Microsoft Certifications? Worth it?

jaxx6166 · 02-13-2010, 12:08 PM

Is Microsoft still the king of IT or has Cisco taken over the top spot?

I'm looking to take several (MCSE, MCSA,MCTS) courses, and was just wondering if spending the thousand bucks is worth the piece of paper, or if there are better alternatives?

I figure there's gotta be some system administrator out here who can answer my question

HarryT · 02-13-2010, 12:56 PM

Microsoft certifications are certainly valued in the UK IT industry. I work for a large IT consultancy company, and we work on many contracts which require that all staff working on the project be suitably certified.

happy_terd · 02-13-2010, 01:03 PM

The answer would depend on which IT field you plan on working.

HarryT · 02-13-2010, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy_terd

The answer would depend on which IT field you plan on working.

Yes, that goes without saying, of course

. If you plan to become an Oracle consultant, for example, then naturally you'd want Oracle certifications, not Microsoft ones

.

happy_terd · 02-13-2010, 01:05 PM

Do you have a field in mind or are you just trying to make yourself marketable?

jaxx6166 · 02-13-2010, 01:40 PM

Mostly marketability. I want to grab a CFCE, but my agency decided to pick the most senior guy to take that job, instead of the most qualified. So, I'm looking to get out of the city and go somewhere else.

And so I am at the point where if I take CFCE online myself and mix it with microsoft certifications or some other IT paper the chances of me getting where I want in my next gig (either civil or government) should be a lot higher.

They say now that political favors have been met, that I'm the next one in. Which doesn't really reassure me of anything as the time between is anywhere from 5 - 10 years. And I don't want to sit around this dump that long.

devilsadvocate · 02-13-2010, 03:17 PM

Certs are overrated.

Seriously, here in the Midwest they want an MCSE for !#$@%&! Level 1 tech support anymore. Don't know about you but I'm not paying $1500 for a cert that'll pay me $11 an hour.

That said, CCNA and MCSE are the generic one-size-fits-all certs [EDIT: Okay, technically they're not "generic", but you know what I mean] which I see asked for most often. I might be cutting myself out of the loop but right now I'm sticking with CompTIA and if someone else wants something different they can pay for it.

chainring · 02-13-2010, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by devilsadvocate

Certs are overrated.

Seriously, here in the Midwest they want an MCSE for !#$@%&! Level 1 tech support anymore. Don't know about you but I'm not paying $1500 for a cert that'll pay me $11 an hour.

That said, CCNA and MCSE are the generic one-size-fits-all certs [EDIT: Okay, technically they're not "generic", but you know what I mean] which I see asked for most often. I might be cutting myself out of the loop but right now I'm sticking with CompTIA and if someone else wants something different they can pay for it.

Have to agree with ya on the craziness that is certs today. I've run across way too many so called MCSE's that were screwing things up left and right. I'm no longer in IT (thank God! disclaimer: I'm not religious), but I saw the curse of the cert too many times. You want one that really turns heads and gets respect, go for upper level Cisco. MCSE's are a dime a dozen. Get a CCIE, whichever track is your choice, and there's not so much competition at that level.

jaxx6166 · 02-13-2010, 09:36 PM

Thanks for the help guys. I appreciate all your answers. I was thinking that the Cisco cert was the way to go, that just reasserts that to me.

Just checked the Cisco Written Test Information page for the CCIE and it's all greek to me, guess I got a lot of learning to do

Unfortunately, I also saw that you can only take the test in London or Chicago. That doesn't make things too convenient for me. At all.

Bugger.

wodin · 02-13-2010, 11:04 PM

PMP seems to be the up and coming cert these days.

happy_terd · 02-13-2010, 11:46 PM

Get your A+.

A lot of basic IT jobs require it.

jaxx6166 · 02-13-2010, 11:54 PM

Probably the wrong question to ask, but what's an A+

happy_terd · 02-13-2010, 11:57 PM

Basic hardware / OS computer literacy test that most entry level IT jobs require that you have.

Few hundred bucks to take and never expires.

HarryT · 02-14-2010, 02:48 AM

That's a new one on me. Is it a purely American thing, do you know?

devilsadvocate · 02-14-2010, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's a new one on me. Is it a purely American thing, do you know?

Not to my knowledge.

CompTIA certs (of which the A+ is one) are kind of weird; you can't do anything with them alone, but you won't want to try getting by without them. My A+ is this month, Network+ is next followed by Security+ (I'll probably round it out with the Linux and Server certs they have too since they're relatively cheap and almost universally recognized). The A+ cert is 2 exams (one hardware-related and one more specialized), works out to US$336; the others are 1 exam apiece at US$239 each. Each represents 6-12 months' job experience.

02-13-2010, 12:08 PM	#1
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	Microsoft Certifications? Worth it? Is Microsoft still the king of IT or has Cisco taken over the top spot? I'm looking to take several (MCSE, MCSA,MCTS) courses, and was just wondering if spending the thousand bucks is worth the piece of paper, or if there are better alternatives? I figure there's gotta be some system administrator out here who can answer my question

02-13-2010, 01:40 PM	#6
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	Mostly marketability. I want to grab a CFCE, but my agency decided to pick the most senior guy to take that job, instead of the most qualified. So, I'm looking to get out of the city and go somewhere else. And so I am at the point where if I take CFCE online myself and mix it with microsoft certifications or some other IT paper the chances of me getting where I want in my next gig (either civil or government) should be a lot higher. They say now that political favors have been met, that I'm the next one in. Which doesn't really reassure me of anything as the time between is anywhere from 5 - 10 years. And I don't want to sit around this dump that long. Last edited by jaxx6166; 02-13-2010 at 01:43 PM.

02-13-2010, 03:17 PM	#7
devilsadvocate Complicated Warlock Posts: 677 Karma: 160970 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Madiganistan Device: HP Mini 1101, Droid X rooted, GTab rooted/VEGAnTAB Ginger Edition/CM7	Certs are overrated. Seriously, here in the Midwest they want an MCSE for !#$@%&! Level 1 tech support anymore. Don't know about you but I'm not paying $1500 for a cert that'll pay me $11 an hour. That said, CCNA and MCSE are the generic one-size-fits-all certs [EDIT: Okay, technically they're not "generic", but you know what I mean] which I see asked for most often. I might be cutting myself out of the loop but right now I'm sticking with CompTIA and if someone else wants something different they can pay for it. Last edited by devilsadvocate; 02-13-2010 at 03:22 PM.

02-13-2010, 09:36 PM	#9
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	Thanks for the help guys. I appreciate all your answers. I was thinking that the Cisco cert was the way to go, that just reasserts that to me. Just checked the Cisco Written Test Information page for the CCIE and it's all greek to me, guess I got a lot of learning to do Unfortunately, I also saw that you can only take the test in London or Chicago. That doesn't make things too convenient for me. At all. Bugger. Last edited by jaxx6166; 02-13-2010 at 09:41 PM. Reason: Wow

02-13-2010, 11:04 PM	#10
wodin Illiterate Posts: 10,279 Karma: 37848716 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: The Sandwich Isles Device: Samsung Galaxy S10+, Microsoft Surface Pro	PMP seems to be the up and coming cert these days. Last edited by wodin; 02-13-2010 at 11:12 PM.

02-13-2010, 12:56 PM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Microsoft certifications are certainly valued in the UK IT industry. I work for a large IT consultancy company, and we work on many contracts which require that all staff working on the project be suitably certified.

02-13-2010, 01:03 PM	#3
happy_terd Banned Posts: 13,045 Karma: 10105011 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Finally made it to Walmart. Device: PRS 420	The answer would depend on which IT field you plan on working.

02-13-2010, 01:05 PM	#5
happy_terd Banned Posts: 13,045 Karma: 10105011 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Finally made it to Walmart. Device: PRS 420	Do you have a field in mind or are you just trying to make yourself marketable?

02-13-2010, 11:46 PM	#11
happy_terd Banned Posts: 13,045 Karma: 10105011 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Finally made it to Walmart. Device: PRS 420	Get your A+. A lot of basic IT jobs require it.

02-13-2010, 11:54 PM	#12
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	Probably the wrong question to ask, but what's an A+

02-13-2010, 11:57 PM	#13
happy_terd Banned Posts: 13,045 Karma: 10105011 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Finally made it to Walmart. Device: PRS 420	Basic hardware / OS computer literacy test that most entry level IT jobs require that you have. Few hundred bucks to take and never expires.

02-14-2010, 02:48 AM	#14
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	That's a new one on me. Is it a purely American thing, do you know?

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