The next adventures

I wanted to see what everyones thoughts are and recommendations are for some certs. I'm really looking to give myself the most bang-for-the-buck on my certs over the next few years. I had gotten a really late start on doing my certs in my opinion (i'm 30 in a few months). I currently work for a IT consultant company, a small company, and next in charge behind the office manager. I've worked here for 5 years, moving from a service center technician, to a business technician, to lead-technician. I am 1 of 2 technicians who work on servers in the office, the rest only do workstation/easy stuff. We work on small businesses, and some medium business networks here in town. The pay is not bad.

Currently, I am finding myself bored with the lack of challenge at my job site, and I feel like I am coming to the end of what this job can teach me. I can compare it to how often I reference, or do searches on errors, and I can't remember the last time i've googled to resolve issues on a server, etc.

On to the questions: I currently am going back to school to get my bachelors, doing the WGU program.
By the end of the program, in about 6-8 months. I should have finished up the following certs:

Network+
Security+
CIW Java and Design Specialist
MCITP: Enterprise Administrator
Project+
As well as have my Bachelors in Network Design and Management.

I am planning to work towards my Cisco certs, but should that be my next goal? Are there any certs that will help just as much that I do not know about?

Planning for CCENT, CCNA, CCNP, CCIE within the next 2-3 years. Are there any more certs that will help out with my career goals? I've seen PMP mentioned, and a few others. Any thoughts would be great.

Thanks in advance

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Comments

a.a.!4life

Those are some hefty certs, if you're finding life/work not challenging anymore why not try and include the CCENT, CCNA, CCNP, CCIE, PMP with the other certs you expect to attain in 8 mos. As far as most bang for the bucks certs I recall reading a guy on this forum getting vm certified and doubling his salary to well over 100k.

AlexNguyen

a.a.!4life wrote: »

...if you're finding life/work not challenging anymore why not try and include the ... PMP with the other certs you expect to attain in 8 mos.

To sit for the PMP, if you have a bachelor degree, you need at least 3 years of project management experience with 4,500 hours (verifiable) leading and directing projects. Or if you have a high school diploma, you need at least 5 years of project management experience with 7,500 hours (verifiable) leading and directing projects. You also need to take a 35 hours of project management education.

From PMP cert holders that I work with, they say the hardest part is to fill the applicant form to comply all the requirements, not the exam itself. You need to detail all the projects and the hours with dates that you've done with the name of a reference person.

With other certs, you can sit for the exam and if you passed, you apply to get the cert. Unlike others, you cannot sit for the PMP exam if your application is not approved.

a.a.!4life

I guess the point I'm trying to make is "bang for your buck" vs. "bored and un-challenged". If he feels he's unchallenged at this point in time why is he settling for just those certs in a 6-8 month timeframe, and why 6-8 vs. just 6? Why would you pay WGU the extra 3grand for an additional 2 mos when you could bang it out in 6? It's great to look ahead but I'm not sure all his expected bucks would be met once he completes his degree + CCENT, CCNA, CCNP, CCIE and later PMP.

AlexNguyen

The point I'm trying to make is you need to work a few years as a project leader or manager position before trying to get a PMP cert. You don't get PMP cert to enter a project leader/manager role, you're already there.

saffyre

AlexNguyen wrote: »

To sit for the PMP, if you have a bachelor degree, you need at least 3 years of project management experience with 4,500 hours (verifiable) leading and directing projects. Or if you have a high school diploma, you need at least 5 years of project management experience with 7,500 hours (verifiable) leading and directing projects. You also need to take a 35 hours of project management education.

From PMP cert holders that I work with, they say the hardest part is to fill the applicant form to comply all the requirements, not the exam itself. You need to detail all the projects and the hours with dates that you've done with the name of a reference person.

With other certs, you can sit for the exam and if you passed, you apply to get the cert. Unlike others, you cannot sit for the PMP exam if your application is not approved.

Hmmm, all of my hours working on jobs, etc is logged and what was done is logged as well. Most of the work would not be considered Project Management, but quite a bit of it could be. Projects like large server upgrades, etc etc. Don't get me wrong, I am FAR from that many hours, and had no clue that it required that much. Thanks. I just wonder if I could claim that kind of work. I would say 30% of the last 5 years has been upgrading/improving networks/installing servers/new projects for clients. I may be wrong too, and none of that stuff would count

saffyre

a.a.!4life wrote: »

Those are some hefty certs, if you're finding life/work not challenging anymore why not try and include the CCENT, CCNA, CCNP, CCIE, PMP with the other certs you expect to attain in 8 mos. As far as most bang for the bucks certs I recall reading a guy on this forum getting vm certified and doubling his salary to well over 100k.

From what i've been reading, I don't think thats even possible. As is I am doing my AS to BS in 1 term/6 months, or at least attempting to. Taking all 5 MCITP courses, etc. I've *read* that the CCIE takes 18 months for some as well. The Lab is supposed to be rough. I think i'd be setting myself up for failure with those within 8 months

.... Great idea on the VM certs...

Also, I don't mean life is not challenging at all. I'm learning stuff while taking these tests, etc. I think the hardest job I have had in a while, is a job that is coming up, setting up a new server 2008 R2 server, with some SANs, DFS, etc etc... Really not difficult... None of our companies are big enough to use AD Sites, etc.. They are all single site, light VPN, etc etc... The most AD stuff I do is create users, setup emails... Thats a normal day. A bad day is a RAID controller failing and having a server rebuild on my hands... How stressful that job may seem, it is still not difficult, at all. I can do that stuff in my sleep just about. That was my motivation to finish my BS, get my MCITP, and start working towards my cisco certs...

Thanks for the thoughts and VM sounds good, is Hyper-V getting very popular?

saffyre

a.a.!4life wrote: »

I guess the point I'm trying to make is "bang for your buck" vs. "bored and un-challenged". If he feels he's unchallenged at this point in time why is he settling for just those certs in a 6-8 month timeframe, and why 6-8 vs. just 6? Why would you pay WGU the extra 3grand for an additional 2 mos when you could bang it out in 6? It's great to look ahead but I'm not sure all his expected bucks would be met once he completes his degree + CCENT, CCNA, CCNP, CCIE and later PMP.

Although I am working hard towards getting my AS to BS in 1 term, it just might not be possible for me to do. I have 4 1/2 months left for my term to end, 3 classes down, and about 9 to go. It's going to be a rough 4 1/2 months. I am prepping myself for the worst and maybe having to go 2 terms instead of the 1. (WGU says it should take me 5 terms).

I'm also married with a 2 year old daughter, so I can't neglect them either.