IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

C-NICE

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From Atlanta to San Fran to LA 4now
Depends what interests you. Once you're in help desk, figure out what direction you want to go. Database, application support, servers, infrastructure, security.

That's up to you to figure out breh
My man yea because right now I'm not working just trying to get as much(knowledge/Certs) as i can until i get back into the work force and I'm in San Fran so hopefully i can get some good experience when I do
 

Tony D'Amato

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Went to college but dropped out my senior year. Realized it was a waste of time. The big one that got me cooking was the CISSP.

Was supposed to have my CCIE Security but them fukk nikkas at Cisco updated the exam in the middle of me studying for the labs :pacspit:
U a nerd breh? I just thought of what your job is about, u take on hackers and sh1t? Those super duper nerds? I consider myself a thinker and quick learner, but I have my limits. U probably was computer savvy in your teens and sh1t.

I just really wanted to get a+ certified cuz I hate talking to help desk cats. Im a couple yrs from 30, I dont know if I have it in me learn some of this complex sh1t. But IT does seem cool. Wish I had an interest when I was coming out of hs.

And I meant did u take a course for yoyr big certs. Some of those classes expensive as hell :noah:
 

↓R↑LYB

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My man yea because right now I'm not working just trying to get as much(knowledge/Certs) as i can until i get back into the work force and I'm in San Fran so hopefully i can get some good experience when I do

Sorry breh, it all depends on what interests you so can't give you any specific advice. Good thing is you can usually setup a home lab and start playing with different shyt to see what you like.
 

↓R↑LYB

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U a nerd breh? I just thought of what your job is about, u take on hackers and sh1t? Those super duper nerds? I consider myself a thinker and quick learner, but I have my limits. U probably was computer savvy in your teens and sh1t.

I just really wanted to get a+ certified cuz I hate talking to help desk cats. Im a couple yrs from 30, I dont know if I have it in me learn some of this complex sh1t. But IT does seem cool. Wish I had an interest when I was coming out of hs.

Security isn't like what you see in the movies breh. It's mostly about getting good policies and procedure in place, refining processes, and having visibility into your environment.

One of things I'm working on now is deploying a SSPR solution and creating secure standards for our windows servers.

I do some coding, but its mostly powershell and used for utility type scripting.

And I ain't get my first computer until my freshman year of college. I was just hungry.
 

Conscious Pilot

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@bdizzle @Chris.B and whoever else can answer this. How the hell do I get up out of help desk or get a higher salary? I work for comcast as a level tech support rep for almost a year and this shyt is hell. I was hoping you guys could help me with what my next move should be as far as Certs. I already have my A+ and Windows 7 MCTS config certs. The guy in the video from a few post above says the mcsa2012 cert is a good look. Just wanted your opinion since you helped me get started before I landed the job.
cae 2 /ip support?
 
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Chris.B

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@Chris.B do you think its worth it to grab the A+ cert or should I hop straight into going for the CCNA i got my BS in MIS
@RubioTheCruel @bdizzle
Any cert you can get is worth it to get your feet wet

Once you get in make an effort to do more advanced stuff. Most people I started out with are too comfortable.

Get outside your comfort zone and do something more advanced.
Help desk should not be a place you stay for more than a year.
Maximum should be 2 years tops
 

Chris.B

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hey brehs ive been working help desk since last august and im currently tryna leave by the end of the year early next year

im more interested in the network/server side of things and recently started studying to take the MCSA - WS2012...my question is would I be cheating myself by going for the MCSA instead of struggling it out and going for the MCSE WS2012?

Also what are some good study materials for the MCSA? I have two books so far and i am going to setup a lab as well as virtual labs. Any link to practice exams so i can get an idea of how their questions are formatted? what are some good study materials did you guys who took it use?
watch the CBT nuggets video. It will make the learning faster.

Reading the book along gets boring quick and that's how most people give up.

The videos are out there on the internet....:sas1:

Don't even ask me how :sas2:
 

Pyrexcup

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You can start out there but don't get comfortable
makes sense. luckily here you get moved to another account after 6 months. Still not sure how long ill stay here though need to get on my grind again been slacking lately. Like you said plan is to stay here for a year fukk doing level 1 support for 2 years
 

GollyImGully

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watch the CBT nuggets video. It will make the learning faster.

Reading the book along gets boring quick and that's how most people give up.

The videos are out there on the internet....:sas1:

Don't even ask me how :sas2:
:shaq: ill have to check some of my sources

i was thinking of videos would help to just didnt know what was a good source
 

Scott Larock

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[QU everyone is 22O TE="bdizzle, post: 8342378, member: 791"]I'm a bytch ass nikka breh, I talk shyt to everyone.

I'm in security, bout 10 years of experience, making 5 figures a month. Broke 100k/yr after like 5 years I think. If you hustle and grind, you could do:umad: it earlier, but you gotta sacrifice.[/QUOTE]

Seems like likely bragging rights breh... I was only gonna do the brain dump after I read the book.

Not everyone is 22 fresh outta college.
 

duckbutta

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Why this dude sh1t on a+ and network+ around the 15min mark


Well an A+ and network + are entry level certs, so no one will be impressed by them, because so many people have them...

This is a terrible video though...you can eat good if you know some Nix and get a cert for it...because their are still to few people with those skills...
 

duckbutta

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@bdizzle @Chris.B and whoever else can answer this. How the hell do I get up out of help desk or get a higher salary? I work for comcast as a level tech support rep for almost a year and this shyt is hell. I was hoping you guys could help me with what my next move should be as far as Certs. I already have my A+ and Windows 7 MCTS config certs. The guy in the video from a few post above says the mcsa2012 cert is a good look. Just wanted your opinion since you helped me get started before I landed the job.

Learn everything you can at your current gig doing helpdesk...go above and beyond the helpdesk stuff...ask the admins there some stuff...see if you can get some hands on work to do at work...

Hit the torrents...get VMware workstation, load up some OS's and test some shyt out. I see you have a Windows 7 cert, so you will need to get at least 1 or 2 certs in whatever discipline you are trying to get into.

And prepare to probably have to find another job. It is very hard to go from helpdesk to admin at your current job. Unfortunately most companies hire you to do the job they hire you for, and they want you to do that job forever. I've worked at half a dozen places and the place I work at now is the first place that actually wanted to promote people, and even that is sort of dying off now, cause everyone is working in a position for 6 months to a year and is like "i want a promotion".


As far as pay, that depends on what you get into. The smaller the field the larger the pay, since their is less competition for the jobs. Going to be hard to make good money as a Windows Admin, since it is pretty easy to acquire the skills needed to be a windows admin.

Yeah helpdesk is hell, but that should motivate you to get on your grind and get out of it. I here Comcast is a very shytty place to work in general so it is probably doubly bad for you.

Get vmworkstation, get that bootleg copy of W2k8 and W2k12, and grind. You should come out alright.
 

King Sun

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Learn everything you can at your current gig doing helpdesk...go above and beyond the helpdesk stuff...ask the admins there some stuff...see if you can get some hands on work to do at work...

Hit the torrents...get VMware workstation, load up some OS's and test some shyt out. I see you have a Windows 7 cert, so you will need to get at least 1 or 2 certs in whatever discipline you are trying to get into.

And prepare to probably have to find another job. It is very hard to go from helpdesk to admin at your current job. Unfortunately most companies hire you to do the job they hire you for, and they want you to do that job forever. I've worked at half a dozen places and the place I work at now is the first place that actually wanted to promote people, and even that is sort of dying off now, cause everyone is working in a position for 6 months to a year and is like "i want a promotion".


As far as pay, that depends on what you get into. The smaller the field the larger the pay, since their is less competition for the jobs. Going to be hard to make good money as a Windows Admin, since it is pretty easy to acquire the skills needed to be a windows admin.

Yeah helpdesk is hell, but that should motivate you to get on your grind and get out of it. I here Comcast is a very shytty place to work in general so it is probably doubly bad for you.

Get vmworkstation, get that bootleg copy of W2k8 and W2k12, and grind. You should come out alright.
This
 
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