Spec me some (IT) qualifications.

Ice On Fire said:
One thought, though.
Do they get paid more than you due to their qualifications, I wonder?
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Nope

starting salary is the same. it wasnt a job requirement so thus, they dont get paid more for it.


daman2k said:
a windows 7 mcp is one exam at £88 and a self paced training book at around £25. He can run labs on his pc using evaluation software.

I dont see it as a waste of money no, I have a MCITP : Enterprise Administrator but I dont look down at people in my team because they dont have it. I also dont see it in anyway as a waste of money, I wanted to better my skills on Server 2008 and it has allowed me to do that.
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I have too, but for free. I've experienced plenty of what problems doing microsoft qualifications cause. Because they dont reflect the real world. Taking microsoft server as an example, it will cover what can cause a PC not to join the domain. Stuff it wont include is human error, when one of your colleague's made a **** up and built the PC wrong. Because of course you didnt build the PC wrong because you've already followed Exam blah blah on how to install windows correctly.

Sadly in the real world, people make mistakes, and half of your life is spent working out what those mistakes were because they never intended to make them so cant tell you ..
 
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Fair enough.

However if the job required their tech's to have such qualifications and hired you due to your experience alone - they would then need to pay a qualified tech more I would think?

Not sure how it works over there in the UK, though.
 
Comes down to that that personal recruiter thinks. My place for example, didnt ask for MS qualifications, which is reflected by the fact that the management arent very confident in them. The salaries are obviously still competitive with others doing the same role as otherwise they wouldnt attract people.

My last place where i got my break were the same also, which is largely down to home i've formed my oppinions i guess. Because the experts and knowledgable people i've looked up to in the workplace havent had MS qualifications and been biased against them.

Taking my views aside, if you did want to do them, MCSE would seem to be the best place to start without a specific career in mind. It covers what most recruiters ask for, and allows you to specialise further and upgrade to other more technical qualifications should you wish.

Unless of course he decides he wants to be a DBA, in which case taking the SQL exams is going to be more beneficial. But i dont think the OP is 100 % sure what he wants to do yet. As somebody doing CCNA isn't likely to want to get into being a DBA.
 
MrLOL said:
Nope

starting salary is the same. it wasnt a job requirement so thus, they dont get paid more for it.





I have too, but for free. I've experienced plenty of what problems doing microsoft qualifications cause. Because they dont reflect the real world. Taking microsoft server as an example, it will cover what can cause a PC not to join the domain. Stuff it wont include is human error, when one of your colleague's made a **** up and built the PC wrong. Because of course you didnt build the PC wrong because you've already followed Exam blah blah on how to install windows correctly.

Sadly in the real world, people make mistakes, and half of your life is spent working out what those mistakes were because they never intended to make them so cant tell you ..
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True which is why at the start I said experience and qualification is the way to go. I also said that for your first job I would not suggest getting a MCSE but something such as a windows 7 mcp. I think qualifications are good and have a role to play, but they have to be relevant to where you are. Getting a mcp before your first job in a client operating system i dont think is a waste.
 
tbb if the OP wants to be a network engineer he's got the best certs for a starter job to gain some experience.

The MS exams might not be hugely beneficial, not enough info from the OP on exactly what it is he wants to do.

As for CompTIA, as you have CCNA no point doing Network+, and the A+ and Server+ probably aren't required.

I will however suggest the Security+ certification. It's actually pretty good and gives a good general overview of security in an IT sense.
 
Without any experience nobody in their right mind will let the OP near their network or servers regardless of qualifications, get a job in IT even if it's only for a few months on a helpdesk, get your foot in the door before expecting to be given the keys to the treasury.

IT sector likes qualifications but it values experience far more, tried and tested staff are far more valuable even if they have only been in the most junior of posts.
 
Thanks for the replies guys! I wasn't expecting such an insightful response :)

Hopefully the job I'm in now is giving me some experience? I'm running a server on a closed network with about 30 clients and another 2 servers that specifically manage the taking of exams; they have 2 clients on each. All of the maintenance of the network is carried out by me atm. Me and my 'students' are shortly due to cable out (PNIE qualified) two new IT suites and I'll be configuring the rooms respective servers - all good cv folder, I'm sure you'll agree :D

Expense aside for a moment, from the sort of roles I've been looking at on the jobsites, I thought that by having certification from all of the big players would put me in a good position for any kind of junior role? The MCITP looks useful as does the A+ for a general purpose springboard. I'll have to look into the S+ - I have heard of it before.

Cheers everyone!

HamZilla said:
Not meaning to derail the thread but are you teaching offenders in CCNA or prison staff?

Miffed if its the former as its not a cheap course to pay for when funding it yourself.
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Nope, its for the prisoners... see here: http://www.picta.co.uk/
 
MrLOL said:
I have no qualifications at all. Just plenty of years of experience.

In my experience of talking to the people that do the recruiting - qualifications mean jack all. the number of CVs that get posted for a job that have qualifications on them is immense. All obtained through schemes on the telly and such like. Yes they've studied hard and spent vast ammounts on obtaining them, but they cant do the job.
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Tried to become a teacher?
You cant without a Degree and a PGCE :P SO incorrect there

Thinking of going into robotics?
You cant unless you have a degree at a 1st class level....
I actually dislike people who spout that qulifications meen nothing... When in actual fact if you come out with a "REAL" degree at a very high level with a good portpholio you will get the job over any pure experiance person.
 
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Phoenixdancer said:
Tried to become a teacher?
You cant without a Degree and a PGCE :P SO incorrect there

Thinking of going into robotics?
You cant unless you have a degree at a 1st class level....
I actually dislike people who spout that qulifications meen nothing... When in actual fact if you come out with a "REAL" degree at a very high level with a good portpholio you will get the job over any pure experiance person.
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sorry, what if any of this is relevant to the discussion here ?

We were discussing what Microsoft Certifications he needs to get a career in IT. Not how to become a teacher. Been employed in IT much ? you blatently havent, otherwise you'd know the problem the industry has at the moment. With scores of people with no desire or talent to work in IT being fed into these skills companies that give them lots of letters after their name, but no clue how to do the job. I've seen 2 people this year get SACKED for exactly this reason. When you hear a supposed MCSE say "is kerberos important" you know they're way out of their depth.

And as already mentioned, we have a couple more who have winged it, but manage to survive just because they didnt make a big enough **** up to warrant HR to investigate them. We all know they're out of their depth, so we just have to leave them be to not pull their weight and babysit them.

I wouldnt have a clue what qualifications you need to become a teacher or get into robotics, but thats not whats being discussed here, so my comments only applies to the IT industry we're discussing. I never implied you didnt need a degree to do teaching.

SO get down off your high horse sunshine :rolleyes:
 
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Phoenixdancer said:
Tried to become a teacher?
You cant without a Degree and a PGCE :P SO incorrect there

Thinking of going into robotics?
You cant unless you have a degree at a 1st class level....
I actually dislike people who spout that qulifications meen nothing... When in actual fact if you come out with a "REAL" degree at a very high level with a good portpholio you will get the job over any pure experiance person.
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Have you actually read the thread? Have you actually looked at the title of said thread? No, I assume is the correct answer there.

We're not talking about robotics, teaching nor are we on about any profession that needs one to have a qualification in that field.

It is a whole different story in the IT sector. I have been a store manager of a PC shop and currently I am a field technician for a large company - however I do not have any qualifications - just years of experience, like Mr.LOL has.

Secondly your post has zero relevance to this thread.

Stop being so stupid and next time read the thread. :rolleyes:
 
I SIMPLY REPLYED TO A COMMENT SOMEONE MADE IN THE THREAD.

Was not aimed at the OP or the thread main disscussion.

Its a FACT that what was said is Bull as you need qulifications to get places in life.

Actually, I work in IT, Im doing a Degree in AI & Robotics.
I had 0 experiance apart from what i do at uni...

haters guna hate
 
no you had a go at me by taking my points out of context.

If you look back in the thread i actually said the CCNA qualification he already has was great and relevant to his chosen career and an exception to the points i was making about the IT industry.

You've just gone off on one and not read the thread properly.

And its not BULL, i dont have a degree, or any MS certification, yet am doing the same career as those with one. This wouldnt happen in other industries agreed, but we're not talking about other industries.

Experience > qualifications.

Case in point.

http://www.reed.co.uk/job-details/C...462472&s=1637&ns=True&sr=1&FromSector=1&lit=2

Earning 45k a year isnt exactly small change. No word of a requirement for a degree however...

yet weirdly, requires 5 + years experience in the field. Funny that ....
 
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So we're agreed then ? you didn't read the thread properly, and jumped on your high horse after reading one comment to have a go at me without doing any research, and with no knowledge of the field I'm talking about, just to have a go at me. Long as we got that straight :rolleyes:
 
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