IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

Tr0yTV

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Just took the MS DP-900 ( Another fundamental exam ). Passed 850/1000.

My job is paying for all MS certs, so it's the only reason why I took this one.

Good exam for someone who wants to learn about SQL/ Relational DBs/ Data Warehouses/ETL/ELT etc. Someone who wants to be a Data Analyst/Data Engineer/DB admin etc.

Good resources :



Think I'll do one more Fundamental exam next week ( AI-900 ) and be done with them. Time to move onto higher certs.

Did you use Microsoft Learn too? I’m about to take AZ-140 & SC-200
 

klientel

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All of this is true but they can't keep hiring mid-senior level people for entry level pay. They need to start hiring entry level for entry level pay again.

They need to look at certs, bootcamps, online courses, homelabs, or whatever self studying a entry level person did, because how else will they get experience if no one is hiring entry level?

It literally makes zero sense.

I feel like I told you this a long time ago and we are still here …

Nobody is going to bother with someone with no experience, watched some YouTube videos and played in a home lab. Get some real certs(they aren’t hard), and finesse your experience to fit the job description. Remember you usually have to get past recruiters or HR first before your resume even makes it to a hiring manager. Give them a reason to move you forward.

You are looking at a position being entry level and thinking that means no experience, dude off the street. It doesn’t. It means your responsibilities, scope of influence and impact will be small. Companies still want people with direct experience, or prior experience that they think it’s translatable. Maybe you weren’t a could engineer but you managed a vmware environment and have basic route/switch concepts. So managing ec2 instances in AWS isn’t a huge leap for you, it’s just learning some new concepts and the gui.

Also learn how to interview, because believe it or not it is a skill. Watch some videos on it and learn how to handle behavioral questions. You can nail the tech shyt and still get declined because you don’t know how to answer “tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager”.

If you have a gap in your resume come up with a damn good excuse why…

Don’t just say, oh I was unemployed and studied in a home lab.
 

cartierhoe

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Last week of my internship starts tomorrow. I have a very good feeling I'm getting a return offer, my manager is super cool. I've done all the goals I set out to do when I came in, networked and connected with a lot of people at the company, made some good relationships with fellow interns, cannot complain about my experience this summer at all. I'm also going to a couple tech conferences within the next few months, just trying to make myself visible, and put my name out there. I don't have anymore time to waste on trying to be the best version of myself. I'm all in. Also can't say enough thanks again for the posts in here and this thread in general, read through this thread many times, so much motivation and inspiration here.
Got the offer!!!!:blessed:

Not at 6 figures just yet (80k+, not gonna say the full amount so around there) but a very good offer for a soon to be new grad in this hiring freeze/recession era we're in. I start in January of next year because I'm supposed to start after I graduate in December of this year. This year has been such a blur and has gone by so fast, but it's all been a blessing. I set out from the beginning of this year to gain a internship before I left school, got 2 internship offers and made a tough decision but the right one at the end of the day, I'm gonna start delving deeper into software development when I start in January too so that's great. When you are on your purpose/grind you can accomplish anything brehs trust me. When the pandemic hit say 2020 even into 2021, I was extremely lost, felt like I wasn't making my parents proud, still in school but not much of a true direction. I keep saying it but you guys' posts in here, the motivation, inspiration, knowledge sharing, guided me and helped me visualize striving in my tech journey. It's funny I got the call during a tech conference I'm at while networking and connecting with peers. I'm rambling but yeah, just happy.
 

Data-Hawk

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Did you use Microsoft Learn too? I’m about to take AZ-140 & SC-200

Yeah. I really only skimmed through it. But I used it a lot for the AZ-104 & SC-900.

Hmm. The SC-200 looks interesting since I just passed the SC-900. Think I'll add that one to the list. But first I'll probably take the Security+ & AZ-204.
 

Mirin4rmfar

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Finally retook the CIPM and passed, after two and half years after I failed it the first time. That is definitely the last certification I plan to take and sit down for.

**************************
If you really interested in AWS, do the aws cloud quest game. It in my opinion destroys most cloud training platforms out there. I am not even kidding. Acloud guru will tell you about kenisis stream to pass exam but with aws skillsbuilder you can build an actual data pipeline with guided steps. You can pass the solutions architect with other platforms but the hands on on cloud quest there is by FAR better.



************************
Going to spend the next 30 - 40 days just labbing up in aws/gcp then we will see what the job market has to offer me . I really hope to get into a consulting role next.
 
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Rawtid

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Yo, I am now apart of a interview process for a startup that has 5 stages and this shyt ain't it. Recruitment--->Take home project---->Live technical assessment------->Call with the hiring manager + IT department ------>Call with the head honchos all for $20 per hour :dahell:

This shyt can't be normal. It can't be this difficult to get a job, it can't be. They even seem like a good company to work for but damn all that for $20?
Pass if they ever ask you to take home a project. How are you working before you even work for them? Find another sucker to do free work in the name of an interview.

Also ask what’s the interview process during the initial conversation. Anything beyond 3 stages is pushing into crazy unless it’s a leadership role.
 

Tr0yTV

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Finally retook the CIPM and passed, after two and half years after I failed it the first time. That is definitely the last certification I plan to take and sit down for.

**************************
If you really interested in AWS, do the aws cloud quest game. It in my opinion destroys most cloud training platforms out there. I am not even kidding. Acloud guru will tell you about kenisis stream to pass exam but with aws skillsbuilder you can build an actual data pipeline with guided steps. You can pass the solutions architect with other platforms but the hands on on cloud quest there is by FAR better.



************************
Going to spend the next 30 - 40 days just labbing up in aws/gcp then we will see what the job market has to offer me . I really hope to get into a consulting role next.
Consulting makes sense for management roles. I recommend you get into Pre-sales instead. This is coming from someone that’s been a consultant the past 4 years.
 

Mirin4rmfar

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Consulting makes sense for management roles. I recommend you get into Pre-sales instead. This is coming from someone that’s been a consultant the past 4 years.


Why is that exactly? My biggest issue with sales roles would be the pressure to make the company money.
 

Tr0yTV

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Why is that exactly? My biggest issue with sales roles would be the pressure to make the company money.
Consultants & pre-sales engineers job duties overlap. Pre-sales get commission while consultants don’t. Pre-sales engineers are not responsible for sales. You are thinking of Account Executive’s. Who have to reach sales quota.

If you still want to be a consultant. Go for it. I’m just sharing knowledge I wish I knew when I started.
 

skyrunner1

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Got the offer!!!!:blessed:

Not at 6 figures just yet (80k+, not gonna say the full amount so around there) but a very good offer for a soon to be new grad in this hiring freeze/recession era we're in. I start in January of next year because I'm supposed to start after I graduate in December of this year. This year has been such a blur and has gone by so fast, but it's all been a blessing. I set out from the beginning of this year to gain a internship before I left school, got 2 internship offers and made a tough decision but the right one at the end of the day, I'm gonna start delving deeper into software development when I start in January too so that's great. When you are on your purpose/grind you can accomplish anything brehs trust me. When the pandemic hit say 2020 even into 2021, I was extremely lost, felt like I wasn't making my parents proud, still in school but not much of a true direction. I keep saying it but you guys' posts in here, the motivation, inspiration, knowledge sharing, guided me and helped me visualize striving in my tech journey. It's funny I got the call during a tech conference I'm at while networking and connecting with peers. I'm rambling but yeah, just happy.
Congrats man, Love to see stuff like this. Not sure if you posted before but how old are you, How long were you in school and what did you initially go for, did you change your major? Either way salute to you bro, just the beginning, KEEP GRINDING :salute:
 

cartierhoe

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Congrats man, Love to see stuff like this. Not sure if you posted before but how old are you, How long were you in school and what did you initially go for, did you change your major? Either way salute to you bro, just the beginning, KEEP GRINDING :salute:
Yeah, I'm 24, I was originally a business major but quickly knew it wasn't for me, didn't really know what to specialize in and was dreading those classes. Switched to IT (which I should've been in since I started but hey you live and learn), and the switch was natural anyway since I was always into computers since I was little and was a heavy gamer. Specialized in cybersec and virtualization/cloud/devops, and the rest is history, created a website just to showcase stuff I worked on in coursework, heavily applied to internships, lot of denials but I kept pushing, in internship interviews I mentioned that I'm passionate about cybersec and virtualization/cloud depending on which position it was for, mentioned my website for extra emphasis, and yeah just kept pushing willingness to keep learning. All that led to me getting a full time offer after the internship I just finished. And definitely, this is just the beginning, grind don't stop after this.
 

semicko82

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I've been using Cisco networking academy this past week ( free for active duty and vets).
It's amazing. It breaks everything nicely for a beginner.
Highly recommend it if you thinking about jumping in the game
 
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