MCITP or CCENT For Second Certification

loucetios

Hi, I just got my first certification today, MCTS Windows 7 Configuration (70-680). I was wondering if it worth trying to get the MCITP before it gets retired in January or go for my first Cisco certification first? If I go the MCITP route would I get both a MCITP and MCSA? Also if I go the MCITP should I got for the Technician certification (70-685) or the administrator (70-686)?

Thanks in Advance!

taternuts666

What are your career goals? What kind of work do you currently do?

loucetios

Currently I work at a Help Desk, I'd like to go into system administrator or maybe network administration, right now I don't have a clear career path, I don't have too much experience with networking (outside of what I do at the Help Desk) so I do wanna learn more about it and build up my knowledge base.

Arod95

If you go for the MCITP I would say go for the 686 since you want to be more system admin plus if you decide to go server route I've heard it would help a little. But you can't really compare these two certifications together, because CCENT is networking while the MCITP is System Admin they compliment each other to make someone a good system admin who could help with desktop support, but also know networking behind the design as well as setup cisco equipment if you go for the full CCNA.

DoubleNNs

I'd go with the MCITP. 1 more exam and you'll have both the MCIPT and the MCSA.

Besides, if you were to go the CCENT, you'd have to decide between the new and the old CCENT, which may or may not give you a very rushed deadline to complete the exam.

Either way, congrats on the pass!! That's a great 1st cert to get!

loucetios

So getting MCITP now does get me MSCA then, does having both make a different in an employer's eyes?

Asif Dasl

Congrats on your first certification!

Go for 70-685 if you work on the help desk. Or go for 70-686 if you do desktop deployments.

Just so you know Todd Lammle author of one of the CCNA books out there thinks the new CCENT is harder than the old CCNA so Cisco could be getting harder to get in to in future. But it would be a bit late to start the old CCENT/CCNA at this stage - the deadline is Sept 30th. The new Lammle book is nearly out for the new CCENT BTW.

Do either 685/686 then CCENT/CCNA and you are golden!

EDIT - Taking 70-685 or 70-686 will give you MCSA:Windows 7

DoubleNNs

loucetios wrote: »

So getting MCITP now does get me MSCA then, does having both make a different in an employer's eyes?

Don't think so, unless it's an employer that doesn't follow the certs all too well. But it would almost def help you get past HR/Recruiter screenings.

Moon Child

I was always told that Cisco certs were the most valuable when I use to work in IT. The main networking guy had been doing networking for 5 years and could never pass any of the Cisco certs. They did end up hiring one guy who has Cisco certified (I think he was a CCNP) and he left the company only after a few months to work at a different company with better working conditions. They didn't like him because he was openly queer and because they hired him expecting very lofty unreal expectations and he couldn't meet those expectations. After work at that time I would sometimes visit the many strip clubs in my area so I could never understand why a guy would prefer a guy over a nude woman, however I would never hold a co-workers sexual orientation against them at work and certainly wouldn't be mocking him at work and making cruel jokes about him at work( I live in a very redneck state). When he left they were struggling with the Cisco routers because they didn't know how to do any of the stuff that he was doing, I heard the complaining 8 hours a day ...I learned how valuable Cisco certs were from this experience.

veritas_libertas

Here is what I would do. You don't know which way you want to go so I would start on the MCSA: Server or CCNA. Maybe do both. Then you have options. Maybe I'm wrong (and it wouldn't be the first time), but I don't see the value in a MCSA:Windows7. The only thing that recruiters will see is MCSA and they will think you have the traditional MCSA or MCSA:Server.