Top 10 or 5 list of certifications held or in demand in the D.C. or Baltimore area

armangua

Does this list exist?

spiderjericho

There are a lot of these lists out there, just Google. But it's really market dependent. Just look at IT trends like virtualization, converged networks, software defined networks and open flow, Server 2012, administering a BYOD mobile environment, etc.

Also, figure out what emphasis or IT expertise you wish to delve into and look up what the relevant certs are. Say, you like virtualization, most likely VCP, VCAP, VMware Design, Hyper-V cert, Xen and some storage fundemantal. And remember that change is constant, so you'll have to keep up with industry changes and not rest on your laurels.

armangua

spiderjericho wrote: »

There are a lot of these lists out there, just Google. But it's really market dependent. Just look at IT trends like virtualization, converged networks, software defined networks and open flow, Server 2012, administering a BYOD mobile environment, etc.

Also, figure out what emphasis or IT expertise you wish to delve into and look up what the relevant certs are. Say, you like virtualization, most likely VCP, VCAP, VMware Design, Hyper-V cert, Xen and some storage fundemantal. And remember that change is constant, so you'll have to keep up with industry changes and not rest on your laurels.

Thanks for the reply. Glad you mentioned that, about IT trends. To be honest, I'm still young in the IT field and trying to find my way or true calling, so my options are very much open. Perhaps, if I can find IT trends in the areas I mentioned, I could choose a direction to go in.

spiderjericho

If you're just starting out, I'd recommend A+>Net+>Sec+>CCNA+ and possibly a windows client cert, so you can get good fundemantals.

But don't get the mentality of I have to be CCNP, MCSE/MCTIP, etc. This industry isn't Pokemon, you don't have to catch them all. Find your area of interest and delve further in it. Being a renaissance man is cool, especially in a SMB, but the big money is going to be in a specific area like Virtualization expert, Sys Admin, Net Engineer, Storage, Voice, etc.

spiderjericho

Also if you're pursuing a job with the federal government or DoD then definitely Net+, Sec+ are good for 8570 compliance.