Is Linux+ a worthwhile certification to obtain?

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I admit I have a fondness for Linux for personal use. However in the business sector I was wondering if the Linux+ certification may be worth persuing?

I know Windows is king of the castle for the most part, but Linux does have it's role in some areas. With my current employer we have the odd machine running Linux. I'd like to be able to help administer these systems and was wondering if Linux+ was worthwhile both as a knowledge enhancer and a career enhancer?

Forgive me if that sounds like a ridiculous and obvious question but I'm looking at this from the angle of how Linux+ and Linux certifications in general are viewed by employers. My hunch is most look for MCSA/E etc on a CV and aside from the word 'Cisco' emblazoned somewhere on your CV, the rest is likely to be perceived as mere fodder.

What do you think, is Linux+ worth obtaining? Are there better and cheaper Linux certifications out there? Also is Linux+ affected by CompTIA's new 3 year renewal policy?

 

Depends on what you want to do in the future, Linux is certainly always a good skill to have and I dont think I'd ever accept a job that was an MS only shop, I'd miss the linux admin part too much.

There is also the lpic line of certification you could have a look into as well. As usual your certs and experience are only as good as the ones the prospective employers can use so in some places the Linux+ may be viewed more favourably than having an MCSE it just depends. Studying for any cert always helps your knowledge so I wouldnt hold back on the linux+ unless you really do know all the objectives inside out (if you do then just book the exam and give it a shot).


Unfortunately I can only give a wishy washy answer cause I think the certs worth and the expereince gained by studying for it depends on who your sending your CV to.

Edit:
Damn beaten too it!

 

Given the above responses I think I will persue the Linux+ cert in time. Having played with Linux for some time now and used it as my main OS for a few months presently I have certainly noticed my (still very much amateur) knowledge of Linux increase. Might well be time to start looking at some Linux+ reading material!

Thanks for the sage advice both of you. Rep given to you both!

 

It is something i would love to do and bought a book at christmas for it but as advised it was difficult to get into unless you were going to set it up to do something rather than just a OS at home.

At the moment i have other certs that are more relevant to my job so will be pursuing them just now but will come back to once i finish my msca.

 

I don't see much point in linux certifications simply because 9/10 IT employers don't ask for them. For the position of "Linux Engineer", for example, from the job searches I've done, most employers won't ask for a certification. But if they do, chances are they will ask for Red Hat's RHCE.

RHCE is seen as the "jewel in the crown" of linux certifications but I've read that LPI certifications are quickly catching up with RHCE.

 

If I weren't so paranoid, I'd say there was some kind of an internet conspiracy going on- a sub-culture of people going around saying the MCSE is worthless without the experience. Are you an IT manager? Then perhaps you could explain the logic.........

Why penalise someone for being knowledgeable? Why penalise someone for being intelligent? You know how hard the MCSE is? There's loads of exams, so you have to work hard. IT employers should see the positives of someone having the MCSE even if they may not have experience. I bet there's plenty of examples of people who didn't have experience but had their MCSE and landed a job.

 

Well, we could start with

From here

Then we can point to the fact that the MCSE covers the administration of advanced (and core) services in an organisation. Why on earth would any (sane) manager be willing to place someone with no experience on the Tech into a position of responsibility?

Sure, there are literally hundreds of examples of people with no experience and the MCSE landing a job on the basis of their MCSE. The question you should be asking, is how many of them were sacked for not knowing what they were doing, or worse, actually screwing things up?

Studying for a cert is one thing, but it doesnt actually indicate that you really know how to do things. If you study without experience, all it shows is that you can read and memorise enough text to be able to answer questions on the subject.

For the record, Ken is actually an IT manager I believe, and so are a number of others on this very forum who espouse the same philosophy.

 

Please not again.

@OP: Linux+ is definately worthwile. I would say it's a good starting point.

 

To add to what Ken and Fergal stated, why would an employer hire an MCSE without experience when there are MCSEs WITH experience who are available? And on the flip side, why would an employer with an entry-level job need an MCSE to do entry-level work? They wouldn't. Thus an upper-level certification like the MCSE can actually make it HARDER for someone without experience to get a job - they'll look overcertified for entry-level work, and they'll be underexperienced for anything beyond entry-level work.

I'm not an IT manager, but I have been responsible for reviewing candidate resumes for positions. And MCSEs without experience go straight to the trash.

EDIT: Regarding the OP - I'd say Linux+ is worth pursuing if you've got a bit of real-world Linux experience. Doesn't take much, really.

 

My what a debate! Thanks for the useful info and advice everyone. I think I am going to brush up a little more on my Linux skills before tackling Linux+ or an alternative exam.

I definitely think I will venture down the Linux avenue, so many times I see the rabbit in headlights look when you mention Linux to someone. I'd like to have those Linux skills in my collection so I can ditch that unwanted 'pants well and truly filled' look when Linux is mentioned again!

 

The OU are doing an introduction to Linux course now -

I've registered for the course starting in May

 

From my experience using Linux, i have noticed that my practical networking skills have increased a lot.

An example: i setup my friends IPOD (Apple), laptop (Vista) , and Pentium D PC (Linux) to communicate with each other.

 

I have done A+, N+ and MCP but I would say I almost got no clue on linux, but to be honest it really is a good certification that needs to be added to your resume, and I have seen many vacancies that needs people who at least got a basic understanding of linux.

 

Just by looking at the amount of posts under Linux, tells me a different story from what i have encountered in the real world in respect of the use or how popular Linux has become, especially among the ladies.

 

Hi,

Having done both the Linux+ and the LPIC1 exams, i'd say you'll be better off with the LPIC1. It is a 2 part exam but you will benefit much more in the progressive learning and if you decide to carry on further in the field of Linux, you can move on to LPIC2 and so on.

Just had a quick look at the LPI website and it seems that CompTIA and LPI have joined forces regarding the Linux+/LPIC1 Cert.

http://www.lpi.org/index.php/eng/ab...join_forces_to_advance_global_linux_workforce