Your thoughts please...

Discussion in 'General Microsoft Certifications' started by Danshand, Sep 17, 2009.

  1. Danshand

    Danshand Nibble Poster

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    Hello All,

    I have only post on this forum a few times, I'm more of a reader than a contributor sorry to say!

    I am currently planning to do quite a few exams as I would like to move to London in 12-18 months and start working in the city. I have been working in IT for 6 years now and have a great range of experience in lots of different areas. I am very confident in my ability, and my ability to get through the recruitment process.

    However, I would like to aim higher for my next job, and so im studying for the certifications. I am starting on the MCITP:EA and have currently sat the 70-620, and have the 70-642 booked for 28th September. I am averaging 4-6 weeks per exam, from start to passing the exam (presuming i pass 70-642 first time).

    Now because I do not plan to get the new job for 12-18 months, I am left thinking, just what else can I do? I previously studied quite a bit of CCNA material but got distracted and never sat the exam, however I am confident that in my current studying state of mind I would get this done.

    So to get to my point, if I finish my MCITP:EA, CCNA and then do either VCP, ITIL or Prince 2; how long should I give myself? Am I being far too optimistic to think I can get everything done in my time scale? I am quite fortunate as I can do a couple of hours study a day at work when its quiet.

    Have any of you guys done this kind of exam madness in the past? Compared with the whole MCITP:EA, how do CCNA and ITIL compare? Are they longer or shorter to study for?
    Anyway, I am sure I have bored you all to death by now, but at least I don't post too often! Let me know what your thoughts are, before I start a losing battle!!
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2009
    Certifications: Many.
    WIP: MCITP, ITIL
  2. d_mcgrail

    d_mcgrail Nibble Poster

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    First thing that comes to mind is what are you looking to go into and whats your job role at the moment?

    If it were me I would look at jobs that i would enjoy, on jobserve or somewhere like that, see what qualifications they are looking for and then investigate those. If you have a job in mind then it will make it easier for you to stay on target rather than drift off like you say.

    Probably worth contacting craigie or someone as i think they are exam mad. Not me just yet :-)
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2009
    Certifications: A+
    WIP: Taking a xmas break
  3. Danshand

    Danshand Nibble Poster

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    I currently work for a business which started around 3 years ago, and his since grown to be a large force within its sector. IT is not aim of the business in anyway, however due to the amount of staff and systems now in place it has quite a few IT systems. I was originally employed to get them off the ground with IT, and it has since grown to have 11 servers, 2 sites and 80 users. Every single bit of IT kit and software was configured and implemented by myself, and I have managed projects to implement warehouse systems etc. Prior to this I have worked for one of the UK's leading digital media companies, and for one of the europes largest food manufacturers in their internal IT. I have moved on over time to progress my career, as I always found moving about was the best way to progress.

    Now I am not sure exactly where I would like to go, something more senior in a large company preferably, whether that be infrastructure, project manager, sales or account manager I really do not know right now. What I do know is that I am already very technical, and very confident so I would just like a few certs to help me along. If I have time to do them all, may be I will... but in 18 months... may be im taking on too much? I just wondered if anybody else had done something similar?
     
    Certifications: Many.
    WIP: MCITP, ITIL
  4. Shinigami

    Shinigami Megabyte Poster

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    Sounds like you would have the skills to become an MCSE if you wanted to remain technical. Or as you said, go directly for the 2008 Enterprise Admin certification. An MCSE is still the buzz word however, so you might like to think twice about doing that first, and then using the upgrade exams to land the 2008 title.

    Or you could go all the way with ITIL (including the Management exams/certifications) if you wanted a more managerial position (how succesful that would be, is anyones guess).

    If you already did a great deal of work for the CCNA, it "might" only take you a few months to brush up and pass the latest exam. An A+ or Network+ may be a little too "entry level" for you, but you never know.

    4-6 weeks an exam is a very agressive schedule, but it CAN be done. It helps if you're already working with the technologies, as you'll be skimming through a lot of it.
     
    Certifications: MCSE, MCITP, MCDST, MOS, CIW, Comptia
    WIP: Win7/Lync2010/MCM
  5. soundian

    soundian Gigabyte Poster

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    Certify what you know, not what you want to know.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+,MCDST,MCTS(680), MCP(270, 271, 272), ITILv3F, CCENT
    WIP: Knuckling down at my new job
  6. greenbrucelee
    Highly Decorated Member Award

    greenbrucelee Zettabyte Poster

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    You should be studying the subjects you have experience in or entry level certifications if you do not work in IT.

    Someone with no IT experience has no business going for advanced certifications as those certifications are supposed to show your job experience level. Being over certified for your experience level can have an adverse effect on your employment prospects.

    for example: the CCNA is for someone who actually already works with CISCO switches etc not for someone who wants to work with them. The MCSE is for someone who is already a systems engineer not for someone who wants to be one. The A+,N+ and MCDST are for people wanting to get into the industry then they can build on those certs with others as their experience grows.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCDST, Security+, 70-270
    WIP: 70-620 or 70-680?
  7. Danshand

    Danshand Nibble Poster

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    Thanks for the replies so far guys. I am definately in a position to the MCSE/MCITP:EA as I have worked with large microsoft networks for 6 years and done just about everything possible! I am finding with the MCITP:EA that the only bits I don't know are the Server 2008 specifics.

    The thing is the rate I am going I know I will have them finished by Feb/March next year, which leave me a further 6 months or so to do some more. I am thinking do the exchange 2007 exam, and may be the Hyper-V exam or VCP. On the other hand I have configured all the cisco routers and switches in my current organisation so I am tempted to do Cisco, the thing is I dont work with it often enough to get a job in Cisco. I am not sure I would even like to work with Cisco, however it shows good networking knowledge in my opinion.

    I have worked in large organisations as both internal and managed support, and managed the whole job for smaller organisations including buying, project managing, and pretty much the whole show. The thing is now I want to move onto doing that kind of thing for a bigger company, even if there is a step in between. I am just wondering which certs would be quick to do, but also a logical decision. As I say I am already doing MCITP:EA, I have read a lot of Cisco material in the past and have practical experience, even if not much. But I also know a fair bit on Virtualisation and exchange... so maybe I should do them?

    Then you come to ITIL or Prince2, can you self study those like with MS and Cisco exams? I think in any scenario they would be handy... but do you think they would be more so than a technical cert?


    EDIT - Sorry for the huge posts!
     
    Certifications: Many.
    WIP: MCITP, ITIL
  8. Shinigami

    Shinigami Megabyte Poster

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    You can self study for ITIL, no need to do an official course.

    VMWare VCP's however require that you attend a somewhat expensive course in order to be allowed a chance to pass the exam.

    When you say:
    "I want to move onto doing that kind of thing for a bigger company"

    Do you mean that you want to do the "buying, project managing" portion for a big company (i.e. become more of a Manager), or to run the show as in managing servers, 1st/2nd/3rd level support etc... ?
     
    Certifications: MCSE, MCITP, MCDST, MOS, CIW, Comptia
    WIP: Win7/Lync2010/MCM

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