be expected to work with whatever technology is thrown at you. So I like the ideas of the previous posters. Figure out what you are interested in as far as enterprise applications (SharePoint, SQL, Exchange, etc) and do some Cisco.

But I want to be clear that I am not saying do not specialize. I am say saying have strong foundational skills in a broad range of technologies.

crrussell3

RobertKaucher wrote: »

I think the days where a network admin could specialize in one technology and expect to not have to deal very much with things out side of that knowledge domain are gone.

I agree with this, and its what I see in the job market where I am at. With the size of city I am in, its hard to specialize in something, as most businesses aren't big enough (beyond Wells Fargo and few others).

As an admin you will be expected to work with whatever technology is thrown at you. So I like the ideas of the previous posters. Figure out what you are interested in as far as enterprise applications (SharePoint, SQL, Exchange, etc) and do some Cisco.

But I want to be clear that I am not saying do not specialize. I am say saying have strong foundational skills in a broad range of technologies.

I have full intentions of branching out into the Exchange, SQL, and Sharepoint exams along with CCNA, just not sure where I should go next. I plan on obtaining my MCITP:EA, just figured it would better suit me to go for something else first, as that might make me more marketable, as right now I am working contract positions since being laid off in Feb.

Hyper-Me

You should get a job at Wells Fargo and zero out my mortgage balance.

crrussell3

Hyper-Me wrote: »

You should get a job at Wells Fargo and zero out my mortgage balance.

You and me both!

brad-

crrussell3 wrote: »

By years end I plan on finishing up my MCITP:SA, and I keep changing my mind as to what I should do next.

take a break, watch some football.

crrussell3

brad- wrote: »

take a break, play some CoD/Halo.

There, fixed.

MeanDrunkR2D2

crrussell3 wrote: »

You and me both!

Could be worse and you work for Principal. (Did tier 1 helpdesk for them while in college, then moved away as I couldn't find any entry level IT positions)

Most positions and companies will want some rather broad experience and not a specialized path to be in since like you mentioned with the number of large and smaller companies out there.

tpatt100

I would focus on actual experience rather than collecting certs.

crrussell3

So after much thought this weekend, I am thinking after I complete my SA I will be going after my Exchange certs. Now, I just need to decide what makes more sense? 2007 or 2010?

My experience with Exchange has been limited to my schooling back in 2001-2003. Otherwise I have only had experience with Lotus Notes. Personally, I would rather go after 2010, but I am concerned about how through the material will be for someone with my lack of experience compared to the material available for 2007. Plus, I don't see that there are any books available for 2010.

I guess I am leaning more towards 2007 because of those reasons unless someone can convince me otherwise

Lirin

A lot of people get both SA and EA.

MentholMoose

crrussell3 wrote: »

So after much thought this weekend, I am thinking after I complete my SA I will be going after my Exchange certs. Now, I just need to decide what makes more sense? 2007 or 2010?

My experience with Exchange has been limited to my schooling back in 2001-2003. Otherwise I have only had experience with Lotus Notes. Personally, I would rather go after 2010, but I am concerned about how through the material will be for someone with my lack of experience compared to the material available for 2007. Plus, I don't see that there are any books available for 2010.

I guess I am leaning more towards 2007 because of those reasons unless someone can convince me otherwise

I haven't found having certs without real-world experience to back them up to be particularly helpful during job searches. I think the EA is the better option since you have related experience, which you can emphasize on your resume and during interviews. Also you will be finish the EA quicker because of that experience, and because the EA builds on the SA. Just my $0.02...

crrussell3

MentholMoose wrote: »

I haven't found having certs without real-world experience to back them up to be particularly helpful during job searches. I think the EA is the better option since you have related experience, which you can emphasize on your resume and during interviews. Also you will be finish the EA quicker because of that experience, and because the EA builds on the SA. Just my $0.02...

While just having certs and not real world experience can hurt your job search, having that base knowledge that obtaining the certs can give you will help you in the long run.

MentholMoose

crrussell3 wrote: »

While just having certs and not real world experience can hurt your job search, having that base knowledge that obtaining the certs can give you will help you in the long run.

Yes definitely, I just thought it sounded like you were leaning toward a cert to help immediately.