Hard to stay motivated

Discussion in 'The Lounge - Off Topic' started by JK2447, Aug 8, 2009.

  1. JK2447
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    JK2447 Petabyte Poster Administrator Premium Member

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    No I meant purely because my local prometric isn't quite so local and that I have to have the stress of the exam situation twice when it could have been once. Fair enough about it being double the study but I'm getting sick of travelling to take my exams. There used to be one much closer but it closed this year :rolleyes:
     
    Certifications: VCP4, 5, 6, 6.5, 6.7, 7, 8, VCAP DCV Design, VMConAWS Skill, Google Cloud Digital Leader, BSc (Hons), HND IT, HND Computing, ITIL-F, MBCS CITP, MCP (270,290,291,293,294,298,299,410,411,412) MCTS (401,620,624,652) MCSA:Security, MCSE: Security, Security+, CPTS, CCA (XenApp6.5), MCSA 2012, VSP, VTSP
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  2. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Good call mate :thumbleft
     
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
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  3. JK2447
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    JK2447 Petabyte Poster Administrator Premium Member

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    Cheers Sparky, had a minor blip for a minute there but am back on the Cert trail now and it feels . . . . GOOD :twisted:
     
    Certifications: VCP4, 5, 6, 6.5, 6.7, 7, 8, VCAP DCV Design, VMConAWS Skill, Google Cloud Digital Leader, BSc (Hons), HND IT, HND Computing, ITIL-F, MBCS CITP, MCP (270,290,291,293,294,298,299,410,411,412) MCTS (401,620,624,652) MCSA:Security, MCSE: Security, Security+, CPTS, CCA (XenApp6.5), MCSA 2012, VSP, VTSP
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  4. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Know what you mean, started back on the Exchange 2007 stuff today as well... :study
     
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
    WIP: Microsoft Certs
  5. bogus1195

    bogus1195 Bit Poster

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    Well First alll the luck mate .. everyone needs time to re-fuel and then shoot back so enjoy ur Beers and hope to catch u soon fully refueled......:cheers:morebeer
     
    Certifications: CCNA ,MCP
    WIP: Windows 7 -- 70 - 680
  6. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Just keep the TV off during the day mate, simple as that. :biggrin
     
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
    WIP: Microsoft Certs
  7. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Your local Prometric won't help you any... Cisco's exclusive to VUE.

    But assuming VUE is just as far... what happens if you fail the CCNA because there's twice as much to study? You have to pay twice as much and STILL drive all that way a second time. Ultimately, it's your decision... but I'd advise against it. :)
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
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  8. JK2447
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    JK2447 Petabyte Poster Administrator Premium Member

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    My employer paid for the 2 exam route so I'm stuck doing that regardless of what I want. I agree with you the 2 exam route will be better by splitting it into manageable chunks, I'm just getting bored of taking exams I think. You've done more than anyone else on here, don't you ever feel that way? The VUE place is the Prometric place where I go as its held in a college. Thanks for your advice all the same tho.
     
    Certifications: VCP4, 5, 6, 6.5, 6.7, 7, 8, VCAP DCV Design, VMConAWS Skill, Google Cloud Digital Leader, BSc (Hons), HND IT, HND Computing, ITIL-F, MBCS CITP, MCP (270,290,291,293,294,298,299,410,411,412) MCTS (401,620,624,652) MCSA:Security, MCSE: Security, Security+, CPTS, CCA (XenApp6.5), MCSA 2012, VSP, VTSP
    WIP: Google Cloud Certs
  9. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    I love certification so much, I made it my job to help others pass. :)

    To be honest, I don't really certify that much more than many other people. My certs have built up over the past 11+ years. Really, that's only two or three certifications every year, and many of them require only a single exam. And I don't have to study for most of them... what I haven't already gained through real-world experience, I gain through writing training material that covers the relevant content.

    In truth, I think that's the key: if you get experience first, you really don't have to put in a ton of time to study, and thus, you don't get burnt out as easily. That's why you were able to plow through a bunch of exams, but came to a crashing halt at Cisco. Now, be honest: how much real-world Cisco experience do you have?

    Here's my testimony. I started in my first "official" IT job and started studying for the CNA 4 exam, since our company supported NetWare (and Windows). But it meant little to me as I hadn't administered NetWare before, and I figured out VERY quickly that I ought to be certifying on something else. So I took Windows 95 and Networking Essentials, knocking out both of them in short order. Then I started on the Windows NT 4.0 exam. And that's where I hit my next brick wall: I didn't have the experience level to TRULY understand it. So... I put it off for a year while I learned how to administer not just Windows NT, but Exchange 5.5 as well. Afterwards, it wasn't that difficult to pick up both the Windows NT4 and Windows NT4/Enterprise exams. The experience was the key.

    I've found that to be true throughout my career. I've failed an OCA exam because I didn't have real-world experience administering Oracle, and I've failed the MCNS (Managing Cisco Network Security) because I didn't have any real-world experience administering PIXs. We struggle with what we haven't yet encountered. Words on a page mean little without the hands-on, real-world experience to give your knowledge something to hook on to.

    Perhaps you've reached your wall. And there's no shame in that at all! Step away from the books and take some time away from certification... or go after something you've got more experience working with. If you do, you'll eventually come back to the game with a much fresher mind. :)
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
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  10. JK2447
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    JK2447 Petabyte Poster Administrator Premium Member

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    Thanks very much for taking the time to write this reply BM. You are correct, my experience with Cisco kit is my weak point at the moment but I'm working on it. I'm fortune in that I'm allowed to be a jack of all trades for my employer so I'll get more involved. I might put my CCNA back a while and finish my MCSE.
    I agree that unless you "can do" in the real world your certs are just bits of paper. Time to book a meeting with one of our network managers and sort myself a secondment. Jim
     
    Certifications: VCP4, 5, 6, 6.5, 6.7, 7, 8, VCAP DCV Design, VMConAWS Skill, Google Cloud Digital Leader, BSc (Hons), HND IT, HND Computing, ITIL-F, MBCS CITP, MCP (270,290,291,293,294,298,299,410,411,412) MCTS (401,620,624,652) MCSA:Security, MCSE: Security, Security+, CPTS, CCA (XenApp6.5), MCSA 2012, VSP, VTSP
    WIP: Google Cloud Certs
  11. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    In my opinion, that's the best sort of techie job to have. :) Even better if you're a jack-of-all-trades for MANY client customers - though it can be a bit stressful at times, and it's never truly "your network", you get put into a great variety of situations and topologies.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  12. danielno8

    danielno8 Gigabyte Poster

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    ^ i'll second that. I went into IT from uni, and as there was previously only one person in IT, i have worked on everything we have, and have basically took sole control of all the good stuff (ASA, ESX, exchange, BES, SQL).
     
    Certifications: CCENT, CCNA
    WIP: CCNP

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