MS/Cisco/Comtia certs

[eyeoftheovermind]

Ok so I got the exam prep for the Cisco CCNA exam and started doing a bit of research as to what other good IT certs there are. So far I found the MS cert path starting with MCSE's, Cisco path starting with CCENT/CCNA, and the Comtia path with A+/security+/networking+ etc. Anyone have recommendations on which one to pursue? For me the optimal end result of getting the cert would be a job that I can go to full or part time while in college with good pay and high demand. I've been browsing monster/careerbuilder/craigslist seeing the various pay scales and duties of each, but does anyone have experience from an employer side in these fields to say what is really in demand? Or even someone who currently has certs in the IT field that can lend some professional advice?

The best advice I've gotten so far seems to be to get the basic cert and then focus on wireless specialty certs.

[MrGraham]

A+ is a waste, it's the equivalent of a high school diploma on IT resumes now.

Shoot big. Go for ITIL if you want into management. CCVP if you are interested in VOIP. Security certs are in big demand now as well.

[PigBenis]

It's CompTIA, btw. I got my Net+ a couple years ago, meh. Now I'm getting my BS focused on programming. When i studied for mine I downloaded this practice exam, and almost every single one of the questions on the actual exam were on the practice exam word for word. Can't remember the name of the practice exam site, but they had practice exams for all the major cert's. It was a pay site, but I got the practice exam from a torrent. I would also say go big unless you are shooting small.

[chaos]

Go for the Security+, especially is anyone here is in government contracting. It's a nice middle of the road cert which meets DOD Directive 8570.01-M, which is very important and you won't be able to get a job as a government contractor if you don't meet that by like next year.

IMO you should set yourself goals. What do you want to end up primarily doing? If you go the CCxP route you will be doing primarily networking. Do your enjoy general networking or want to specialize, for instance in VOIP, or network security, or whatever. Do you want to go more onto the management security side of things? Then look into the CISSP.

Look on torrent sites for Test kings, actual tests, shit like that, it will really help you study.

[chaos]

Also, memorize this chart.

When you go to take any Cisco cert, don't go to some big ass busy testing center, go to some small hole in the wall place where they won't fuck with you about appointment time. When filling out the survey and all that, write this chart on the dry erase board they give you. You should try and get 2 dry erase boards, one for this chart and one for a brain dump.

This chart is a fucking lifesaver on Cisco tests.

[eyeoftheovermind]

Thanks for the info guys, I saved that chart for the exam which I have in 2 weeks.

As for my purpose in this, I am working on getting certs that I would need to do freelance consulting as a source of income while I attend college for the fields I truly want to study. I finished the CCNA course in a little over a week and Im working through all the labs on the netsim and doing practice quizzes. So I am looking at Sec+, CWNA, CCVP, CCSP and MCSE as choices for my next step and trying to research and prioritize which will work best for my goals.

[MrGraham]

You're going to get certs as specific as those to do consulting while in college to get to your real career?

Unless you're planning on using these after college, I really would rethink your plan. The MCSE is the easiest thing you listed, and that's still 3 months of studying at a decent rate and ~$2000...

And you say prioritize like you plan on getting multiple of these ... Again I'd advise against getting multiples off that list. Yes, you might get a little more work if you're a one man consulting team with more certs, but a cert is mainly just to get your feet in the door these days, it's experience that counts, and I think you'll be wasting time/money getting multiple of those.

Just one guy's opinion though, maybe someone can correct me, this seems to be how it works in government related work in the DC area though.

[chaos]

Yeah McGraham is right, not only is that a bit broad imo, if your goal is just some consulting work it's real world experience you need and not certs. With that list of certs you could be commanding 6 figures easily, you're really overshooting your goal here.

[Zippygoose]

What are you going to consult on? I have no idea what your current situation is, but companies hire consultants to solve problems that they cannot solve with their current employee's skill sets.

Don't get me wrong, maybe you are in your 40s and going back to school to pursue a literature degree because that is your true calling and have tons of professional experience. But if you are in your early 20s and plan on doing some "freelance consulting" with no real professional experience and a couple of certifications then most companies won't take you seriously.

Get those certs + 10 years in the field + some serious management experience and then go consult.

If what you mean by consult is doing some contract work-well then that's a different story altogether.

I really don't mean to sound like an ass, I think your head is in the right place but a little more background would help here.

[eyeoftheovermind]

I appreciate the real world advice guys it was exactly what I was looking for. Is there a certain process to obtaining government IT work chaos?

MrGraham, I don't intend to use the certs after college but I plan to be in college for the next 4-6 years which to me at least justifies the couple months I'll spend studying to get them. What is so costly about the MCSE certs, I got the exam material already so the rest is....getting copies of the programs I'll be using as an MCSE?

Zippygoose, I do believe that my idea of consulting would be what you are thinking of as contract work. I have at least some work in line though already with firms in the DC area so I'm not incredibly worried.

[chaos]

You have to figure the costs of exams, those exams you listed cost anywhere from 150-250 bucks per attempt per individual test. Figure in the likelyhood that you will fail a couple no matter how prepared you are, these people are not your friends and they WANT you to fail their cert tests. That's going to be some serious cash in exam fees. I'm with McGraham on this one, unless your hookup wants you to have a varied resume like this, you need to focus on a particular segment of IT, the Cisco or the MCSE or whatever, and run with that. Others may have different advice but I find specialization is better.

If you live in the DC area it isn't hard to get on with government IT, but if it's not something you plan on doing after college I wouldn't really focus on it. Getting a clearance is a big deal and you're sometimes expected to make a commitment to any employer who is willing to help you get that.

I am not an expert on contracting, only been doing it for just over a year now, but the best advice I could give you is look out for #1. Your company is not your friend. Your customer is not your friend. They WILL fuck you if it benefits them, in only a little over a year and 6 years in the military before that working side by side with contractors, I have seen it happen again and again.

[MrGraham]

MCSE is comprised of several different tests, each one costs a few hundred dollars. I've never taken it but I have heard of figures of 1500-2000 for just the tests alone.

Getting a security clearance instantly adds 20-40% to your paycheck, however good luck finding anyone to sponsor you for one if you weren't in the military.

If all you're looking to do is part time contract based work in the DC area, I hope you are good friends with someone already in the business who can hook you up. I don't know of any business who would bother bringing a consultant in who has no experience in a typical job and just has certs, regardless of how many you get.

Finish the CCNA and get a part time job doing NOC duty or something. Unless you already have a hookup for a job, in which case you should be asking them what they want out of you, not us.

IT staff in the DC area are a dime a dozen. However if you want to be famous you can join my plan in creating the first IT union..

[chaos]

Originally Posted by MrGraham

if you want to be famous you can join my plan in creating the first IT union..

You should write a treatise for your union and name it "Operation: Indian Uprising", or maybe, "Outsourcing can be fun and profitable!"

[eyeoftheovermind]

Okay well the ICND 1 test I took today and passed. It was a little over $100 with the second half costing the same. The books were $60 and the netsim was $90 so roughly $350 total for a CCNA. The MCSE books cost $90, exams cost $750, CWNA cost $40, CCNP books cost $200, misc switches/routers on ebay to build a home lab on ebay were another $300. I'm just not seeing the price being that high since I've gotten the materials and test registrations for multiple certs for under $2k. Also at least for the cisco exams, the material is supplied by cisco and just administered by pearson vue so the proctors don't have control over the exam questions. Maybe I'm just overlooking something with the MCSE but the cisco exams and materials have been surprisingly inexpensive and easy.

I have the clearance already chaos from my stint in the Air Force. The company I'll likely be starting in SAIC if you guys have any direct experience with them? An IT union haha....why?

[chaos]

Hey, congratulations. I found the cisco tests a bit more difficult than they needed to be but more because a lot of what they test doesn't have real world applications, kind of renders your OJT worthless.

Oh, well if you already have a clerance, seriously make Security+ a priority after you get done with your CCNA, and check out the CISSP and see if that's something you are interested in.

A friend of mine worked for SAIC until fairly recently, they took good care of him. His contract ended unexpectedly and they kept him on board on overhead and ended up getting him a new job, good benefits, pay was decent but not exactly on the high end of the scale. It's a solid company.