What's worst, a dated MCITP or a dated MCTS: SCCM

sokkaNET

Hi

I've been lurking around here for a couple of years, and been planning to get some certs for a very long time. However, I never got that far.

Now I'm seriously planning to go for it... but I'm not sure what path to choose.

I have been working in IT for about the last 10 years, in various ways. (helpdesk, support, server administrator etc.). Currently I'm working as server administrator and some SCCM 2007.
Some years ago I planned to get MCSA 2003, I got the windows xp and one of the server tests, but never got any furter. I decided not to keep on going for the 2003 tests, as the upgrade path to MCITP was almost just as long. Then I decided to go for the MCITP Server admin, but never got to take any test.

I can't use my working time to study, nor do I have to much sparetime, so it will defnetly take some time to read up to another test, but I have decided that now I really want to get going with certs.

If I try to get going with MCITP, I'm pretty sure that I wont be finished with it, until late 2012, so I guess Server 8 (and a new MCITP program) is out. I guess after doing the MCITP, I must go for the MCTS: SCCM. (by then it will be SCCM 2012).

Alternative I could first go for MCTS SCCM, and get that done, and then go for MCITP (or whatever it will be called on Server .

So I guess what it boils down to, what is more worthless. A dated MCITP or a dated MCTS: SCCM

TLeTourneau

On the server side, just because Server 8 may be coming out in 2012 that doesn't make the MCITP in server admin worthless. How many companies do you know of the upgrade thier servers as soon as MS releases a new version? We still have a couple thousand servers running 2003.

ptilsen

None of these certs will be worthless, although an MCTS: SCCM 2007 will be pretty worthless in two or three years. Even an MCSA 2003 has value on its own, and you can expect to see Server 2003 in many production networks through 2014. It won't become a rare and unfortunate novelty (like one might say NT is now) until the late 2010s, maybe even 2020. MCITP won't be outdated for a long time. There will certainly be upgrade paths, assuming they even change the cert program. But really, five years from now, there will still be a lot of 2008/R2 networks out there and MCITP:EA will probably have as much weight as it does now, if not more so (it still competes a bit with MCSE for some jobs, sadly).

Regardless, even outdated certs have value because they show you've been certified for a long time. An MCITP:EA or SA with an MCSA or MCSE shouldn't de-list the old cert from the resume, even as the product leaves the mainstream.

I am going to honestly recommend you complete your MCSA 2003, then take 70-648. It's the same number of tests and approximate amount of money as just starting MCITP:SA/EA from scratch; it gets you more certs; it may well be easier if you have a lot of 03 experience; and, it will show you have been a Microsoft-certified person for longer and on more technology. I think anyone who gets your MCPID can see when you got it, but realistically it probably won't get checked, at least not before you start a new job.

Alternatively, if you really aren't as comfortable on the remaining 2003 material as you are on 2008 R2, get started on your MCITP:EA. I am betting they will add the Windows 8 client as an exam you can take instead of Windows 7, so you can plan to take that when it comes out to complete the client OS requirement. Maybe I'm wrong, but I really don't see a lot of value in getting an MCTS: SCCM on its own, and I don't see it having much value in the future.

jyrki.arpiainen

I agree you on everything what you said about MCSA/MCSE and MCITP certifications.
But same way that they keep their value years from now, i think SCCM 2007 will do the same.

Taking 70-401 (SCCM 2007) first and newer 2012 version when it comes out would be a nice path too. Then it shows same kind of continuum as with completing 2003 certs first and upgrading those to MCITP's.

Besides, SCCM 2012 test would be much easier if one have done SCCM 2007 first. SokkaNET said that he has not much spare time to spend with studies.

And then there is IMHO quite annoying fact about recruiting ppl. They seem to assume that if one has certificates about some techniques like Exchange, SCCM, Forefront etc. that they automatically know everything about less difficult topics, like basic infrastructure.

I have spent 5,5 to 6 years with studying MS infra... first MCDST, then MCSA, MCSE and lastly MCITP: Enterprise Administrator. That made 12 separate exams.
All were either client or server exams, or network infrastructure exams based to srv2003/2008 technologies. Somehow those recruiters assume that EVERYBODY magically knows that all without studying those! There is lots of professional SA's who don't have any certs, and when they do some, they go straight to technology that they need as their main role, like SCCM administrator etc.

So i kinda feel that i have thrown away all those years i spent getting basic infrastructure certs because that knowledge is treated like some kind of matter-of-course.
I wish that i would have went directly to some more valuable stuff.. then i would probably be in decent job right now instead of being unemployed.

At the moment i also am wondering where to go from here.

Path 1. At first i'll take SCCM 2007, then deployment exam 70-681 and after those continue to SCCM 2012.

Path 2. I'll go deeper into my favourite topic: AD. I'd like to be some sort of AD guru who knows everything about that. :P Then at some phase i would extend that area to IDM side. Forefront Identity Manager etc. That would be natural continuum from AD stuff.

Any opinions? I think it is impossible for me to do well both paths , i have to specialize more narrow area to be good at something...