Employer will only pay for Microsoft certs or Cisco Certs which to take?

ukiltmybrutha

To be honest, certification no longer interests me. With that said, so long as my employer will pay my certs I want to knock out as many easy ones as I can and add as many acronyms as I can to my resume.

What would you choose to meet these objectives? I just want to rat race through certs and get as many as I can next to my name so when that HR scanner screens my resume it finds what it wants. Say what you want about that as long as you can answer the question.

CCENT and CCNA Security are 2 areas that actually interest me, but I still want to obtain the fastest certs attainable. Was even thinking of MOS certs for when those pesky PM's ask me do this or that in Excel.

Thanks

Master Of Puppets

What is your current position? Do you want to move to a different one? The answer to those questions will make the difference. Either of these can add value to your resume but they have to be in line with your experience and job duties to get the most of it.

jibbajabba

ukiltmybrutha wrote: »

get as many as I can next to my name so when that HR scanner screens my resume it finds what it wants. Say what you want about that as long as you can answer the question.

Even so, if you do hit 10 certificates within just a short period of time, you likely end up in a position where you can just leave them off the resume. Unless you work with whatever you pass, you likely to lose the knowledge fast - very fast. Can use my own experience here.

Also, if you show on your resume that you got such a wide range of certs in different technologies in such a short amount of time, it is likely raising eyebrows.

Just for the sake of argument, say you get a few interviews based on keyword searches. You might go through round 1 or 2, but eventually you'll be getting technical interviews. Unless you are a guy with a damn good memory, given the lack of experience I'd bet you get filtered out very quickly.

My Point ? Don't go for the exams for the sake of it, go for exams in an area which really interests you and get good at it. Use the exam to simply prove your knowledge and not to have a sticker next to your name.

No point ..

ukiltmybrutha

Master Of Puppets wrote: »

What is your current position? Do you want to move to a different one? The answer to those questions will make the difference. Either of these can add value to your resume but they have to be in line with your experience and job duties to get the most of it.

Senior Systems Engineer..sure I'd like to move to another one, but what I want to do is outside of the scope of Microsoft/Cisco. Still, I want to get as much as I can out of my current situation.

ukiltmybrutha

jibbajabba wrote: »

Even so, if you do hit 10 certificates within just a short period of time, you likely end up in a position where you can just leave them off the resume. Unless you work with whatever you pass, you likely to lose the knowledge fast - very fast. Can use my own experience here.

Also, if you show on your resume that you got such a wide range of certs in different technologies in such a short amount of time, it is likely raising eyebrows.

Just for the sake of argument, say you get a few interviews based on keyword searches. You might go through round 1 or 2, but eventually you'll be getting technical interviews. Unless you are a guy with a damn good memory, given the lack of experience I'd bet you get filtered out very quickly.

My Point ? Don't go for the exams for the sake of it, go for exams in an area which really interests you and get good at it. Use the exam to simply prove your knowledge and not to have a sticker next to your name.

No point ..

I have had similar experiences, but overall I feel that dirty oil is better than none at all. Eyebrows can be raised, but there are so many jobs here that I could care less. I have nearly 15 years of IT experience and have touched quite a bit in my time so it wouldn't be accurate to say that I am inexperienced. Inexperienced in certain areas sure.

What you mentioned applies in many, many, many locations but not here. Around here you can eventually transition if you are honest during your interviews. I'd say that 2 out of 10 interviews that I have had in this area are concluded with no technical questions whatsoever. Your resume and level of clearance are what many employers are after here. I have been hired off of my resume alone a few times and have never dissapointed.

It is genuinely what it is here. I am out to get the most out of my employer in terms of certifications and simply want to get as many pieces of paper as easily as possible.

Let the chips fall where they may during a technical interview.

When you can make spoon feeding contingent upon a hire then impressions don't really matter. I actually had 3 offers in hand. I chose the employer that guaranteed me they would spoon feed me. My IT career hasn't always been this way, but it is about time that I have gotten to this point.

Any suggestions as far as the easiest certs?

jibbajabba

ukiltmybrutha wrote: »

Any suggestions as far as the easiest certs?

This has been covered endless times here.

That is just one of around 80 hits when using the search

http://www.techexams.net/forums/general-certification/29141-whats-one-most-easiest-cert.html

This really is how long is a string question. If you are Cisco genius, then you will pass anything with Cisco batches on it with flying colors. If you are Microsoft genius, then you will be doing the same. You say you got the MCSE 2012 - then stick with Microsoft and go all the way, including Hyper-V ...

ukiltmybrutha

jibbajabba wrote: »

This has been covered endless times here.

That is just one of around 80 hits when using the search

http://www.techexams.net/forums/general-certification/29141-whats-one-most-easiest-cert.html

This really is how long is a string question. If you are Cisco genius, then you will pass anything with Cisco batches on it with flying colors. If you are Microsoft genius, then you will be doing the same. You say you got the MCSE 2012 - then stick with Microsoft and go all the way, including Hyper-V ...

I am talking about Microsoft and CCNA stuff. That thread covers a bunch of Comptia stuff. I don't see any threads that are exactly like mine so I am just as entitled to ask a question in my own fashion as the other "80 posters". I want different titles. I don't want another MCTS I'd rather have an MOS. Please read what I am asking before just skimming the post. No need to act like an elitist.

filkenjitsu

I see nothing wring with what you want to do. You want to do some cram studying and pass some tests because it is free. Even if it is just fun to pass these tests and obtain certifications, I understand.

There seem to be tons of Microsoft tests available. Maybe start with the easiest ones like all Office Ines and then take all the desktop OS based exams. Then maybe explore some Microsoft areas that pay well or that you would like to learn a little about such as exchange etc.

Cisco ones are timely to study for so it would be good to go after your interests. You could focus on all of the CCNA exams as there would be some overlap. CCNA Security, Voice, Wireless, Video, Service Provider....

Master Of Puppets

Taking your current situation into account, IMHO, the Microsoft certs will help you more. They will strengthen your resume. It is generally a good idea to certify in technologies you work with or at least in something similar. As much as I like Cisco I will have to vote for Microsoft on this one

ukiltmybrutha

Thanks for your thoughts. I appreciate it. I have an entitlement point of view because I feel that I have earned it. Stuff is free, sure I am going to take it. Hindsight is 20/20 and I had not taken exams in the past (also offered to me for free) that would have helped me out of absolutely terrible situations in my life. Then a few years passed where employers would not pay for certifications at all.

Again, dirty oil is better than none.

I admit it, I have an entitlement point of view when it comes to certifications and the workplace in general. I have been in a rut long enough that when someone is giving me free certs, I'll grab them. I can always brush up or even learn in my home lab later.

filkenjitsu wrote: »

I see nothing wring with what you want to do. You want to do some cram studying and pass some tests because it is free. Even if it is just fun to pass these tests and obtain certifications, I understand.

There seem to be tons of Microsoft tests available. Maybe start with the easiest ones like all Office Ines and then take all the desktop OS based exams. Then maybe explore some Microsoft areas that pay well or that you would like to learn a little about such as exchange etc.

Cisco ones are timely to study for so it would be good to go after your interests. You could focus on all of the CCNA exams as there would be some overlap. CCNA Security, Voice, Wireless, Video, Service Provider....

ukiltmybrutha

Yes, and as FilkenJitsu also mentioned. The Cisco route will take time. I'll just continue to kill the Microsoft route for now.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Master Of Puppets wrote: »

Taking your current situation into account, IMHO, the Microsoft certs will help you more. They will strengthen your resume. It is generally a good idea to certify in technologies you work with or at least in something similar. As much as I like Cisco I will have to vote for Microsoft on this one