IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

[bambinokino]

delete

 

[you're NOT "n!ggas"]

I check this thread daily for inspiration while I study for this A+

I'm in a lucky position where, my job doesn't have an IT specialist directly on staff. Been debating over it for a while and finally spoke up and they're encouraging me to go for it and utilize it in the office. Add to that to the fact that I spend a good portion of my shift just waiting to clock out... perfect time for study!

I say this to say, for those of you who aren't in IT just yet... finesse your current situation as much as possible. Granted, I'm not in the field yet, but I am on track! Assess your current situation and plan it out.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

I check this thread daily for inspiration while I study for this A+

I'm in a lucky position where, my job doesn't have an IT specialist directly on staff. Been debating over it for a while and finally spoke up and they're encouraging me to go for it and utilize it in the office. Add to that to the fact that I spend a good portion of my shift just waiting to clock out... perfect time for study!

I say this to say, for those of you who aren't in IT just yet... finesse your current situation as much as possible. Granted, I'm not in the field yet, but I am on track! Assess your current situation and plan it out.

Congrats breh. If you follow the advice in this thread, you could be making at least 100k by 2020.

 

[bambinokino]

I check this thread daily for inspiration while I study for this A+

I'm in a lucky position where, my job doesn't have an IT specialist directly on staff. Been debating over it for a while and finally spoke up and they're encouraging me to go for it and utilize it in the office. Add to that to the fact that I spend a good portion of my shift just waiting to clock out... perfect time for study!

I say this to say, for those of you who aren't in IT just yet... finesse your current situation as much as possible. Granted, I'm not in the field yet, but I am on track! Assess your current situation and plan it out.[/QUOT

Are you gonna do self study and test out? Or pay for a class?

 

[bambinokino]

Are you gonna do self study and test out? Or pay for a class?..

If it's self study or class, let me know what materials are you going to use...so much routes to go as far as A+ but I'm not sure which book or school I should use

 

[↓R↑LYB]

another failed phone interview. This one was for an exchange admin of approx 200,000 mailboxes. Coming from an environment of 300 mailboxes, I figured I wouldn't be a perfect candidate but their technical questions threw me off. Thinking it might be time to give up trying to be a system admin (for now) and study this CCNA and work on the networking side

Don't quit, just step your shyt up. If you want to make 6 figures, you gotta know your shyt. Get a VM lab together and start learning Exchange/AD. Get all the books for the MCSE 2012 Server Infrastructure or MCSE Messaging cert (download the PDF if you're cheap) and start working on that cert. 6-8 VMs should be more than enough. You should be able to do it in under a year. By the time you're done you'll have your MCSE, a shyt ton of theoretical knowledge, and hands on experience since you have a lab at home.

You should know how to install Windows Server, install server roles, configure DNS, DHCP, AD DS, manage AD objects, and know how to troubleshoot DNS/DHCP/AD (what log files to check, where to look, etc). If you have that level of experience (plus if you know a little powershell) that's a 100k skill set. You should be able to learn that in a year.

If you're very comfortable with the technology, you can handle any environment, regardless of the size.

 

[BamdaDon]

..Good looks brehs...I'm gonna grab me a couple certs out here and grab whatever job I can get with them..think I will start with A+ and ccna

Breh just do it. I don't even think what I make is that good money. I've made alot more in my life. But honestly I could do this at the crib. My hours m-f 10 to 7 (my choice. ) after 430 at the office it's be at the bar with chicks just make sure you hit them tickets. I'll let you brehs know where I'm at in about a year.

be walking around with my rsa token..... broke chicks be knowing you making money . Coli when I want ,showbox when I want .....aint my dream job but I ain't complaining

 

[you're NOT "n!ggas"]

Are you gonna do self study and test out? Or pay for a class?..

If it's self study or class, let me know what materials are you going to use...so much routes to go as far as A+ but I'm not sure which book or school I should use

Self study. I bought Mike Myers book and my job offers comptia training materials

 

[se1f_made]

Don't quit, just step your shyt up. If you want to make 6 figures, you gotta know your shyt. Get a VM lab together and start learning Exchange/AD. Get all the books for the MCSE 2012 Server Infrastructure or MCSE Messaging cert (download the PDF if you're cheap) and start working on that cert. 6-8 VMs should be more than enough. You should be able to do it in under a year. By the time you're done you'll have your MCSE, a shyt ton of theoretical knowledge, and hands on experience since you have a lab at home.

You should know how to install Windows Server, install server roles, configure DNS, DHCP, AD DS, manage AD objects, and know how to troubleshoot DNS/DHCP/AD (what log files to check, where to look, etc). If you have that level of experience (plus if you know a little powershell) that's a 100k skill set. You should be able to learn that in a year.

If you're very comfortable with the technology, you can handle any environment, regardless of the size.

Not gonna lie, I was getting frustrated with the whole process of advancing past the helpdesk and my job situation. I recently got a break and accepted a position of a SQL Server Admin which I have 0 experience with but was fortunate enough to find a company thats willing to train on the job (while I bust my ass to pick up everything I can learn and hone my craft). Thank God... If it goes as planned, I'll be worth 6 figures in the next year or two

I agree with most of what youre saying here in regards to keep pushing and studying, but its only so much that you'll learn in a lab vs real life exp. I think having faith in the journey and confidence in your abilities is what a brother MUST have in this environment. Cant forget, help as many as u can and share info because it always comes back to you. Props to everyone in this thread

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Not been in this thread for a while.

Anyway got a new contract with a University who have just implemented Office365 across the board. Never been in a place that is fully in the cloud, no local Exchange or AD. So lots of MSOL and Azure, really happy with this contract as moving into Cloud was my goal. I have strong Powershell skills, so managing O365 and Exchange online is a lot easier.

Whilst I am here def going to go for the O365 cert, my end goal is to get the AWS ones - #CertWhore lol

Breh, if you got strong powershell skills it's time to start double dipping. Find a remote gig and do both jobs at the same time. I had a KVM at my desk and I would plug both laptops in and switch back and forth as needed. The remote job I had I got because of my strong powershell skills.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Not gonna lie, I was getting frustrated with the whole process of advancing past the helpdesk and my job situation. I recently got a break and accepted a position of a SQL Server Admin which I have 0 experience with but was fortunate enough to find a company thats willing to train on the job (while I bust my ass to pick up everything I can learn and hone my craft). Thank God... If it goes as planned, I'll be worth 6 figures in the next year or two

I agree with most of what youre saying here in regards to keep pushing and studying, but its only so much that you'll learn in a lab vs real life exp. I think having faith in the journey and confidence in your abilities is what a brother MUST have in this environment. Cant forget, help as many as u can and share info because it always comes back to you. Props to everyone in this thread

That's the thing, the lab is real world experience. The same issues you'll run in a lab you'll run in a real environment. When I was learning AD LDS I setup a lab at work and and did the install, config, integration, and security hardening on 3 vm's I had at my desk. 6 months later I was an LDS expert and I rolled it out in our production environment.

 

[se1f_made]

That's the thing, the lab is real world experience. The same issues you'll run in a lab you'll run in a real environment. When I was learning AD LDS I setup a lab at work and and did the install, config, integration, and security hardening on 3 vm's I had at my desk. 6 months later I was an LDS expert and I rolled it out in our production environment.

It all depended on the role which youre interviewing for and how prepared you are for the questions...I had an interview with a Fortune 500 company in the A which recently bought another major company and they wanted me to explain the migration and replication processes for multiple domains. I was stomped
Here's some of the requirements:
AD Design and Implementation and Administration:

* Experience working in a multiple domain and forest infrastructure

* Domain and forest Restructuring and migrations

* Experience with setup and troubleshooting large site and replication topologies

* Setup and troubleshoot applications using Ldap and Ldaps

* Setup and troubleshooting authentication for applications

o Kerberos; NTLM; SAML; ldap binds; Multi-factor auth

* DNS

* Setup and troubleshooting Federation Services (ADFS) with customers and online services

* Directory Synchronization

o Forefront Identify Manager; 0365 AD dir sync

* Setup and troubleshooting Internal Certificate Authority

* Group Policy design and troubleshooting

* Implementation of Windows Security\system hardening of Windows OS for client\server

* AD rights management services (RMS)

 

[↓R↑LYB]

It all depended on the role which youre interviewing for and how prepared you are for the questions...I had an interview with a Fortune 500 company in the A which recently bought another major company and they wanted me to explain the migration and replication processes for multiple domains. I was stomped
Here's some of the requirements:
AD Design and Implementation and Administration:

* Experience working in a multiple domain and forest infrastructure

* Domain and forest Restructuring and migrations

* Experience with setup and troubleshooting large site and replication topologies

* Setup and troubleshoot applications using Ldap and Ldaps

* Setup and troubleshooting authentication for applications

o Kerberos; NTLM; SAML; ldap binds; Multi-factor auth

* DNS

* Setup and troubleshooting Federation Services (ADFS) with customers and online services

* Directory Synchronization

o Forefront Identify Manager; 0365 AD dir sync

* Setup and troubleshooting Internal Certificate Authority

* Group Policy design and troubleshooting

* Implementation of Windows Security\system hardening of Windows OS for client\server

* AD rights management services (RMS)

Everything on that list (except for FIM and o365) I taught myself in a lab using VMs. Like I said man, grab the MCSE book follow along, and create scenarios as you go through it. In about 6 months you'll have enough real world knowledge to qualify for that job.

 

[bambinokino]

Im def interested. Can you hook me up with some material? Not sure if i asked already but how long did it take you to become CCNA certified?

In interested in the ccna material as well..please pm me @aXiom

 

[lepard]

Everything on that list (except for FIM and o365) I taught myself in a lab using VMs. Like I said man, grab the MCSE book follow along, and create scenarios as you go through it. In about 6 months you'll have enough real world knowledge to qualify for that job.

Got any recommendations for the MCSE book?