Cert advice: what next

Wrighty11xbl · March 2017

Hi all, decided after a number of failed job attempts to get some more certs.
I currently have a bsc Hons in IT management and the ITIL foundation.

Im thinking of going for the MTA in network fundamentals then go for the comptia A+.

Good call? Or do you think there are better ones to go for.

Thanks in advance for the help.

roninkai · March 2017

How many years experience do you have? I guess it depends on your career goals. Are heading in to IT management, or do you want to do technical work too? It takes both though to be well rounded. I'd skip some of the comptia stuff in my opinion. If you're gonna go into networking, CCENT would turn more heads I think than some of the other baseline networking certs. A+ I'd skip all together unless you are really new to IT and want to understand all types of devices.

Wrighty11xbl · March 2017

Hi Dragonsden,

Thanks for reply, Ive been working in technical support/complaints for over 5 years now. Sadly, no experience in an IT support role but I have been volunteering for my companies internal support to get some more exp.

Im wanting to get into the more hands on IT side of things, you know how it is when your 16, you have no idea what you want to do, hence the degree haha.

roninkai · March 2017

I started at 16 too...now it seems a lifetime ago, but glad I was given the chance and that I saw the opportunity in front of me. Be careful about staying in one position for too long just hoping to move up into something better. Sometimes it just doesn't happen. I made that mistake. You gotta be willing to make a move to get the experience you want. Experience + certs = desirable. Certs only and one day it will show. So after 5 years, it might be time for a move. Just my $0.02

Wrighty11xbl · March 2017

I get ya, in fairness I was pretty vague there, I moved from tech, to tickets, to webchat, to complaints. Ive been kinda promised a role in our IT Team from the IT Manager but that was abotu 2-3 months ago. so Im looking external but need certs too.

Wrighty11xbl · March 2017

Just been looking into the MTA for IT Infrastructure, Torn between the server admin and the Network fundamentals course. Which would you say would be the best to gun for? or would it be worth to do both? I have to smash overtime to afford these so my options are a bit limited.

9bits · March 2017

I don't know anything about MTA--that's a Microsoft cert, no? In any case, I agree that you should skip A+ at this point in your career. The suggestion for CCENT/CCNA was a good one. Also, if you think you might want to go the administration route, perhaps RHCSA.

I think when you're first building a cert baseline, you should try to hit something in each of these three areas:

1) System Administration
2) Networking
3) Security

After that, you'll be better equipped to pick a direction.

SweenMachine · March 2017

dragonsden wrote: »

How many years experience do you have? I guess it depends on your career goals. Are heading in to IT management, or do you want to do technical work too? It takes both though to be well rounded. I'd skip some of the comptia stuff in my opinion. If you're gonna go into networking, CCENT would turn more heads I think than some of the other baseline networking certs. A+ I'd skip all together unless you are really new to IT and want to understand all types of devices.

Does the CCENT really 'turn heads'? When I hire someone for an entry level position in support, I would pick the A+ person, or even someone with multiple MTA's over someone with a CCENT. Hands down. Now, I understand the OP stated he has 5 years in technical support yet no experience in an IT Support role. That is confusing to me. Technical Support is an IT support role, no?

I am sorry, but I caution against simply going Cisco because its popular and there are well defined paths. Cisco certification is not for everyone. I was told the exact same things years ago, and kept trying for my CCNA but I am not cut out for network engineering. It wasn't until I gave up that mindset that I started getting certifications in technical things I could actually process AND want to do.

To answer the OPs additional question about which MTA, networking or server admin, the Networking one you can pass in 2 hours of studying. The server admin is actually a decently hard exam, but once again, anything MTA is really fundamental.

To add to 9bits, I agree with that premise of getting baseline certs in specific skillsets and that is actually what I did. In 2012, I went for MTA's in all of what 9bits mentioned, which gave me VERY fundamental knowledge on all. Then I picked what I feel I did best, which was user end support, and went for my MCITP's in Windows 7 (the 680. 685 and 686) - Since that point I have moved strictly to management but that was MY path. Really, only you can figure out your path.

-scott

Wrighty11xbl · March 2017

Hey guys, thanks for getting back to me,

Given me alot to think about, Ive signed onto the plurasight on a 3 month trail to get all the learning done, so I think im going to aim for the MTA's and get my baseline sorted. Its just getting someone to take a chance on me which is proving hard as Ive had good feedback regarding my manors and being approachable. Just working on showing the knowledge now.

tbgree00 · March 2017

I'm currently searching pretty intensely for a job and see Cloud, DevOps (automation, coding), Networking, and Security come up. VMware Virtualization is considered a commodity skill now. It's like everyone is expected to understand VMware to some degree.

It would probably be best to watch a few webinars/read some blogs on whatever suits your fancy and learn a tech and the automation language. I.E. Learn PowerShell as a skill as doing Azure/Microsoft as a cert. IF you're doing VMware do PowerShell/PowerCLI. If you do AWS maybe learn JSON or Python and Linux.

I have a lot of Certs and see the value of certs trailing off for me. I wish I had spent more time learning languages that I would use day to day along side trivia I use to pass a test.

Cert advice: what next

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