Cisco or Micro?

I'm still trying to land a job in IT. I'm about to take the ICND1 but find myself wondering if I wouldn't be better off getting a Microsoft certification first. I don't care to continue the CompTIA route because I'm afraid of getting stuck in a helpdest or service desk position.

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MAC_Addy

Have you ever had an IT position before?

Michael2

No, sir. I have not.

MAC_Addy

Just because you take a CompTIA certification doesn't mean you'll be stuck in a helpdesk position. Though, if you've never been in IT before, most people have to start out here. Even when people have a 4 year degree. Even I had to start off at a helpdesk position, and I have a 4 year degree.

veritas_libertas

Michael2 wrote: »

I'm still trying to land a job in IT. I'm about to take the ICND1 but find myself wondering if I wouldn't be better off getting a Microsoft certification first. I don't care to continue the CompTIA route because I'm afraid of getting stuck in a helpdest or service desk position.

Why do you think you would be better off getting a Microsoft certification? Really it's about what you want to do.

MAC_Addy

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Really it's about what you want to do.

That is exactly right! We cannot decide what field for you to go into. Ultimately, you can only decide. What interests you the most? Routers, switches, routing protocols and such... or Microsoft servers, Active Directory, Exchange, etc.

ptilsen

Whether you go into the Microsoft path, the Cisco path, or another should depend more on what you think you want to do. There are career opportunities either way. I went down the Microsoft path because I found I wasn't really that interested in switching and routing, though I still intend to get my CCNA eventually anyway. If ICND 1 and 2 material look interesting to you and you think you'd like to work with switches and routers as a part of your day-to-day, then by all means pursue CCNA.

As far as your career goes, you'll probably start out in a low-tier support position. You can certainly try to position for higher-level positions, but I wouldn't count on it.

Michael2

I really want to be a network admin. I understand that I'd have to start off in helpdesk and I meant no disrespect. I'm really just wondering what can help me get through the ranks quicker. I guess it depends more on what kind of jobs I apply for. I was planning to take the ICND1 this week and then go for Microsoft in a couple of months. I'm just anxious to enter IT and I figured I need to get cerified to work on an OS. I've already spent so much time prepping for Cisco, though, that I guess I'll sticik with that route.

ptilsen

If you really want to be a "network" admin as in responsible for networking equipment, then yes, you are on the right path. I'm not saying MS or other certs won't help you, but there's no sense in branching out until you're established in your core competencies. Again, not my field so maybe I'm out of place in saying this, but I don't think you should even touch MS until you're done with CCNP.

it_consultant

Michael2 wrote: »

I really want to be a network admin. I understand that I'd have to start off in helpdesk and I meant no disrespect. I'm really just wondering what can help me get through the ranks quicker. I guess it depends more on what kind of jobs I apply for. I was planning to take the ICND1 this week and then go for Microsoft in a couple of months. I'm just anxious to enter IT and I figured I need to get cerified to work on an OS. I've already spent so much time prepping for Cisco, though, that I guess I'll sticik with that route.

It will help you raise through the ranks quicker if you take the CCNA composite exam instead of taking the twofer.

I disagree with ptilsen about not doing MS until your get your CCNP completed. If you hate MS then do a datacenter cert like Brocade storage or something, that will get you noticed quickly; or do Linux.

apr911

it_consultant wrote: »

It will help you raise through the ranks quicker if you take the CCNA composite exam instead of taking the twofer.

Have to say, it really doesnt matter if you go the twofer or the composite exam. If you pass the composite exam you're a CCNA. If you pass both of the ICND1 & 2 exams you're a CCNA. A CCNA is a CCNA.

Yes you do get an intermediate "cert" that is pretty much useless called the CCENT and it does show up on your Cisco transcript but you can always choose to exclude the CCENT when publishing your certificates.

Ive done both the 2 exam route and the composite exam and thought they've both have their benefits.

The 2 exam route can be tougher than the composite exam because they are able to cover topics a little deeper since they have 2 exams to cover the material in.

On the other hand the composite exam can be tougher because you need to have knowledge in all the topics to be covered as where the 2-part exam generally consists of subnetting on the 1st exam and then R&S on the 2nd. You can't get a CCNA without knowing both but it can be a lot easier to split up the topics.

it_consultant

It will raise you through the ranks quicker because it takes less time to take one test than it does to take two. It wasn't a comment on whether the tests were harder or not. I notice a lot of people take the one exam and then wait a while before taking the second, time spent not being a CCNA when they could have taken one exam and earned the credential.

apr911

it_consultant wrote: »

It will raise you through the ranks quicker because it takes less time to take one test than it does to take two. It wasn't a comment on whether the tests were harder or not. I notice a lot of people take the one exam and then wait a while before taking the second, time spent not being a CCNA when they could have taken one exam and earned the credential.

Ahh. point taken. When I did the 2 part exam I did both parts less than a week apart (Part 1 on Monday, Part 2 on Friday and even then only because I couldnt get an exam date sooner). You are definitely right that doing the 2-part exam, taking only 1 of the 2 exams and then sitting on it for weeks or months is pretty much useless.

I assumed however that if you are capable of taking the composite exam, you are capable of taking the two part exam in fairly rapid succession. Vice-versa, if you dont feel ready for both parts of the twofer exam, then are you really going to feel ready for the composite exam?

If the CCENT held more value then at least you have something to show for your efforts even if you arent a CCNA or ready to be one yet, but sadly the CCENT is barely worth the paper its written on.

GarudaMin

Whatever field you want to get to, you could use both. You want to have at least MCITP:SA and CCNA. If you are starting out in helpdesk, having both will get you further. You will have to show initiative and ask for projects. Show that you are capable, make yourself known. It would depend on where you work, but in typical environment the path is helpdesk -> system -> network. The road to system is easier when you have OS experience/cert whether it's Windows or Linux. Once you make to system, go for CCNP since you want to be network admin. Then get yourself to become backup for your network admin and in time you will become one.