I.T. "certifications"

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by bill5, Feb 11, 2013.

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  1. bill5

    bill5 New Member

    Would like to hear from people who have done these for general discussion, esp in the BA or PM areas (PMP, six sigma, lean, CBAP, etc etc) and what you got, where you got it, do you think it helped in terms of your marketability and/or with your job, if so how much, etc.
     
  2. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    "PM areas (PMP, six sigma, lean, CBAP, etc etc)" these certifications have nothing to do with I.T; it is more into supplement into the Information Technology management. I have been trying to obtain the Project Management certification; however, I need so more experience in the PM for exam qualification. I usually study my own for the IT certifications because the costs of the certifications are expensive as they are. Therefore, there is no need to spend more money into classes. You can sign up with Safari Book online; which you can access thousand of books in different subject include videos. The only marketable is your skills and experiences, not what the paper says. The certifications can help you to get you to the interview; getting hired or not depends on your skills and experiences.
     
  3. bill5

    bill5 New Member

    Wow, you must be really new to the I.T. field; FYI PM "areas" and cert's have a great deal to do with I.T. The rest of what you said was frankly irrelevant to the topic.

    Again, would like to hear from people who have done these (or even simply tried to, ie have tested, taken courses etc).
     
  4. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    Yes, I am really new to the IT field; I have been in the IT field only 12 years since I was 17 years old. All my college degrees are in IT.
    Ph.D in Computer Information Systems - working on it
    Master of Professional in Technology Management
    Master of Science in Telecommunications
    Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

    I also hold IT certifications include: MCSA, MCSE, MCITP, CCNA, CCNP, CEH, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, ITILv3... and I am currently working on CISSP and CCIE.

    No wonder Project Managers, who have no technical background have no clue how to manage an IT project.
     
  5. Sauron

    Sauron New Member

    The certifications mentioned are related to IT project management but do not signify hard IT skills like GSEC, CCNA/DA, MCITP from SANS, Cisco or Microsoft for example. Project management certifications are valuable, particularly the PMP and ITIL framework. If you go into managing software projects, I would hope that you have a software engineering background or education.
     
  6. bill5

    bill5 New Member

    ah so you're an SA. Well that would explain the snotty reply. (PS and FYI, my comment on you being new to IT was not a slight, but rather a reasonable assumption, given the blatantly incorrect statement that PMs aren't part of IT.)

    I can't speak for PMs with no technical background as I know none - probably because that describes so few of them. Most of us start out in more technical areas. I can, however, speak for PMs in general as being part of IT. In fact, that's a rather water-is-wet statement. That you've been in IT for so long and still don't know that that speaks for itself. Also FYI, having a technical background and being a capable PM are not in direct proportion, although I agree that having such a background is preferable, all other things being equal.
     
  7. Boethius

    Boethius Member

    Saw that one coming even before you wrote it. LOL!
     
  8. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    You should do a search in this forum as we have discussed this multiple times. Bottom line is that IT certifications in general have limited life span and tend to become obsolete quite fast. The certifications that you mention are business oriented so they might be a bit better.

    Just to give you an idea, when I started in the IT business in the early 90s the Novell certification was the main seller, quickly this became obsolete and others emerged such as the Oracle certification and the Microsoft MCSE. At some point CISCO certifications became quite popular followed by non vendor certifications like A+ and security certifications such as the CISSP. Recently, the trend has been more business certifications such as the PMP and six sigma that although are not really IT certifications are in demand in the IT industry.

    I have done several of these certifications and they all have lost value but they took a considerable time to get and not worth the effort in my opinion. They might help if you are already in a company that values these certifications as these can help for promotions. However, I still think a degree has more value as at least you can use them during all your life.
     
  9. guestgama

    guestgama New Member

    what are good certifications to begin with?

     
  10. ITJD

    ITJD Active Member

    To jump on to RF's and TEK's posts.

    Certifications are worth it if you do the work to maintain them once you have them.
    Degrees are worth it to differentiate yourself and continue to maintain certs.

    Ex.

    It does no good to have a Microsoft cert after the version of software changes. You'll find that a lot of places still have the old tech, but the recruiters stop looking for you.

    Cisco and other certs expire after three years without re-taking exams or doing the work in continuing education credits. College classes can help here.

    College coursework and certs have almost nothing to do with actual IT work. It does provide you with exposure to tech and such, but until you're in the field working on real life implementations, all the studying and paper just makes you interesting.

    So long and short, do the certs and paper to get yourself into a job and keep pushing once you figure out what your niche is. Certainly the certs and paper don't hurt, but remember that you're committing to continuing education once you start on the path if you want to keep the value coming.
     
  11. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Well, it took about 3 years to get my MCSE 2003. This certification took about 7 exams. More exams and probably more time than to get than a CPA or bar's exam. After I got mine, employers were already looking for 2008 and the certification changed to MCTIP.

    In few words, not worth the effort. If you are planning to get a certification, get a real one with some legal protection such as a PE, CPA, etc.
     
  12. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    It took me about a year to get my MCSE and MCP+Internet in 1998-1999. It was a total of 7 exams. As soon as I finished it, Microsoft announced they were retiring Windows NT 4.0! I later got my MCSA W2000 with just 3 exams and used my A+ and Net+ as an electiive. After that I gave up on the Microsoft certs.
     
  13. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    A+ and Network+
     
  14. ITJD

    ITJD Active Member

    With respect to the forum community, it seems to me like the longer I've been here, the less negative I've become and the more negative everyone is.

    While there are plenty of stories of people taking months or years to get their certifications, there are plenty of us that have gotten their MCSEs and MCITPs in weeks. Look at boot camps and make sure you've got the experience in the field before taking the courses.

    Examples:

    MCSA/MCSE 2000 - 7 days
    MCSA/MCSE 2003 - 5 days
    MCITP: EA - 7 days.
    CISSP: 7 days.
    CISA: 5 days.

    I've got 20 years into infrastructure in a few different areas and have the resume to back up the certs.. there's more than one way to get things done and the people who tell you they didn't get the value out of what they did, didn't do it the right way.

    No offense guys, but if you're going to present the bad in everything, I'm going to present my own experiences that aren't.

    Best,
    IT
     
  15. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Sure you can do a boot camp but my experience was limited so I took the long route to learn the material (some I was never exposed to) and pass the test. Please do present your own experiences - that is what this is all about.
     
  16. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    I was thinking about getting the A+ just for fun and interest, maybe the continued certs too. I'm guessing that I know most of the stuff for the first one already anyway.
     

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