ITIL? CCNA? Linux? Something else? – please advise…

I will pass my next MCTS Exam this week and think it is enough of Microsoft for a while and would like to do something new but can’t decide which patch to go - so looking for advice.
First impression is that ITIL will be something which probably suits for me but my problem is that I tried to search offers, on job seeker webpages, using ITIL, CCNA, Linux and there are only a few companies who wants ITIL professional and thousands which are looking for Cisco.

What is your experience in this matter? Is ITIL less valuable than Cisco on IT market? What about Linux? Any other suggestion?

Last thing – learning materials. I’m going to buy e-reader (I hate to read books on laptop) so would like to use this device for learning. Where can I download / buy good (this is main problem, how to find good) study guide for exams – both ITIL or Cisco in .pdf. What would you recommend?

Thank you and Kind Regards

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Comments

tpatt100

Learn what you enjoy. If you enjoy what you do success will follow.

Now I sound like some spiritual hippie

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Tpatt100
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veritas_libertas

It really depends on where you want to head. If you really enjoy servers than try diversifying knowledge by adding Linux or Solaris. In the end as Tpatt100 said, it's about what you enjoy. If you really like it then you will probably be better at it.

PiotrIr

Thank you for your replies.

You see job for me is not only a pleasure, it is also a business. If I will make wrong choice now I will waste a lot of time studding something which doesn’t allow me to find good job. So I’m looking for opinion what will increase my market value on IT market that I will be able to change my employer (hopefully as soon as recession will finish) to better one.

And obviously there is a second part of my question, which I would really appreciate if somebody will send me links where I can get/buy good and with reasonable price, e-books for studding.

Once again, many thanks for your help.

tpatt100

I have probably 8 years experience administering firewalls. I downplay it on my resume because I don't mind it being part of my responsibilities due to the Jack of all trades way IT is but I would dread doing it full time. I hated when a change request came in when I was on Checkpoint duty that day. I don't mind a few liner request but sometimes I would get a multiple page request that wanted a bunch of stuff removed then added or modified.

While I say do what you enjoy it can't hurt to learn some general ed IT stuff to make it easier to find a job

earweed

For the e-books O'Reilly Media - Books, DRM-Free Ebooks, Videos
Check out this thread http://www.techexams.net/forums/general-certification/54354-oreilly-ebooks.html

As far as what you should study next: what are you doing at work now ? what parts do you most enjoy ? Most importantly, where do you see yourself 4-5 years down the road?

PiotrIr

earweed wrote: »

For the e-books O'Reilly Media - Books, DRM-Free Ebooks, Videos
Check out this thread http://www.techexams.net/forums/general-certification/54354-oreilly-ebooks.html

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find anything about ITIL or CCNA in O'Reilly Media but maybe I did something wrong.

As far as what you should study next: what are you doing at work now ? what parts do you most enjoy ? Most importantly, where do you see yourself 4-5 years down the road?

At my work I’m designing and implementing systems for our customers. I like what I’m doing but I have no future in my company as my company has no future on market – is too small and without any vision. My salary is ok but no additional thing like education support is available. I would relay like to do master level in Microsoft but there is no way that my employer will help me and for me is simple to expensive.

I believe there is nothing more in Microsoft now what I could do so need to start another certification patch - problem is only which.

And again, as I’m doing this for money and better job, main criteria is to find patch which give me the best opportunity. I believe I will enjoy any of them….

fly2dw

PiotrIr wrote: »

What is your experience in this matter? Is ITIL less valuable than Cisco on IT market? What about Linux? Any other suggestion?

A couple of years ago my previous employer sent all the team on an overview course for the ITIL foundation certification for the day. ITIL basically is an I.T. business philosophy which companies can adopt and customise to their own business environment. With this in mind, you can see that this certification is only required if you are going for jobs that require ITIL, or to better your own understanding of I.T. from a business point of view.

Cisco demonstrates competencies with Cisco networking equipment. Of course within Cisco certification as with many other certs, you pick up concepts and skills which are not specifically just for that particular vendor, but apply to networking as a whole (In Ciscos case).

If I wanted to become a helpdesk manager then ITIL holds more value than Cisco. If I want to become a Cisco network engineer, then Cisco certs hold more value than ITIL. No point turning up to a Microsoft server admin job with a RHCE and no experience in Microsoft whatsoever...

As people have already stated on this thread it depends what you want to do and what it required of you in your job.

Certifications are only as valuable as the requirement and purpose they serve for a particular job role or skill set they provide to further ones own development.

Hats off to anybody who has gained a Cisco CCIE but will that person get a job as a C++ games programmer with no qualification or experience in C++ programming; over someone who has an entry level C++ programming cert and experience in programming?

Common sense at the end of the day. You look like you are in a good position with your current credentials, so don't rush into anything. Weight up the pros and cons and choose your path. If you choose it wisely enough you should leave room for chopping and changing at different stages throughout your career with relative ease.

Best of luck to you

fly2dw

PiotrIr wrote: »

I believe there is nothing more in Microsoft now what I could do so need to start another certification patch - problem is only which.

Just on a side note, in terms of Microsoft have you done any SQL? If you are interested in databases that maybe an option (Or Oracle to make a change from Microsoft). Or just as an outsider looking in, I would go for networking. I don't want to just say Cisco as I think you need to find out what you need to support first. Like my old place of work supported 3COM so I got a 3COM cert rather than Cisco. I suppose you are pretty safe to go with Cisco though as it is so widely used.

PiotrIr

fly2dw wrote: »

Just on a side note, in terms of Microsoft have you done any SQL? If you are interested in databases that maybe an option (Or Oracle to make a change from Microsoft). Or just as an outsider looking in, I would go for networking. I don't want to just say Cisco as I think you need to find out what you need to support first. Like my old place of work supported 3COM so I got a 3COM cert rather than Cisco. I suppose you are pretty safe to go with Cisco though as it is so widely used.

Thanks for your advices – it is pleasure to read some clever points. Now I need to make decision.

About SQL, hopefully I will pass 70-432 this Friday, for more I have no enough experience.