IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

[RubioTheCruel]

After I get the CCENT with the A+ what can I expect to make a hour and what title?

Desktop Support... or work in a NOC if you go the networking route. YMMV on the pay, shyt's highly dependent on where you live

 

[duckbutta]

After I get the CCENT with the A+ what can I expect to make a hour and what title?

What you make an hour is dependent on your title, not your certs. A+ and CCENT are help desk / desktop level certs, so you will probably make whatever the helpdeks / desktop rate is where you live.

Focus more on the experience and learning than the certs. The only certs I studied for was my VCP and VCAP. Everything else, I just had so much day to day hands on experience that I was just able to go and take the test.

Good luck.

 

[Scott Larock]

What you make an hour is dependent on your title, not your certs. A+ and CCENT are help desk / desktop level certs, so you will probably make whatever the helpdeks / desktop rate is where you live.

Focus more on the experience and learning than the certs. The only certs I studied for was my VCP and VCAP. Everything else, I just had so much day to day hands on experience that I was just able to go and take the test.

Good luck.

Where you stay at in Dallas? I was thinking of moving out there for more opportunity. Little Elm, Forth Worth area

 

[duckbutta]

Where you stay at in Dallas? I was thinking of moving out there for more opportunity. Little Elm, Forth Worth area

Yeah Dallas has a really strong IT job market. If you get into Unix, Virtuliazation, and Storage you can eat very well out here. Dallas as a city is also pretty cheap so that six figure salary can go a LONG way out here.

It starts to thin out a bit the closer you get to Forth Worth. Fort Worth is littered with a bunch of local and community colleges that need admins though, so it is a good place to cut your teeth. I know some guys who are working as some admins for some Everest Campus and they pretty much have free range to do whatever.

Our around Dallas Tollway, Las Calinas, you start getting into lots of Cisco and Microsoft campuses.

It's also VERY contract driven though. You won't have a hard time finding work, but it might take awhile to get a permanent full time gig. IT is like that everywhere though.

 

[Scott Larock]

Yeah Dallas has a really strong IT job market. If you get into Unix, Virtuliazation, and Storage you can eat very well out here. Dallas as a city is also pretty cheap so that six figure salary can go a LONG way out here.

It starts to thin out a bit the closer you get to Forth Worth. Fort Worth is littered with a bunch of local and community colleges that need admins though, so it is a good place to cut your teeth. I know some guys who are working as some admins for some Everest Campus and they pretty much have free range to do whatever.

Our around Dallas Tollway, Las Calinas, you start getting into lots of Cisco and Microsoft campuses.

It's also VERY contract driven though. You won't have a hard time finding work, but it might take awhile to get a permanent full time gig. IT is like that everywhere though.

I'm in Miami now

and this place ain't the best

and these dudes mimic rap videos

so I'm trying to do something new but I'm not a young dude, mid 30's... I spent 10 years in logistics so I'm naturally a blue collar guy and I'm switching over to IT or at least hoping.

 

[Scott Larock]

I'm in Miami now

and this place ain't the best

and these dudes mimic rap videos

so I'm trying to do something new but I'm not a young dude, mid 30's... I spent 10 years in logistics so I'm naturally a blue collar guy and I'm switching over to IT or at least hoping.

'
these Florida American black men might just be the slowest nikkas on the planet.

 

[el_oh_el]

I love when this thread jumps a couple pages

 

[se1f_made]

I love when this thread jumps a couple pages

Yea I havent really been reading up on this thread but I see the usuals @bdizzle @Chris.B @duckbutta etc. still dropping science . Just got done with learning Exchange 2010 and now its on to the next one (Exchange 2013). After that its VMware. @FreshFromATL planning on moving to the A in August. Need some connects breh

 

[el_oh_el]

Yea I havent really been reading up on this thread but I see the usuals @bdizzle @Chris.B @duckbutta etc. still dropping science . Just got done with learning Exchange 2010 and now its on to the next one (Exchange 2013). After that its VMware. @FreshFromATL planning on moving to the A in August. Need some connects breh

Damn 2013
Here at my job we use and manage a BUNCH of 2010 servers with some 07 sprinkled in..but we use outlook 2013. Are there any significant differences?

 

[se1f_made]

Damn 2013
Here at my job we use and manage a BUNCH of 2010 servers with some 07 sprinkled in..but we use outlook 2013. Are there any significant differences?

Huge difference. First its based on the Server 2012 architecture so the interface is totally different. Second, this shyt is 80% command line so if youre not familiar with Powershell... u better start getting familiar

 

[el_oh_el]

Huge difference. First its based on the Server 2012 architecture so the interface is totally different. Second, this shyt is 80% command line so if youre not familiar with Powershell... u better start getting familiar

fukk..I know some commands but I do most of my work in the console

 

[se1f_made]

fukk..I know some commands but I do most of my work in the console

It wont be much different for you then. After its deployed, all of the config takes place from your Win8 desktop via html RPC

 

[el_oh_el]

It wont be much different for you then. After its deployed, all of the config takes place from your Win8 desktop via html RPC

Oh shyt...config thru RPC on IE? That certainly is a bit different...

 

[se1f_made]

Oh shyt...config thru RPC on IE? That certainly is a bit different...

Yea thats the direction MS is going in. Watching the Exchange 2013 CBT Nuggets + reading the MS Training Kit books and practicing the labs will have you eating. Not even concerned with certs at this point, more interested in acquiring skills so I can exit the help desk

 

[FastEddie215]

go for the CCNA/ MCSE and then get another job.

This is why I advise people against starting out at helpdesk....it's shyt and on top of that once you get comfortable you feel stuck.

Go for high level certs like CCNA/CCNP/CCIE anyone of them. They are much harder than you average cert.

if you are comfortable with Microsoft you may want to aim for the highest Microsoft certs.
Go straight to the top stuff.

Sit down for a few hours...think and make a decision

I'm still deciding whether to go for the MCSA Server 2012 cert or CCNA. it seems like recruiters who I have been in contact with made it seem like this cert is the one to get over the CCNA in order to get out of help desk. If I were to get both is one easier/quicker to pass than the other? Also @bdizzle I remember in a few of your recent posts you talk about how important learning power shell is. If that's the case, would you suggest I get the MCSA Server 2012 first? I want to go the Cisco route also because it seems you guys are getting wild bread with their certs. I'm still new to all this stuff so I trying to get some good info on these things instead of jumping right into it. @Chris.B and anyone else who may know what are the good study materials for this exam and if anyone has taken the exam how long did it take for you to study and pass?