IT Technician Certifications

[HICKMAN]

And again the caveat, every hiring person is different.

yup, and many times the ones who do the initial scanning are in HR, not an IT guys. These days most companies have resumes submitting online and keyboards are scanned for.

Not having the basic certs will cut you out of many consulting and contracting firms that may let a newbie get some experience.

I've been an MCSE since NT 3.51 and was the original Active Directory architect out at Eli Lilly but ended up victim to outsourcing 14 months ago. Even with tons of experience, everyone I interviewed with were still looking for updated certs, which I hadn't bothered to keep up with after Server 2000.

I'm with you, we shouldn't need them, as one who went thru having to find a new job, I still think the more you have to start, the better.

 

[PistolBob]

VMware and storage is where I would spend my time. Netapp offers free classes and seminars from time to time. I admin a Netapp, but damn is that stuff boring.

Right now server and desktop virtualization, storage management, and cloud architecture are it for MY foreseeable future. I hope to retire by the time that is all old hat, I'm getting too old for this stuff. Hahaha.

Someone else suggested young Caleb look into database admin credentials, and with the "cloud" playing a bigger and bigger part of the IT environment, I would say that being an Oracle or MS DBA would be a huge step in the right direction. You don't become a DBA in a couple of semesters, which makes you valuable.

I have always admitted that I am a hardware guy, and I even tried the DBA thing and application developer thing for a few years and found it to be something I was not destined to do or master.

App dev is a dime a dozen nowadays. If you don't know Java like the back of your hand, you can forget it. DBA's are still demanding larger than normal incomes and they have certain enjoyable job security.

IT is a tough field...you almost always feel like you're on the edge of being tossed in the outsource tank, or overrun by some new technology you didn't get skilled in fast enough. I hate to say this but my fear of being over taken by the younger guys coming up now, is almost non-existent. I don't think 80% of them could keep up with me.

 

[PistolBob]

I thought the IT field was a good field to get into... What happened?

It's a great field...but it ain't easy!

 

[HICKMAN]

Times change. There are plenty who would argue with me, and it's definitely better than some other choices... but outsourcing, for one. Another that someone mentioned is the tendency to be viewed as a cost, as a necessary evil, rather than as a profit center (unless you're in something like consulting where you're generating revenue, of course...), the hours/expectations, the constant pressure to adapt and learn the NEW hot skill because the last one is dead/dying/outsourced... Learning something new can be really cool and exciting, but it's not for everyone.

I used to LOVE programming, but that became so easy to farm out to china/india.

 

[williamsjr22]

I have hired people without experience. However, the minimum requirements were at least a two year degree. That was HR's requirement not mine. So I would advise you to stay in school and work on your certs on the side. The diploma could open many more doors for you. Remember that you are trying to set yourself apart from the other applicants. Motivation and a self work ethic are what I look for most in a resume.

 

[PistolBob]

I would suspect that most places put more value on a degree from IUPUI or Ivy Tech Community College than Harrison or WGU. Just my opinion. Even if it is just a two year degree or a technical certificate.

 

[Caleb]

The program I'm in now isn't a degree, so switch over to ivy tech for an associates but attack ccna now?

 

[iChokePeople]

yup, and many times the ones who do the initial scanning are in HR, not an IT guys. These days most companies have resumes submitting online and keyboards are scanned for.

Not having the basic certs will cut you out of many consulting and contracting firms that may let a newbie get some experience.

I've been an MCSE since NT 3.51 and was the original Active Directory architect out at Eli Lilly but ended up victim to outsourcing 14 months ago. Even with tons of experience, everyone I interviewed with were still looking for updated certs, which I hadn't bothered to keep up with after Server 2000.

I'm with you, we shouldn't need them, as one who went thru having to find a new job, I still think the more you have to start, the better.

Wow... Is this THAT Hickman? I halfway think I worked "with" you, briefly at Lilly. I was a consultant employed by Lucent helping with your Win2k rollout back in... Hmm. well, quite a few years ago. I managed the test lab for a little while and remember a Hickman that seems to be a pretty close fit to you. Possible?

 

[iChokePeople]

The program I'm in now isn't a degree, so switch over to ivy tech for an associates but attack ccna now?

As someone said, a 4-year degree is frequently a requirement, and in many cases one that the person really doing the hiring, the one you'll work for, can't override.

 

[PistolBob]

The program I'm in now isn't a degree, so switch over to ivy tech for an associates but attack ccna now?

It'd be a good start. And remember...if you get your CCNA on your own while taking other classes as an IT student at Ivy Tech, they will award you 12 credit hours for it. That's like getting a FREE semester. The two year AS degree program in IT is like 62 or 64 credit hours.

You want to finish your Bachelors degree in something though as soon as you can after you graduate. You might find work with a company that has tuition reimbursement...that's what I did a long time ago.

 

[DialTone301]

Consider Unified Communications. As companies are phasing out their PBX's and getting into UC there is a huge knowledge vacuum......the phone guys don't know networking/ servers and the network/ system admin guys don't know voice.

 

[HICKMAN]

Wow... Is this THAT Hickman? I halfway think I worked "with" you, briefly at Lilly. I was a consultant employed by Lucent helping with your Win2k rollout back in... Hmm. well, quite a few years ago. I managed the test lab for a little while and remember a Hickman that seems to be a pretty close fit to you. Possible?

lol, yup, that'd be me.

 

[iChokePeople]

lol, yup, that'd be me.

Excellent. Small world.

 

[Hop]

This (now online only unfortunately) webzine actually has some good info. Give it a read: Certification Magazine - Certification Magazine

 

[PistolBob]

This (now online only unfortunately) webzine actually has some good info. Give it a read: Certification Magazine - Certification Magazine

Hop...that thing is written 100% by CompTIA. How can it be any good?

 

[Caleb]

Hey guys, what do you think of this list of equipment for setting up a CCNA/CCNP lab?

Routers:
2x CISCO2610 Router [32D/8F] IOS: c2600-i-mz.123-10.bin
1x CISCO2620 Router [32D/8F] IOS: c2600-i-mz.123-10.bin
1x CISCO2611 Router [32D/8F] IOS: c2600-i-mz.123-10.bin
2x CISCO2501 Router [8D/8F]


Switch:
2x WS-C3524-XL-EN Switch
2x WS-C2950-24 Switch


Module Card:
4x WIC-2T Serial Module Card


Cables:


5x Serial Connection Cable Between Routers
5x Ethernet Cable
4x Cross-over Cable
2x Console Cable
9x Power cable

 

[Steelman]

For a CCNA lab you should be able to get by with this:

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-4462

 

[Caleb]

For a CCNA lab you should be able to get by with this:

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-4462

I have simulators for A+ and Network+, while they are ok, I prefer an actual hardware lab especially since the simulator for each cert comes out to what it'd cost me to buy above listed hardware.

 

[Steelman]

GNS is free, but requires an IOS image for each device. Since it runs the same image as a physical device you have the same look and feel sans the cabling and modules.

I have simulators for A+ and Network+, while they are ok, I prefer an actual hardware lab especially since the simulator for each cert comes out to what it'd cost me to buy above listed hardware.

 

[PistolBob]

Hey guys, what do you think of this list of equipment for setting up a CCNA/CCNP lab?

Routers:
2x CISCO2610 Router [32D/8F] IOS: c2600-i-mz.123-10.bin
1x CISCO2620 Router [32D/8F] IOS: c2600-i-mz.123-10.bin
1x CISCO2611 Router [32D/8F] IOS: c2600-i-mz.123-10.bin
2x CISCO2501 Router [8D/8F]


Switch:
2x WS-C3524-XL-EN Switch
2x WS-C2950-24 Switch


Module Card:
4x WIC-2T Serial Module Card


Cables:


5x Serial Connection Cable Between Routers
5x Ethernet Cable
4x Cross-over Cable
2x Console Cable
9x Power cable

In my CCNA lab I had three routers, each with T1 serial interfaces, and Ethernet interfaces. I also had two switches, T1 cables, each router had IOS 12.X on them. That's been a long time ago.

You could do it with two routers I guess.