IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

[GollyImGully]

Its definitely possible breh, I did it. By the time I left my 1st gig (mostly help desk with some AD administration sprinkled in), I had 2.5 years experience and got my first contract working on an SSO/AD project.

Before I got that job I had interviewed for an Exchange Team Lead position at Xavier University and pretty much would have gotten the job but the recruiter straight told me that there would be problems cause I was like 23 and I would have been leading a team of people in their 40s and 50s. Sje straight told me I knew my shyt but I was too young. Another job I interviewed for (and pretty much got the job) and the hiring manager straight told me "how the hell do you know all this shyt already "

That's when I realized my age was holding me back. Plus I didn't have facial so I looked like I was 15 and shyt

I grew my goatee out and the rest was history

I knew my shyt though and I was a beast with it. I was pretty good at scripting and I knew AD and Exchange like the back of my hand, and I had some routing/switching experience too.

Inspiring

What books did you learn AD and powershell so well with? You had WS running on a VM obviously I assume

 

[TRFG]

I'm not getting any certs right now just working on my Associates right now for Cyber-security but damn they teach some dope shyt. I got this program from my teacher and I plugged my phone and did a download of all the data off my phone. It had everything I have ever done on my phone since I got it on there. I've only had it for a year but every website, text message, picture, etc was on there even the shyt I deleted off the phone. shyt is crazy.

What's the name of this program?

 

[xiceman191]

What's the name of this program?

Its called encase forensics

Guidance Software Encase Forensic v7

 

[CASHAPP]

Its called encase forensics

Guidance Software Encase Forensic v7

Not bad one of the prices is only $3000

 

[xiceman191]

Not bad one of the prices is only $3000

I get this shyt free from my school for the program that I'm in idk how long it will last after I get out of school but for now I'm just enjoying using it.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Do yall keep your resumes posted on Job Boards like Dice all year or only when you are looking for work?

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Inspiring

What books did you learn AD and powershell so well with? You had WS running on a VM obviously I assume

I had two physical machines and they each had 1 VM so I had 4 machines to play with. This was back in 2004 when 2GB of RAM was balling so that was the best I could do

I learned AD by studying for my 2003 MCSE. If you wanna learn go for the 2012 MCSE. Here's the link to the cert on Microsoft's site:

MCSE: Server Infrastructure | Microsoft

This is the AD shyt MS says you'll be able to do by the time you get the cert:

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Maintain Active Directory Domain Services
• Manage User and Service Accounts
• Implement Group Policy Infrastructure
• Manage User Desktops using Group Policy
• Design and implement an AD DS forest and domain infrastructure.
• Design and implement an AD DS organizational unit (OU) infrastructure.
• Design and implement a Group Policy Object (GPO) strategy.
• Design and implement an AD DS physical topology.
• Plan and implement an AD DS deployment that includes multiple domains and forests.
• Plan and implement an AD DS deployment that includes locations.
• Implement and configure an Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) deployment.
• Implement an AD RMS deployment.
• Implement an AD FS deployment.

As your going through the book, have a VM up and just follow along. It literally walks you through everything and teaches you how it works and why. I can let you know right now you put that on a resume and you got 3-5 years experience and you probably gotta 80k/yr skillset. Get your CISSP and you're at 115k easy. Congrats, you're in the 6 figure 6 cert club

For Powershell I used this site:

Windows PowerShell Tutorial - Introduction Microsoft's new scripting language

I just went through it and taught myself. I'm pretty sure powershell is gonna be covered in the 2012 book, but I'd still recommend going through the tutorial on that link. The only way to learn it is to use it. so if I want to make a folder, I did it in powershell. If I wanted to create a user I did it powershell. If I wanted to know what time it was I did it in powershell. Fast forward 6 months and I'm writing 1400 line scripts for provisioning and deprovisioning users. I got so good that even though I was in security I had one of the managers over the developers stop by to offer me a job

And Ima keep it 100, if you know powershell you're gonna get a job. That shyt is in such high demand right now it's not even funny

Matter fact powershell was what got a nikka to 200k :brehwow2:

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Not bad one of the prices is only $3000

That's the shyt you get your job to pay for

 

[Pyrexcup]

I had two physical machines and they each had 1 VM so I had 4 machines to play with. This was back in 2004 when 2GB of RAM was balling so that was the best I could do

I learned AD by studying for my 2003 MCSE. If you wanna learn go for the 2012 MCSE. Here's the link to the cert on Microsoft's site:

MCSE: Server Infrastructure | Microsoft

This is the AD shyt MS says you'll be able to do by the time you get the cert:



As your going through the book, have a VM up and just follow along. It literally walks you through everything and teaches you how it works and why. I can let you know right now you put that on a resume and you got 3-5 years experience and you probably gotta 80k/yr skillset. Get your CISSP and you're at 115k easy. Congrats, you're in the 6 figure 6 cert club

For Powershell I used this site:

Windows PowerShell Tutorial - Introduction Microsoft's new scripting language

I just went through it and taught myself. I'm pretty sure powershell is gonna be covered in the 2012 book, but I'd still recommend going through the tutorial on that link. The only way to learn it is to use it. so if I want to make a folder, I did it in powershell. If I wanted to create a user I did it powershell. If I wanted to know what time it was I did it in powershell. Fast forward 6 months and I'm writing 1400 line scripts for provisioning and deprovisioning users. I got so good that even though I was in security I had one of the managers over the developers stop by to offer me a job

And Ima keep it 100, if you know powershell you're gonna get a job. That shyt is in such high demand right now it's not even funny

Matter fact powershell was what got a nikka to 200k :brehwow2:

love to hear brehs eating

 

[Mook]

I had two physical machines and they each had 1 VM so I had 4 machines to play with. This was back in 2004 when 2GB of RAM was balling so that was the best I could do

I learned AD by studying for my 2003 MCSE. If you wanna learn go for the 2012 MCSE. Here's the link to the cert on Microsoft's site:

MCSE: Server Infrastructure | Microsoft

This is the AD shyt MS says you'll be able to do by the time you get the cert:



As your going through the book, have a VM up and just follow along. It literally walks you through everything and teaches you how it works and why. I can let you know right now you put that on a resume and you got 3-5 years experience and you probably gotta 80k/yr skillset. Get your CISSP and you're at 115k easy. Congrats, you're in the 6 figure 6 cert club

For Powershell I used this site:

Windows PowerShell Tutorial - Introduction Microsoft's new scripting language

I just went through it and taught myself. I'm pretty sure powershell is gonna be covered in the 2012 book, but I'd still recommend going through the tutorial on that link. The only way to learn it is to use it. so if I want to make a folder, I did it in powershell. If I wanted to create a user I did it powershell. If I wanted to know what time it was I did it in powershell. Fast forward 6 months and I'm writing 1400 line scripts for provisioning and deprovisioning users. I got so good that even though I was in security I had one of the managers over the developers stop by to offer me a job

And Ima keep it 100, if you know powershell you're gonna get a job. That shyt is in such high demand right now it's not even funny

Matter fact powershell was what got a nikka to 200k :brehwow2:

How's the jump from help desk to pen tester?

 

[Splash]

Bdiz imma just start dappin u on sight breh so damn motivating

Im just starting on the MCSA it surprises me how little material is on Google as to what to actually buy books wise. Everyone say this one only covers half the material...this one is complete shyte etc there seems to be no one good book.

I aquired CBT nuggets and my boy hooked me up with a whole folder of books just a case of choosing which one I wanna physically own. Think imma go for this one William Panek one.

Also hard to know if it will benefit me to study 70 410 alone and pass or do all three at once first then sit and revise a lil between exams.

Tryna get this outta here in 6 months.
My CCNA took 3 months of actual study so Imma get back on that mode and try go for it.

Guy at work thinks I got no chance of doing it in 6 tho

 

[↓R↑LYB]

How's the jump from help desk to pen tester?

I'm not a pen tester, but if you want to be one, you gotta learn networking very well and you have to get very familiar with Linux as many of the exploit tools are linux based. It's not cheap but the OSCP cert literally teaches you how to be a hacker. I downloaded the videos and started going through it and I was able to exploit my first system in a lab. I even hacked into a random ftp site once because I wanted some files that were on it but didn't have the username and password.

People don't realize how many exploits are out there. I can send you a mp3 that if you open it gives me total control of your computer.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Bdiz imma just start dappin u on sight breh so damn motivating

Start? You shoulda been doing that breh

Im just starting on the MCSA it surprises me how little material is on Google as to what to actually buy books wise. Everyone say this one only covers half the material...this one is complete shyte etc there seems to be no one good book.

I aquired CBT nuggets and my boy hooked me up with a whole folder of books just a case of choosing which one I wanna physically own. Think imma go for this one William Panek one.

Also hard to know if it will benefit me to study 70 410 alone and pass or do all three at once first then sit and revise a lil between exams.

Tryna get this outta here in 6 months.
My CCNA took 3 months of actual study so Imma get back on that mode and try go for it.

Guy at work thinks I got no chance of doing it in 6 tho

I usually get the Microsoft Press books, but that was years ago so I'm not sure if its still good.

Also check out Microsoft virtual acadamy. They gotta lot of free shyt on there:

Understanding Active Directory

Intro course to AD.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Also if you're a developer, learn hadoop. With only 2-3 years of experience, you're making 100k easy.

 

[Pyrexcup]

Got helpdesk experience and going back to school next month for computing hopefully i shall eat when i finish my degree really want to get into IT Sec