What certifications to get?

Alrighty then, I am a bit different then most.

I have been involved in IT since 1999. I started off as a break fix guy and then on to desktop support and then a little bit of everything after that.

Fast forward to 2010, my most recent position was Desktop Support/Tape Backups/Antivirus Lead.

I have done some application packaging along the way and Helpdesk keeps rearing it's head everytime there is a recession.

I have built servers racks and touched on virtualization like VMWARE and Microsoft Virtual Machine. I have used Active Directory to do password resets. I have setup folders on the network and given them permissions. I have touched on Linux/Unix.

I have done some basic phone administration/punchdowns/crossconnects/VOIP

Most of my work has been desktop support over the years though. It is a mold that I haven't been able to escape because IT fundamentally bores me.

There are only 2 areas that vaguely interest me so far:

Desktop Support and Security (the Certified Ethical Hacking Side interests me but not so sure that I really enjoy the protection side of things)

I am getting older, don't want to get into any more debt, and after 12 years in the field still find IT boring.

...but it feeds my family and that is that. I will just keep going in this field.

Now after years being stuck in this mold (sometimes growing sometimes sinking) (sometimes W-2 but mostly working long term contracts with no benefits) I have finally found a pretty good job with benefits.

My employer will reimburse for up to 2,000 in certifications. I don't mind self studying.

Another important thing is that I am in the DC area so with this recession almost every position requires a security clearance which I am working on obtaining right now.

As far as present qualifications:

AS Degree - Computer Engineering Technology
Vocational School - Computer Engineering Technology
Vocational School - Electronics Technology
MCP NT 4.0
Network +
A+
Softgrid Certified

I won't lie, all I want to do is get paid as much as possible. I am not here to discuss my interest in IT. I have a family to feed.

Could you please let me know what certs you would get next with the above budget?

Thanks!

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Comments

Bl8ckr0uter

rogan_josh_guru wrote: »

Fast forward to 2010, my most recent position was Desktop Support/Tape Backups/Antivirus Lead.

I have done some application packaging along the way and Helpdesk keeps rearing it's head everytime there is a recession.

I have built servers racks and touched on virtualization like VMWARE and Microsoft Virtual Machine. I have used Active Directory to do password resets. I have setup folders on the network and given them permissions. I have touched on Linux/Unix.

Most of my work has been desktop support over the years though. It is a mold that I haven't been able to escape because IT fundamentally bores me.

There are only 2 areas that vaguely interest me so far:

Desktop Support and Security (the Certified Ethical Hacking Side interests me but not so sure that I really enjoy the protection side of things)

My employer will reimburse for up to 2,000 in certifications. I don't mind self studying.

Another important thing is that I am in the DC area so with this recession almost every position requires a security clearance which I am working on obtaining right now.

As far as present qualifications:

AS Degree - Computer Engineering Technology
Vocational School - Computer Engineering Technology
Vocational School - Electronics Technology
MCP NT 4.0
Network +
A+
Softgrid Certified

I won't lie, all I want to do is get paid as much as possible. I am not here to discuss my interest in IT. I have a family to feed.

Could you please let me know what certs you would get next with the above budget?

Thanks!

Welcome!

Certs <> money right off the back usually so don't get your hopes up. However doing certain certs will add to your marketability.

Well if you want to do more security, I suggest you start stacking your resume with security certs. You have quite a bit a experience do doing the S+, SSCP and CISSP might be reasonable goals. You will need to check the objectives and requirements of the certs. If you want to do ethical hacking, you could go with C|EH and GPEN as two popular options as well as OSCP as a less popular option but a very good one. There are many, many other popular security certs out there as well.

Two good Desktop support certs would be MCDST (XP) and MCITP:EST 7 (win 7). Depending on how much you work with both you maybe able to do both of them easily. Also I think some modern server certs would help you as well. Get any kind of experience with VMware you can because IMO it will become a standard requirement.

You might want to get your BS as well. IMO for your particular situation WGU (Western Governors University) might be good for you. It would allow you to earn certs as well as strengthen your resume with a BS.

RobertKaucher

It sounds like you are a successful mid-level/senior-level support guy. But that may mean you have gotten every drop of blood out of that stone that you can. It also seems that you have no real plan for the next step. Knwminus said certs don't initially mean more money, but I would argue that certs don't really mean more money at all and you are looking at your situation in the wrong way. With 11 years of experience having only touched on AD, having only touched on VMware, having only touched on Linux, where do you expect to go to get more money? Do you really think someone is going to pay you $100 K a year as a support tech because you got your MCDST? I may sound like a jerk here, but these are real questions you should be asking yourself. I would argue that any support certs you get at this point are simply icing on the experience cake for you and you need to consider making a change away from support and get more specialized.

In DC I can only imagine that security is a big deal and that with a security clearance and some security certs you might be able to make a good career in that area but you will need some good broad based knowledge as a foundation for those (networking, Linux/Unix, server OS, email, database).

You need a career plan, for which certification is only one aspect, and you need to begin cultivating that plan. If you think security is where you would like to go start talking to the people on this forum about how they got started in the field and form a 5 year plan based on what you see in common.

Just getting a few support certs might get you another $5 K if you move to another company, but it's not going to get you anything substantial in the long run, IMO.

phantasm

Both posts above are spot on. With your time in the field you should be more specialized. Getting certs won't mean a bigger paycheck, you need a career plan. In fact, you should've had one 11 yrs ago. Also, since you said that IT bores you I find it hard to believe that you will find a niche in this industry that you like which is unfortunate because that's where the money is. I wish you the best, and before you tell me I don't know what it's like because I don't have a family, well I do. So I know what it's like.

erpadmin

I have a feeling we're both in our 30s. I work with someone who is one year older than me and still in helpdesk, though he worked his way up to a senior help desk role. Some people either just like it or are extremely comfortable with it and honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. The fact that you want to seek certifications means you do want a change.

I was having a conversation yesterday with someone about why I never bothered with MS certifications beyond CompTIA as well as why I never bothered to get even a client cert. (Like the MCSE NT 4.0 client...as I was definitely around for that...) To go into baseball (and yes BASEBALL, we need not get any cuter, guys...), I'm not happy just hitting a ball and going to first base. I want to score! Getting client O/Ses would have just gotten me to first bases, but the MCSE (or in my case now, the MCITP: EA) would get me home. I believe we both never got our MCSE because our money was better spent being allocated to something else (in your case a family, and in mine...having a good time.

). I wasn't spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on a lab. Neither were you.

Now we have no excuse. Virtualization allows us to have a lab at a relatively inexpensive cost. Plus, as knwminus stated, places like WGU not only allow us to get certs, but a real bachelor's degree too. I figure hey, let's kill two birds with one stone (though in my case it's three...with my labbing efforts, I'm doubling up to make it a PeopleSoft environment).

I was able to work my way up from the desk (Level 1 and Level 2). Once I saw the backoffice, I never looked back. If I'm ever in a situation where I'm affected by another recession, at least I'll have certs and a degree. And won't be collecting for long....

Keep the A+ and Network+ (even if you did get them in in 1999)...lose the MCP NT 4.0 though. Since you have a security bent, get yourself Darril Gibson's Get Certified, Get Ahead: SY0-201 Study Guide for Security+ and pass that. It's like any other CompTIA exam....if you study for it and understand what you're reading, you'll pass.

Investigate looking at WGU, as it really doesn't get cheaper than that. You might get some financial aid depending on your family size and income.

And to reiterate, nothing wrong with staying at the desk, but there is something inside you that wants to move up. That much I can see.

phantasm

I guess I should add that since you have a bender for Security then starting with the Sec+, as mentioned is a good idea. I would also look to a CCNA: Security which means you need a CCNA. After doing those three I would look into the other Security certs such as CISSP (or the ones leading up to it - CISSP requires 5 yrs of endorsed experience to be fully granted) and CEH. All in all you're looking at over a yr of studying more than likely. But hey, the IT world is like that, we study until we sleep, we sleep until we work, then we study some more (alotting time for family).

erpadmin

phantasm wrote: »

I guess I should add that since you have a bender for Security then starting with the Sec+, as mentioned is a good idea. I would also look to a CCNA: Security which means you need a CCNA. After doing those three I would look into the other Security certs such as CISSP (or the ones leading up to it - CISSP requires 5 yrs of endorsed experience to be fully granted) and CEH. All in all you're looking at over a yr of studying more than likely. But hey, the IT world is like that, we study until we sleep, we sleep until we work, then we study some more (alotting time for family).

I don't doubt for a second that the OP would do well in obtaining a CCNA given his background, but I do not, personally, advise that he do so.

Yeah, they have simulations for his router stuff now, but from what I read here and elsewhere, and I believe you'd agree, they're not as good as the real mckoy. They have cheap kits out there, but there is a lot of time that you'd have to spend.

He has a better shot of utilizing his study time setting up a virtualized home lab for a MCITP or something. Security+ he can knock out and defend that with his experience. I'm sure he's cleaned up many a desktop that some user mucked up and he'd understand what Security+ covers. If he can find access to a lab where he can spend some time playing with routers and swtiches, then a CCNA won't be bad, providing of course that network administration is a path he wants. But I'm going to assume he wants to be on the system administration side of things (for now).

phantasm

Good points. I was merely pointing out another security certification is all. In the end it comes down to what the OP wants to do with his career and what he is willing to do in order to obtain it. Although I might add that anyone who finds IT boring is going to have a hard time studying for certifications. For the majority of us the pursuit of knowledge obtained during the studying for a cert is a labor of love. I enjoy my job, I enjoy studying for certifications that benefit my career path and as such I am happy in the IT field.

erpadmin

phantasm wrote: »

For the majority of us the pursuit of knowledge obtained during the studying for a cert is a labor of love. I enjoy my job, I enjoy studying for certifications that benefit my career path and as such I am happy in the IT field.

Ehhhhh....IT is like a wife. You've been with it so long, that you just don't need to bother with anything else. You love it enough, but the honeymoon has definitely come and gone. But you're not looking to leave it.

Personally, I enjoy reading stuff that is new and current, but that's only so I can prepare for what the next thing is, and if management will need/want to do it.

But the OP probably feels stuck where he's at because he hasn't done anything to uplift himself from the boredom. Plus the other stuff he probably has going on in his life. I can kinda relate to that, just not fully. Once he defines what he wants to get out of his career (and not focus initially on the money), he'll get that smile on his face again. He doesn't need a second honeymoon....more like a good reason why not to leave. But if he hasn't done anything to change his personal situation, that decision will end up getting made, one way or the other.

earweed

The OP seems stuck probably because he hasn't aspired yet to find his niche as some here have. Finding something in IT that inspires you to keep learning and growing is a trek in itself. The OP needs to get out of the mindset that IT is boring and just see that maybe where he is now is boring and find something that interests him.

rogue2shadow

To help with virtualizing, VirtualBox or VMware (my personal fav) are your best friends.

Hit up Microsoft Dreamspark to get free Windows Server software.

https://www.dreamspark.com/default.aspx

Its Microsoft's student program; if your old school email still works you can activate it through there. This will allow you get software ranging from the standard Windows Server 2003 to 2008 R2 to even the robotics suites they offer.

I agree with everyone else. Once you have a plan setup, the sky is the limit.

howiehandles

rogue2shadow wrote: »

To help with virtualizing, VirtualBox or VMware (my personal fav) are your best friends.

Hit up Microsoft Dreamspark to get free Windows Server software.

https://www.dreamspark.com/default.aspx

Its Microsoft's student program; if your old school email still works you can activate it through there. This will allow you get software ranging from the standard Windows Server 2003 to 2008 R2 to even the robotics suites they offer.

I agree with everyone else. Once you have a plan setup, the sky is the limit.

Wow, thanks for the info on the software. This will help a lot.

rogan_josh_guru

Thanks for all of the information here. I really didn't expect this sort of response. I meant to add to my original post that I didn't want to get into a debate over whether or not I am entitled to have my viewpoint as to IT being boring. Things aren't what they were 5 years ago. To express this viewpoint would invite the trolls. I don't want that here. Thank you for appreciating my honesty and taking it from there. My issue is at least 50% psychological to be honest. I approached the "psych" forums long before I came here and realized that I need to do what I need to do to support the family. There really is no other way for me to look at it. I never knew this place existed and now that I am prepared and in a better position to do what I need to do I am very thankful that you all have come and given me some direction.

With that said, I will answer your posts individually.

Also, I failed to mention one VERY IMPORTANT THING. I like to mentor others (believe it or not). I guess it is ironic that I am asking for your help but I have to start somewhere.

rogan_josh_guru

knwminus wrote: »

Welcome!

Certs <> money right off the back usually so don't get your hopes up. However doing certain certs will add to your marketability.

Well if you want to do more security, I suggest you start stacking your resume with security certs. You have quite a bit a experience do doing the S+, SSCP and CISSP might be reasonable goals. You will need to check the objectives and requirements of the certs. If you want to do ethical hacking, you could go with C|EH and GPEN as two popular options as well as OSCP as a less popular option but a very good one. There are many, many other popular security certs out there as well.

Two good Desktop support certs would be MCDST (XP) and MCITP:EST 7 (win 7). Depending on how much you work with both you maybe able to do both of them easily. Also I think some modern server certs would help you as well. Get any kind of experience with VMware you can because IMO it will become a standard requirement.

You might want to get your BS as well. IMO for your particular situation WGU (Western Governors University) might be good for you. It would allow you to earn certs as well as strengthen your resume with a BS.

You hit the nail on the head...marketability a.k.a. (in my perspective being able to work when I need to and perhaps even being able to enjoy what I do when this crappy recession ends).

Let me tell you how I see it (it may not be so). As a matter of fact, it may be less so these days. I have been afraid to make effort in the security area (more specifically the hacking area) because I felt that there wouldn't be enough jobs doing the hacking thing. Now that some new doors have been open to me, I see that this is not necessarily the case.

I think that I will hit up the rest of the desktop support stuff that you mention for job security.

VMware is a must. I have touched on it, and it is the way. It doesn't bore me severely either.

I have been thinking about WGU for years. I have a big problem with debt though. Even if my employer is paying it, what happens if I get laid off? This put me off of getting a Bachelor's degree and boy was I right. I watched others in my department get laid off and handed student loan debt.

I have never had an issue where a door was shut with an A.S. and 2 years of Technical school. I feel that the time may be coming due to recession but have never felt it yet. I have always been able to easily argue that I have the equivalent of a Bachelor's degree and really it has NEVER been an argument.

Thanks for this post.

rogan_josh_guru

RobertKaucher wrote: »

It sounds like you are a successful mid-level/senior-level support guy. But that may mean you have gotten every drop of blood out of that stone that you can. It also seems that you have no real plan for the next step. Knwminus said certs don't initially mean more money, but I would argue that certs don't really mean more money at all and you are looking at your situation in the wrong way. With 11 years of experience having only touched on AD, having only touched on VMware, having only touched on Linux, where do you expect to go to get more money? Do you really think someone is going to pay you $100 K a year as a support tech because you got your MCDST? I may sound like a jerk here, but these are real questions you should be asking yourself. I would argue that any support certs you get at this point are simply icing on the experience cake for you and you need to consider making a change away from support and get more specialized.

In DC I can only imagine that security is a big deal and that with a security clearance and some security certs you might be able to make a good career in that area but you will need some good broad based knowledge as a foundation for those (networking, Linux/Unix, server OS, email, database).

You need a career plan, for which certification is only one aspect, and you need to begin cultivating that plan. If you think security is where you would like to go start talking to the people on this forum about how they got started in the field and form a 5 year plan based on what you see in common.

Just getting a few support certs might get you another $5 K if you move to another company, but it's not going to get you anything substantial in the long run, IMO.

You drive valid points. I have gotten almost every drop out of it. I would have to say that I have been able to make over 100k on contracts doing desktop support though. However that is not sustainable and when my last contract ended after 3 years I am back in that old 65-75k range.

You are right, I have no big plan for the next step and my making 100k plus just put me in a further lull. I made good money, so why kill myself when someone took me on at a high wage I thought.

I agree with what you are saying about specialization...but heck I have reason to worry if I lose my job. I am to a degree somewhat content in being able to say that I have touched on multiple things. That at least gets me a job.

I need to get headed on the 5 year plan. You are right! I do need to develop the foundations for the area in which I wish to proceed. This is very inspiring.

Thank you!

rogan_josh_guru

phantasm wrote: »

Both posts above are spot on. With your time in the field you should be more specialized. Getting certs won't mean a bigger paycheck, you need a career plan. In fact, you should've had one 11 yrs ago. Also, since you said that IT bores you I find it hard to believe that you will find a niche in this industry that you like which is unfortunate because that's where the money is. I wish you the best, and before you tell me I don't know what it's like because I don't have a family, well I do. So I know what it's like.

I agree, well life doesn't always treat us the way that it should. I went through a divorce at that time and got hosed with child support. I also went through the IT rut that happened during the years of say 2001-2004. So all of my plans went out the window. As far as boredom, it is unfortunate because to a degree that is where the money is and to further that I already have skills doing what I am doing and am not in a postion to take a pay cut to choose another career. We have already touched on what I like though. My boredom with IT won't stop me from working, but it certainly is having a negative effect on me. No one says that you don't have a family...I don't know you.

rogan_josh_guru

erpadmin wrote: »

I have a feeling we're both in our 30s. I work with someone who is one year older than me and still in helpdesk, though he worked his way up to a senior help desk role. Some people either just like it or are extremely comfortable with it and honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. The fact that you want to seek certifications means you do want a change.

I was having a conversation yesterday with someone about why I never bothered with MS certifications beyond CompTIA as well as why I never bothered to get even a client cert. (Like the MCSE NT 4.0 client...as I was definitely around for that...) To go into baseball (and yes BASEBALL, we need not get any cuter, guys...), I'm not happy just hitting a ball and going to first base. I want to score! Getting client O/Ses would have just gotten me to first bases, but the MCSE (or in my case now, the MCITP: EA) would get me home. I believe we both never got our MCSE because our money was better spent being allocated to something else (in your case a family, and in mine...having a good time. ). I wasn't spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on a lab. Neither were you.

Now we have no excuse. Virtualization allows us to have a lab at a relatively inexpensive cost. Plus, as knwminus stated, places like WGU not only allow us to get certs, but a real bachelor's degree too. I figure hey, let's kill two birds with one stone (though in my case it's three...with my labbing efforts, I'm doubling up to make it a PeopleSoft environment).

I was able to work my way up from the desk (Level 1 and Level 2). Once I saw the backoffice, I never looked back. If I'm ever in a situation where I'm affected by another recession, at least I'll have certs and a degree. And won't be collecting for long....

Keep the A+ and Network+ (even if you did get them in in 1999)...lose the MCP NT 4.0 though. Since you have a security bent, get yourself Darril Gibson's Get Certified, Get Ahead: SY0-201 Study Guide for Security+ and pass that. It's like any other CompTIA exam....if you study for it and understand what you're reading, you'll pass.

Investigate looking at WGU, as it really doesn't get cheaper than that. You might get some financial aid depending on your family size and income.

And to reiterate, nothing wrong with staying at the desk, but there is something inside you that wants to move up. That much I can see.

Loooool yes we are. So what you are saying is that this is normal as heck it is just that alot of folks don't have the guts to admit it.

Could you quantify backoffice?

I am definitely going to go with Security + based on what I am seeing here and then take it from there.

You are right, it really did come down to funding and doing what I wanted to do with my life. There is more to life than IT for sure.

I disagree with you on one thing though. Even if my MCP is old, I am not gonna ditch it. It stays on the resume as plain old MCP...let them ask me about it. They often do and then I joke with them about funding. They laugh their heads off because many people have been there.

Thanks for your post!

rogan_josh_guru

phantasm wrote: »

I guess I should add that since you have a bender for Security then starting with the Sec+, as mentioned is a good idea. I would also look to a CCNA: Security which means you need a CCNA. After doing those three I would look into the other Security certs such as CISSP (or the ones leading up to it - CISSP requires 5 yrs of endorsed experience to be fully granted) and CEH. All in all you're looking at over a yr of studying more than likely. But hey, the IT world is like that, we study until we sleep, we sleep until we work, then we study some more (alotting time for family).

You have got that right! Look at the time I am writing this.

rogan_josh_guru

erpadmin wrote: »

I don't doubt for a second that the OP would do well in obtaining a CCNA given his background, but I do not, personally, advise that he do so.

Yeah, they have simulations for his router stuff now, but from what I read here and elsewhere, and I believe you'd agree, they're not as good as the real mckoy. They have cheap kits out there, but there is a lot of time that you'd have to spend.

He has a better shot of utilizing his study time setting up a virtualized home lab for a MCITP or something. Security+ he can knock out and defend that with his experience. I'm sure he's cleaned up many a desktop that some user mucked up and he'd understand what Security+ covers. If he can find access to a lab where he can spend some time playing with routers and swtiches, then a CCNA won't be bad, providing of course that network administration is a path he wants. But I'm going to assume he wants to be on the system administration side of things (for now).

All I can say is BINGO to this one and thank you. The clouds are blowing away.

rogan_josh_guru

phantasm wrote: »

Good points. I was merely pointing out another security certification is all. In the end it comes down to what the OP wants to do with his career and what he is willing to do in order to obtain it. Although I might add that anyone who finds IT boring is going to have a hard time studying for certifications. For the majority of us the pursuit of knowledge obtained during the studying for a cert is a labor of love. I enjoy my job, I enjoy studying for certifications that benefit my career path and as such I am happy in the IT field.

You got that right. The boredom held me back from being able to study for years. Now I am ready to roll, I think I know what I want to do. I am glad that you do what you do. Not saying that there is anything wrong with it. I however truly believe that there are many unhappy people in IT who took it to make a paycheck but can't admit it. (Not saying that you are one of them at all).

rogan_josh_guru

erpadmin wrote: »

Ehhhhh....IT is like a wife. You've been with it so long, that you just don't need to bother with anything else. You love it enough, but the honeymoon has definitely come and gone. But you're not looking to leave it.

Personally, I enjoy reading stuff that is new and current, but that's only so I can prepare for what the next thing is, and if management will need/want to do it.

But the OP probably feels stuck where he's at because he hasn't done anything to uplift himself from the boredom. Plus the other stuff he probably has going on in his life. I can kinda relate to that, just not fully. Once he defines what he wants to get out of his career (and not focus initially on the money), he'll get that smile on his face again. He doesn't need a second honeymoon....more like a good reason why not to leave. But if he hasn't done anything to change his personal situation, that decision will end up getting made, one way or the other.

Yep, you got it. You can see the personal stuff e.g. child support etc. 18 years of pleasure.

You are absolutely correct in what you have said. This is the time of reckoning for me and I am ready to move forward.

Thanks for your post!

rogan_josh_guru

rogue2shadow wrote: »

To help with virtualizing, VirtualBox or VMware (my personal fav) are your best friends.

Hit up Microsoft Dreamspark to get free Windows Server software.

https://www.dreamspark.com/default.aspx

Its Microsoft's student program; if your old school email still works you can activate it through there. This will allow you get software ranging from the standard Windows Server 2003 to 2008 R2 to even the robotics suites they offer.

I agree with everyone else. Once you have a plan setup, the sky is the limit.

Thank you for your post. The plan has started and boy am I excited. I am actually smiling.

rogan_josh_guru

Too each and every one of you. I know exactly how I want to proceed. I am realizing that I felt very unappreciated and disposable doing desktop support. It felt like no matter how skilled I was, it was never enough for the demanding user. I guess we have all been there. Combined with the fact that I took on desktop support roles to pay the bills it was hurting both my walk and my career path.

I am VERY lucky that you all decided to take the time to discuss this with me!

You have made a difference and will probably never know to what extent!

erpadmin

rogan_josh_guru wrote: »

Too each and every one of you. I know exactly how I want to proceed. I am realizing that I felt very unappreciated and disposable doing desktop support. It felt like no matter how skilled I was, it was never enough for the demanding user. I guess we have all been there. Combined with the fact that I took on desktop support roles to pay the bills it was hurting both my walk and my career path.

I am VERY lucky that you all decided to take the time to discuss this with me!

You have made a difference and will probably never know to what extent!

Congratulations! You are the first person on TE (actually, on any board, come to think of it) that I actually needed to use Word to reply to you. LOL. You said a lot and asked that much too, and I wanted to respond in kind and in one post:

rogan_josh_guru wrote: »

I agree with what you are saying about specialization...but heck I have reason to worry if I lose my job. I am to a degree somewhat content in being able to say that I have touched on multiple things. That at least gets me a job.

I need to get headed on the 5 year plan. You are right! I do need to develop the foundations for the area in which I wish to proceed. This is very inspiring.

Thank you!

Specialization, as far as you're concerned, means never having to fear or worry losing a job. Any one of us who replied to you, ANY of us, can do your job equally or better. But because a good number of us are specialized, whether it's sys admin work, networking work, etc., we can focus on looking for those jobs. To go to another extreme, a kid out of HS with no experience can do your job too and be happier than a pig in crap getting way less than you. Specialization...saves you from that. Specialization...saved me from that.

rogan_josh_guru wrote: »

Loooool yes we are. So what you are saying is that this is normal as heck it is just that alot of folks don't have the guts to admit it.

Could you quantify backoffice?

I am definitely going to go with Security + based on what I am seeing here and then take it from there.

You are right, it really did come down to funding and doing what I wanted to do with my life. There is more to life than IT for sure.

I disagree with you on one thing though. Even if my MCP is old, I am not gonna ditch it. It stays on the resume as plain old MCP...let them ask me about it. They often do and then I joke with them about funding. They laugh their heads off because many people have been there.

Thanks for your post!

"Normal" is a relative term. What's "normal" for one, may not be normal for others. I will say that your situation is not terribly unusual. I also believe that it's our God-given right as people to change a situation one may not personally be happy with.

"Back office"=supporting applications like SQL Server, Exchange, enterprise level applications, etc. It's called "Back Office", because you pretty much are in the back supporting these apps/systems. Very little to no end-user interaction. (That's why the Help Desk exists and they're the ones escalting problems to us if it can't be fixed on the field. )

Take some time to explore the forum. You don't have to post, just read. I have read more here than I've posted. I definitely read the CCIE forum, but not because I want to be one, but because I respect anyone who would go for that cert and just want to see what that's like going for it. You may have other interests in IT that you may want to do...whatever it is, it's been discussed here. I can promise you that.

Every interview I have ever been in, the only laughs I ever received was some sort of icebreaker trick, just something to get a couple of chuckles before it's back to business, but never what was on my resume, which I take seriously and expect potential employers to do as well. That's something you might want to reconsider about your MCP 4.0...but definitely to each his own.

rogan_josh_guru wrote: »

Yep, you got it. You can see the personal stuff e.g. child support etc. 18 years of pleasure.

You are absolutely correct in what you have said. This is the time of reckoning for me and I am ready to move forward.

Thanks for your post!

Dude, you know at our age, we might not have seen everything, but we've definitely seen enough to know what's what. IT is part of my life, but it isn't my life (nothing is 100% my life....I have work, a household, friends, other interests.....but none of those will ever be 100% me). So I can tell you are definitely a "life happens" guy....life happens to all of us to some degree. The important thing is NOW you can develop a plan and act on it. We can advise you all we want...but only you can make whatever you need/want to happen, happen.

I wish you the best of luck, and hey man....stick around. This place really does add a lot to my IT knowledge. Sometimes...even life too.