Best IT qualification to have

TriedandTested

TriedandTested

TriedandTested

Soldato
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What is is currently? In terms or working in a support/network environment i mean. Microsoft? Cisco?

If you were planning to work in a large financial company within the next six months, what training would you put yourself on now?

Thanks.
 
thats how i got my job where i can cos of my experience, qualification show you know stuff but does not show you can do the job
 
uk_viper said:
thats how i got my job where i can cos of my experience, qualification show you know stuff but does not show you can do the job
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An English qualification? ;)

Erm, what area do you want to pursue? No good going MCSE if you want to do networking, is it?

I have an MCSE + Security.

I want to go down the Processes and Projects route so I will be doing ITIL and Prince2. A CCNA/CCNP wouldn't be much use. I will, however, be adding Messaging to my MCSE as I don't mind/will be working with Exchange 2007. Hopefully more designing that implementing.

You need to tailor the qualifications to what you want to do otherwise it is a "How long is a piece of string?" question!
 
Depends which area.

Operating systems and Windows environments is an MCSE (pretty much essential for the better jobs out there, experience is great but having a certificate to back it up is great).

Network Side is certainly Cisco - CCIE / CCNP / etc. are great and coupled with an MCSE are superb.



M.
 
Experience counts for all.

For the qualifications concentrate on what you want to do:

Supporting platforms - MCSE
Supporting networks – CISCO
Service Management - ITIL
Project Management – PRINCE / APM

I would suggest you concentrate on one of the technical ones as the other two will probably come later on in your career.
 
As others have said, CCNA & MCSE should be your first port of call. If you plan it right, i believe you can do the MCSA and then MCSE if you make the right exam choices, which would help if you get bored easily (i.e. i started my MCSE in 2000, got 4 of the exams done, then couldn't be bothered to go any further with it) and mean you could at leasyt have a qual whilst you take a break. Try the CCNA stuff too, a couple of the lads who work for me have done self study, after completing the books and doing a small mock test in-house i than arranged for them both attend the training courses and one guy passed with 100% and the other with high 90's. both are now working as Junior Network Techs.

I see a lot of talk about CCIE, to be truthful i would be suprised if big financial houses would employ them, i would be more of the opinion that they would sub-contract work at that level to one of the bigger network suppliers with in-house CCIE guys, or even have an outsourced network supplies contract.

CCIE, and lots of experience if you're talking about a really big financial company, and not working helpdesk.
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Doubtful tbh. A big financial house would more than likely already have CCIE if that was the route they were going down, but i would expect most of the larger fiancial houses to outsource that level of work to a specialist company. CCNA + Exp is more than enough to get you working in a NOC or 2nd level tech team in a FTSE100 company.
 
I'm sorry but people who seem to think you "need" an MCSE for the better jobs out there - you are talking rubbish.

The MCSE qualification has devalued considerably since the NT4 days.
The reason being that with cram sites and the like you can simply spend a couple of days using a cram site and then pass the exam.
Rince & repeat a few times and one MCSE.
With so many "paper MCSE" people out there the whole qualification is devalued.
I'm not saying it is of no use to you, however it certainly doesn't mean anything like it used to.

I am involved with taking staff on and we look at experience first as this is the one thing that can show if somebody can actually do a job or not.
Sure we'll look at qualifications but at the end of the day all that you can guarantee a qualification like an MCSE means is that person can remember lots of key facts, enough so to get them through an exam.
It doesn't mean they know how to look after Windows Servers, know how to look after AD, know how DNS works etc.

For those with asperations of management then you could do a lot worse than becomming chartered - not a qualification I know, but something that does look impressive on the CV as you can't "cram" your way to it.
 
stoofa said:
I'm sorry but people who seem to think you "need" an MCSE for the better jobs out there - you are talking rubbish.

The MCSE qualification has devalued considerably since the NT4 days.
The reason being that with cram sites and the like you can simply spend a couple of days using a cram site and then pass the exam.
Rince & repeat a few times and one MCSE.
With so many "paper MCSE" people out there the whole qualification is devalued.
I'm not saying it is of no use to you, however it certainly doesn't mean anything like it used to.

I am involved with taking staff on and we look at experience first as this is the one thing that can show if somebody can actually do a job or not.
Sure we'll look at qualifications but at the end of the day all that you can guarantee a qualification like an MCSE means is that person can remember lots of key facts, enough so to get them through an exam.
It doesn't mean they know how to look after Windows Servers, know how to look after AD, know how DNS works etc.

For those with asperations of management then you could do a lot worse than becomming chartered - not a qualification I know, but something that does look impressive on the CV as you can't "cram" your way to it.
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Sorry but thats rubbish.

Search any IT job board and you'll see how many people want MCSE / MCSA's. Devalued? How many do you think there are Worldwide? Millions?

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
Windows Server 2003
Windows 2000
Windows NT 4.0
102,452
289,150
395,769


102,000 WORLDWIDE!

I'd seriously consider doing this if you want a good career as more and more people will want them.



M.
 
kefkef said:
As others have said, CCNA & MCSE should be your first port of call. If you plan it right, i believe you can do the MCSA and then MCSE if you make the right exam choices, which would help if you get bored easily (i.e. i started my MCSE in 2000, got 4 of the exams done, then couldn't be bothered to go any further with it) and mean you could at leasyt have a qual whilst you take a break. Try the CCNA stuff too, a couple of the lads who work for me have done self study, after completing the books and doing a small mock test in-house i than arranged for them both attend the training courses and one guy passed with 100% and the other with high 90's. both are now working as Junior Network Techs.

I see a lot of talk about CCIE, to be truthful i would be suprised if big financial houses would employ them, i would be more of the opinion that they would sub-contract work at that level to one of the bigger network suppliers with in-house CCIE guys, or even have an outsourced network supplies contract.

Doubtful tbh. A big financial house would more than likely already have CCIE if that was the route they were going down, but i would expect most of the larger fiancial houses to outsource that level of work to a specialist company. CCNA + Exp is more than enough to get you working in a NOC or 2nd level tech team in a FTSE100 company.
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Well I work with their senior infrastructure guys everyday and they all have CCIEs, every job advert for a decent role at a bank is looking for CCIE so I'd disagree. Sure a CCNA and experience might get you a basic NOC role if thats what you want and don't mind the rubbish hours
 
The job spec for my current role when I applied said you need an MCSE. I don't have one, I got the job head and shoulders above the rest (so I was told). Not saying they aren't worth it, but they are not the be all and end all, especially if the area you want to work in isn't core to the MCSE certs, for instance my area is SMS which bar one exam isn't really covered, and even then it's doesn't tell you anything about the packaging side of things.

I was going to go along to one of these boot camps to just get the cert to go along with the experiance/skills, but tbh I'm going to wait and head straight on to the MCITP 2008 stuff. My employer is very keen for people to rack up certs so in the next few months I've got a couple of MCTS exams in things like Exchange 2007 and SCCM 2007.

If I were you I'd have a look at what you like doing, and what you want to do, and just see what certs you need. i.e. if you are a messaging person get on with all the exams/reading to get the new Exchange 2007 Pro cert, I forget what it's called now but 3 exams and it's done.
 
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m4cc45 said:
Sorry but thats rubbish.

Search any IT job board and you'll see how many people want MCSE / MCSA's.
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does that mean you'll not get the job unless you have one ?

no

I work alongside people with MCSE's doing the same job, it was advertised as desirable in the advert. I didnt have it but was browsing a recruitment website so applied anyway.

You dont need an MCSE. Some clueless recruitment execes might think so, but there are lot of IT companies out there with bosses (such as my department manager) that go with gut instinct over a person rather than any paper qualification.

Equally, there are plenty of recruitment types who will just bin your CV if you dont have one, but as i keep saying in these IT threads, it depends who'se recruiting. every company / recruit agency is different.
 
MrLOL said:
You dont need an MCSE. Some clueless recruitment execes might think so, but there are lot of IT companies out there with bosses (such as my department manager) that go with gut instinct over a person rather than any paper qualification.

Equally, there are plenty of recruitment types who will just bin your CV if you dont have one, but as i keep saying in these IT threads, it depends who'se recruiting. every company / recruit agency is different.
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Maybe so but I bin CVs for lack of an MCSE, we can't interview everybody who might be good enough so qualifications are a way to select people. I also partly think, if you have the skills why not do the exam? I'm very busy but I find time to do a couple more qualification every year, and people who're in a position to do the exam aren't going to worried about the money to sit them.
 
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