What is your reason for pursuing certifications?

I'm curious to know why each of you are puruing the certifications currently. I realize for most of us it's a little bit of each, but what is the major driving force for you?

Edit: I didn't comment on my current reason for pursuing certifications. I do have a long term plan/strategy.

MCITP:EA --> Linux Certifications --> Security Certifications

I enjoy SysAdmin stuff and I want to move into a Systems Administration role. I also have an interest in security but not the glamorous Ethical Hacking stuff. Long term I would be interested in Security Administration, and Security Auditing.

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ipconfig.all

The reason why I got certified was so I could find a job earlier and quicker and enter into the industry rather than going through the college/university degree route, also my life was depressing at that time and wanted to get somewhere in life, but as time went on I really got into it and I truly enjoyed learning and I was able to learn so much and I builded up an huge interest and I was also able to help people out technically online and it felt good. However without any I.T experience my qualifications did not help much so I volunteered and got experience (still is) I am still looking for a job that pays a real ongoing salery and I finally have an interest in life.

I just love learning and doing it in the real world !!!

Also my life is not so great and I am still not happy but I try my best and I know that one day my luck will change !!!

killuah72

To be honest I would say my love for network technology and money is about the same so I do it for both.

_Marauder

brad- wrote: »

chicks

Absolutely! Chicks dig certs, period.

Cert Poor

Currently underemployed and barely scraping by to pay bills. I'm doing IT certs to land an IT job. If I can get one that pays $25K or higher, I can afford to 1) live, and 2) finish my BS degree.

I have over $85K in student loans...an IT job would help pay to finish college without taking out any more of those buggers.

2ndchance

I got my A.A.S. in Computer Information Systems back in 2000. I also took my A+ and Network+ certs. This landed me a job at a school district with 2,500 students. Within 2 years I was moved into management. In a nutshell, our director of technology died. I was put in his role but without the title or pay. I was told to get a B.A. in anything and then I'll get the promotion for sure.

For the next 6 years most of my accomplishments were administrative. Anywhere we advanced for a technical perspective was due to outside vendors and not our team. I managed 2 part-time techs that mostly fixed desktop, printer, and LAN connectivity issues. None of us knew how to manage our network, and we really just performed helpdesk roles on the server side. Anything really hard we outsourced to vendors. By early 2007 I realized that what I needed to be doing was getting my MCSE, but I was so far into my bachelors that I knew I had to finish it first.

In 2008 I finished my B.A. in History (shows how confused I was about what I wanted to do) and expected the big promotion and pay raise I had been promised all these years... it didn't happen. Why? Primarily because we got a new superintendent who didn't believe in promoting people for longevity and loyalty and because we had major Exchange issues over the past few months. I spent more time wrapping up my B.A. then really doing my job, so I didn't pounce on our vendors to fix the Exchange issues better. Instead we just floated along.

So at any rate I found out the hard way that 8 years of my life had been practically wasted. I hate being an administrator, which means I won't be good at it, and I lack the proper credentials to go to another district and be a director of technology. Almost all of my techical skills, if I ever had any, had gone away. I knew I had to do something.

My only solution was to get back to my roots. Instead of calling the guy to fix the network, I spent the next year learning how to became the guy that does fix the network. Now I've become an actual asset. And sure enough... one year after finishing my B.A. our superintendent put the nail in the coffin for my administrative aspirations by hiring a fully qualified director to take over administering the department. I probably would have gotten sacked if the new person hadn't realized how good I was at maintaining our network.

On November 3, 2009, I sat for and passed my first IT certification test in over 9 years. Now my new boss is paying for me to become a server admin too!

Here's a summary in the event I didn't make much sense. My basic drive for certifications has been to play catchup big time. These are all the things I should have done 10 years ago, but playing computer games and reading appealed to me more than learning new technologies; that's why we have vendors! Now I've developed a love and passion for this stuff, so its a different ball game. That is why I chose '2ndchance' for my handle.

gorebrush

1. Because I just want to learn as much as possible
2. Because I want to be certified to show people that I am awesome
3. Because I want to go for higher and higher jobs
4. Eventually so I can setup on my own and be certified
5. Mainly number 1. though.

GeeLo

Basically to increase my own knowledge, and for my own long term goals for getting another job in the future. Currently I do everything in my job (Networking WAN / LAN, Server administration troubleshooting workstations, beta testing software and patch management, IT Security and everything in-between), for the exception of heavy programming.

I would like to get into a more singular field to work in, I'm also thinking 5 to 10 years down the line, when I am even older .. do I want to be doing , what I am doing now?

:

Funny thing is, if I could make more money than I am making now.. working in one site, as a Hardware / Software Tech assisting users on workstations like I was doing at the beginning of my career.. I would probably go for it..
LOL.. Even though that seems full circle.. I think after all of this time.. that I could actually be happy doing that, if I got paid the right amount.

never2late

The main goal is education to make myself marketable in today's IT environment, which in turn increases salary. I achieved my AAS in IT Networking about 10 years ago along with a few certs. As an entry level tech my pay was minimal but I was doing something I loved.

Now 10 years later and with more experience, I have doubled my salary. I do everything from help desk, sysadmin, and security, to policies and procedures. I've been so busy keeping the network infrastructure going that I never realized the importance of keeping current with my certs.

Now our business is suffering from the economic downturn and suddenly I find myself facing the prospect of looking for a another job. Along with certs, I discovered that many companies now require a BS. So while my job here is still viable the importance of obtaining both the degree and certs has moved up to the number 1 spot in priorities.

Devilsbane

GeeLo wrote: »

Funny thing is, if I could make more money than I am making now.. working in one site, as a Hardware / Software Tech assisting users on workstations like I was doing at the beginning of my career.. I would probably go for it..
LOL.. Even though that seems full circle.. I think after all of this time.. that I could actually be happy doing that, if I got paid the right amount.

That is one thing that kind of sucks. The higher up you get, the bigger the check, and the less contact that you have with users. If you keep wanting bigger bucks, you will eventually find yourself in a management position, and your contact with the technology will be minimal.

GeeLo

Devilsbane wrote: »

That is one thing that kind of sucks. The higher up you get, the bigger the check, and the less contact that you have with users. If you keep wanting bigger bucks, you will eventually find yourself in a management position, and your contact with the technology will be minimal.

That's correct, In my position... I deal with a lot of system administrators, and very few users. But I guess my main "thing" is that I would rather work in one field, rather than working in many fields like I am now... and go back to the basic problems that users have.. it could be that I am getting older, and I have been in the IT "game" for too long. It's possible to get a high paying job doing that.. as a hardware - software tech / IT Specialist / ECT.. I guess that is my goal for the future, or to work in a single field.