the-10-best-it-certifications-2012

Most of these I can agree with, but is there really that big of a call for Apple certs?

The 10 best IT certifications: 2012 | TechRepublic

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Comments

kriscamaro68

I havent seen a single place ever ask for apple certs. Not even apple support shops ask for it in my state that I have seen. It seems like they are basing this off of apple becoming a hot topic lately. There is no ROI on these certs that I have ever seen.

Roguetadhg

Apple computers are more targeted towards the High-income users. However, I know mid-income persons use macs. My friend in PA uses only macs in her office.

Devilsbane

kriscamaro68 wrote: »

I havent seen a single place ever ask for apple certs. Not even apple support shops ask for it in my state that I have seen. It seems like they are basing this off of apple becoming a hot topic lately. There is no ROI on these certs that I have ever seen.

A former classmate of mine took a job where he had to get Apple certified within 6 months. But they provided all of the training and paid for the exams. So it seems that at least this employer recognized the value in certified but also recognized that nobody has Apple certs.

erpadmin

A colleague of mine is undertaking Apple cert studies to better provide support for the Macs on campus. He's not required to, and no one asked him; he just wants to be the other "Apple" guy users turn to. So there is "value," FWIW.

I guess the 1-3 questions on A+ concerning Apple just isn't enough....

higherho

I'm shocked to see network + and A+ listed but no security +? Definitely agree with the number 1 choice. I need to hurry up and get my CCNA! I've been slacking for to long lol.

quinnyfly

Good article, seems current from what I know, gonna have a squiz at TechRepublic now

Devilsbane

You guys remember his 2010 list that most of us thought was garbage? http://i.techrepublic.com.com/downloads/Gilbert/dl_10_best_certs.pdf

Same list except he dropped an Apple cert and combined A+ and Net+ to make room for the CompTIA cert and added virtualization.

N2IT

higherho

I feel like sharing a story

I use to smoke cigars almost daily. I would network with a group of guys from cooks to directors of fortune 500 companies. Some of them I was close to others not so much. Well one day a gentlemen up there who I was friendly with mentioned my background in IT. At the time I was on helpdesk. No certs and none related IT degree was all I had. He said his boss was looking for two network support guys. I said I would be interested. Then the dream came to a scretching halt. He said I would either need to have Linux or Networking experience. I had some but it was light. No configuration just troubleshooting. So he said that was great, but did I have my CCNA. Of course I didn't at the time nor do I have it now.

I still go in for the occasional smoke and he tells me how the new guys are doing etc. Even though it worked out for the best at least I tell myself that, I lost out on a job that paid 65,000 a year. Keep in mind I was making 38,000

Bokeh

There's another article on there today that says request for security certs are down 32%.

Devilsbane

Bokeh wrote: »

There's another article on there today that says request for security certs are down 32%.

Tell that to Sony, RSA, Lockheed Martin, and the dozen other companies that had major security attacks last year.

eansdad

I can see the reasoning for those certs and why security+ was left off but I see more jobs asking for ITIL now to go along with the A+/Net+. I don't see a lot of jobs asking for any Apple certs with only 6 (total) comming up on Dice and SonicWall having 27. I think CISSP should have been #2 then VCP.

NetworkingStudent

kriscamaro68 wrote: »

I havent seen a single place ever ask for apple certs. Not even apple support shops ask for it in my state that I have seen. It seems like they are basing this off of apple becoming a hot topic lately. There is no ROI on these certs that I have ever seen.

+1

I have seen maybe one or two jobs that even mention Apple certs. I think this is just someone predicting what they think will be the next big thing in IT.

CCNA does have value. I missed out on two jobs, because I didn’t remember the OSI model of the Network+. One was a phone interview, and they called me out of the blue.(for a company that made Networking Monitoring tools) Another was a written test, which was very hard.(For an ISP) I would like to pursue the CCNET and CCNA someday. I’m not too excited about renewing it every 3 years.

I think the 70-640 has a lot of value too!! A lot of companies want IT guys that have Active Directory experience/understanding.

erpadmin

Devilsbane wrote: »

You guys remember his 2010 list that most of us thought was garbage? http://i.techrepublic.com.com/downloads/Gilbert/dl_10_best_certs.pdf

For the record, I still do.

The problem that I will always have with these lists is that people who can't spell IT, let alone are not in the industry will read these lists and take it as gospel. Then they'll do whatever they need to do to get the top three and then wonder why they aren't making a salary that can get them an S-Class Mercedes [or...heck, even a low-end Kia].

VAHokie56

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

CCNA does have value. I missed out on two jobs, because I didn’t remember the OSI model

All
people
seem
to
need
data
processing

Come on man easiest way to remember it !

erpadmin

VAHokie56 wrote: »

All
people
seem
to
need
data
processing

Come on man easiest way to remember it !

People
Do
Need
To
Stop
Playing
Around

Google it!! You'll find no one came out with that one....in fact I just did and when you put it in quotes it goes back to an old post I wrote...

Devilsbane

erpadmin wrote: »

People
Do
Need
To
Stop
Playing
Around

Google it!! You'll find no one came out with that one....in fact I just did and when you put it in quotes it goes back to an old post I wrote...

Please
Do
Not
Throw
Sausage
Pizza
Away

and to remember the protocol data units...
Doh! (Application, Presentation, and Session layer)
Sausage
Pizza's
Frozen
Bart
(Data, Data, Data, Segments, Packets, Frames, Bits)

higherho

Dont forget those sub layers in layer 2!

Also imo if your a CCIE you have the number 1 cert imo lol.

Roguetadhg

But CCIEs don't get to wear capes!

higherho

Roguetadhg wrote: »

But CCIEs don't get to wear capes!

I would, I would make either a batman cape for the long night shifts and then a Zero cape for during the day (Zero from Code Geass if anyone here loves anime :0)

pwjohnston

When I'm trying to decide if I should sit for a particular cert, I get on Dice or Indeed and search for it throughout the whole country. The way I see it, while you do learn something from certs, you don't learn a lot, at least I don't. Certs are just a way to get past HR, I've always learned more on the job.

Devilsbane

pwjohnston wrote: »

When I'm trying to decide if I should sit for a particular cert, I get on Dice or Indeed and search for it throughout the whole country. The way I see it, while you do learn something from certs, you don't learn a lot, at least I don't. Certs are just a way to get past HR, I've always learned more on the job.

I have to completely disagree with this. My motivation for certs is what I want to learn, and I've learned far more studying for them than I ever learned in any classroom. Honestly, I don't particularly care much for which certs are the hottest or have the most hits on dice. Maybe this is wrong of me, I understand what you’re doing and see where it is likely successful. But at least to me, it’s not just about checking off the boxes on the application but learning something I am interested in. The only time I’ve struggled finding a job was my first job, since then I’ve been contacted numerous times through linkedin and different recruitment agencies about positions that are open even when I have no interest.

Patel128

higherho wrote: »

I would, I would make either a batman cape for the long night shifts and then a Zero cape for during the day (Zero from Code Geass if anyone here loves anime :0)

haha i have the whole series, but not the time to watch it,
(Back on topic) I do agree that CCIE is #1 in my opinion. If you have the knowledge to get that then ill bow down to you. One day i will get the CCIE and i will wear my cape (at least for a few hours till i get tired of people looking at me thinking I need some form of mental help.)

Roguetadhg

I felt inspired to wear a CCNA cape.

pwjohnston

Devilsbane wrote: »

I have to completely disagree with this. My motivation for certs is what I want to learn, and I've learned far more studying for them than I ever learned in any classroom. Honestly, I don't particularly care much for which certs are the hottest or have the most hits on dice. Maybe this is wrong of me, I understand what you’re doing and see where it is likely successful. But at least to me, it’s not just about checking off the boxes on the application but learning something I am interested in. The only time I’ve struggled finding a job was my first job, since then I’ve been contacted numerous times through linkedin and different recruitment agencies about positions that are open even when I have no interest.

Well sometimes you have to take things that you aren't interested in to get the job that pushes you and makes you a better admin in the long haul. For me that was Cisco and Exchange. I'm not going to say I didn't learn anything, but I'm just more of a hands on practical situation kind of guy.

They taught us in school that you don't take the certs till you've worked on the product and know it. Well in this world you can't (usually) get the job without the cert and you can't get the experience without the job so it's kind of a Catch 22.

Make no mistake I do take things I'm interested in, I just try to also make sure they have more value than personal satisfaction.

Success101

Can't believe Security+ isn't on there. Go figure.

ptilsen

CSSA and Comptia Healthcare? Seriously? They're next to worthless, with little RoI.

I don't think Dell purchasing Sonicwall is a game-changer. I configure Sonicwalls frequently; we're an MS, HP, and Sonicwall shop, in that order. The certification and training for it has never proven valuable. They're fairly easy to configure, and when you can't configure something you can call Sonicwall. Anyway, that sector is saturated with similar equipment (Adtran, Watchguard, Astaro, Zywall, Smoothwall, M0n0wall, and even Cisco), and Sonicwall is not likely to become a de facto standard or even a dominating one. Dell doesn't dominate PCs and servers, so I don't see any big changes coming in Sonicwall's relative market share.

N2IT

That Comptia healthcare cracks me up PT.

SteveO86

Horrible list... The inclusion of the CSSA is shocking to me... I have that and I'm afraid to mention that to people... It's a open book test for god's sake.

A+/N+ really?

erpadmin

pwjohnston wrote: »

They taught us in school that you don't take the certs till you've worked on the product and know it. Well in this world you can't (usually) get the job without the cert and you can't get the experience without the job so it's kind of a Catch 22.

Yes, but when you get a cert on something you've never worked on, and your resume is reflected on that, be ready to hear questions that you didn't read about in your little cert prep guide. Forsaken_GA's latest thread on resumes is a nice real world example of this [not talking about empty certs per se, but it is still applicable].

Empty certs are just as bad as having no certs at all. You will not have a leg up on someone who has experience.

cmitchell_00

VAHokie56 wrote: »

All
people
seem
to
need
data
processing

Come on man easiest way to remember it !

The OSI model people. This list still should have had Security + on it but, I have a few on the list. I think these list can be misleading to not just to I.T. management who aren't in the field but, also the H.R. personnel who says you must have them all. Then, you get these certs and they want to pay you like 45-70k while you have the Alphabet soup of certs; to funny.