Job or Personal Growth?

kiki162

Right now I work in the government sector (non career conditional) and although it's got good pay and benefits, the potential to move up, or have additional jobs responsibilities mainly due to someone else having that responsibility. Now I have the same job security like anyone else, and the thought of a possible retirement in 30 years seems appealing, but isn't guaranteed.


Plus the whole pay freeze and the fact that my job doesn't have the money to pay for training really puts a damper on things as far as personal job growth.


I have a pretty good range of things to work on SA wise using W2K8 Server, AD, Group policies, some website work, and installing XP or W7 images on workstations. I'm in the process of finishing my BS degree this year, and after that I'm gonna be looking at my next certification. I'd like to start with CCNA, but I wish there was going to be some sort of pay off or incentive job wise.


How many of you have gotten certifications and aren't really using it job wise, but are using it for more personal growth than anything else?

ptilsen

You have two MCSEs and MCITP:EA. CCNA is not going to enhance your value at all unless you make a big career shift. That said, getting CCNA is a great way to round out your skills and can have practical uses for a systems administrator or engineer. But yeah, there's really no incentive for you to get it.

I took Security+ last year as a way to round out my own skills, even though at the time it really wasn't going to be applicable to what I was doing. I'm doing the same with CCNA this year, and will probably go into deeper security certifications. It's all for personal growth, because there are only so many job-related certifications I can do without switching jobs.

That said, it wouldn't make sense to pursue a certification to get knowledge I will never, ever use. For example, I won't pursue CCNP in the near future because I'm never going to be a high-level networking guy, and that's a lot of studying for knowledge that I just don't need right now. I also wouldn't pursue RHCE because that's a lot of Linux for someone who only occasionally uses Linux.

So I don't see anything wrong with getting a certification just because you're interested in personal growth, just as long as you don't get something completely irrelevant to what you do.

kiki162

Those MCSE's/MCITP I mainly got my foot in the door and established, but like most people I updated my MS certs just to stay up to date with things. I have some basic skills with Linux, and with VMWare...not so much in Cisco. Like you, I think that CCNP is too much if you aren't doing that full time, and I agree with the RHCE as well.

I guess the best thing is to look at some of the basic entry level type certs, but not get into additional courses (i.e.: CCNA Security..VCP...etc) unless it's needed.

ptilsen

See, I don't view it just as keeping up to date. Your certifications basically show you have ten years' worth of high-level Windows knowledge. Windows 2000 Server and Server 2008 R2 are very different products. Your certifications, to me, mean you can work with any combination of Windows versions in complex environments. There's a lot of value to that, and to be honest it's sounds like it's wasted working in small scale systems administration, especially with the pay freeze.

Rounding out those heavy MS skills with light networking (CCNA), security (Sec+, SSCP, etc.), VCP, Exchange, even Linux or Citrix, would make you look like a pretty good candidate to a consulting firm or MSP and still give you that personal growth you're looking for. From what you've said thus far, it sounds like you should be looking to move on.

kiki162

I completely agree with you on that, and sometimes I wonder whether sticking with a job for the next 30 years just because they offer a "retirement" is worth the headache. I'm interested in job security like everyone else, but that's not always guaranteed. I think once I get a few years with this job, and some more experience and certs under my belt, then start looking for something better.

Thanks for the advice, I think over the course of the next few years I should be taking the time to add to my skills like you posted above, and jump when the timing is right.