Have a few entry certs, where to go from here?

alexalejan · September 2014

Hello all!

First of all, let me say that this forum has been a great resource to me. I've only just registered, but I have read a lot here about people's experiences regarding certifications I have been trying for in the past.

This year I have earned an MTA in Win7, as well as A+, Network+, and Security+. I am very lucky that at my job I am able to pursue certifications fairly regularly and they cover the cost of training and examination.

I am curious on people's opinions on where I should go next in terms of certifications? I see that CCNA and the Cisco path is recommended fairly regularly, but I am not a network person at my job, so that wouldnt be a viable option.

I am thinking maybe MCSA in Server 2008 or 2012. I'd be very interested to hear any advice on where to go from here. Thanks!

Jon_Cisco · September 2014

Can you give us a little better idea of what you do at your current job and what you would like to move towards. That is really going to define your direction from here. The Cisco form is very active here and CCNA has some value outside of networking which is why you will see it recommended a lot.

DoubleNNs · September 2014

I think it really depends on your interests and what you'd be able to apply on the job. If you're looking at the MCSA, go for it.

alexalejan · September 2014

Thanks for the advice so far! At my job there is a pretty big divide between Network and the sys admins of windows, aix, solaris, linux, vm, mainframe, etc. I work in DR so we have several SMEs in each area so there is a pretty broad base of disciplines. The sys admin side is where I am slated to head, so I am trying to figure out a path of valuable certs over the next few years within that framework.

santaowns · September 2014

If you are headed towards system admin side of the house Linux certifications and Windows certifications are where you want to go.

That still does not answer the question of what YOU want to do and like to do. That is what matters, because IT is so broad of a scope it is hard to recommend where and what you need to do without knowing where you want to be. Hopefully that makes sense.

For linux i suggest Linux+ and Red Hat certifications

Windows I would suggest going for 2012 certification and then reading material on 2008 as the future is 2012 and 2008 will be around for some time. I work on 2000 boxes still :P

None of this matters though unless you know where you want to go.

aftereffector · September 2014

I would definitely suggest MCSA. 2008 and 2012 are both good to know, but the choice will probably depend on what your environment looks like - will your company be using 2008 for the rest of the decade, or will you be implementing a 2012 upgrade soon? If the former, I'd recommend going for a 2008 MCSA and upgrading it to 2012 with another exam. If you just want to go directly to 2012, that would be a good path also!

Linux+ and the Red Hat certs (RHCSA, RHCE) are very good if you have any interest in Linux administration, and I would always recommend getting familiar with some VM technology, whether it's Hypervisor or VMware or something else, especially if you stay with systems administration.

alexalejan · September 2014

Thanks again for the advice. At my DR company we are really driven by what our clients use. Doing MCSA 2008 first and then upgrading to 2012 in the future probably makes the most sense.

I do have a personal interest in Linux and I have done some coursework long ago in it, so Linux+ to RedHat seems like a very logical path as well.

Thanks for all the help!

Have a few entry certs, where to go from here?

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