Any CCSA's or CCSE's?

[Anghang]

CCSA - Check Point Certified Security Administrator
CCSE - Check Point Certified Security Expert

i'm still hunting for a job, so i figure i might as well get another cert and i been eyeing these...

anyone here that's certified?
recommendations on what study guides you used to get you past the exam?
how was the test?

there's a ton of books out there and i'm looking for the most effective one, would rather take a class but can't afford it right now...

 

[MainFramed]

14 here, and hopefully gonna grab a CCNA in about a year or so.... i donno yet though

 

[Saltin]

If you don't have a strong grasp of TCP/IP and the OSI layers you wont fare well in any of the advanced firewall/security certs.

At a bare minimum you should be able to pass the CCNA before trying something like a Checkpoint cert.

Certs are ok at getting you past HR and into an interview, but they really dont mean anything. I know gurus who are both certified and self taught. I know dummies that are certified and self taught too.

Experience is still king.

 

[wyvrn]

This certification intrigues me because I like the security aspect of networking. I might take a look at it for my own personal gain though I don't expect to get a job doing it.

 

[Anghang]

no doubt...experience will always be king...i've got yrs of that and my cissp...i just wanna try something new during my downtime instead of being a lazy bum..hehe

 

[n0cmonkey]

I failed the CCSA by 1-2 questions. I didnt care enough to retake it since I could setup and admin the firewall without problems. Certs are a waste of time in my not so humble opinion.

 

[Anghang]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I failed the CCSA by 1-2 questions. I didnt care enough to retake it since I could setup and admin the firewall without problems. Certs are a waste of time in my not so humble opinion.

agreed...but that's all corporations seem to want from what i'm seeing on my job hunt....

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Anghang

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I failed the CCSA by 1-2 questions. I didnt care enough to retake it since I could setup and admin the firewall without problems. Certs are a waste of time in my not so humble opinion.

agreed...but that's all corporations seem to want from what i'm seeing on my job hunt....

Im not a corporation so I can hate them extensively

They arent a bad thing to have if you need a job I guess. I havent needed any, but Im sure they would have helped.

 

[spidey07]

I've been a CCSE for about four years.

I really just took two checkpoint firewall-1 classes and relied on my previous expereince with the OSI model.

Not much help I know. Sorry.

keep in mind that these are very vendor specific certifications and only cover one product. Pretty worthless if you ask me.

 

[Saltin]

Certs are a waste of time in my not so humble opinion.

Thats doesnt have anything to do with you failing the test, does it ?

 

[wyvrn]

Certs are not a waste of time. They demonstrate an ability to grasp concepts. Obviously certifications don't make a good administrator just like having a bachelor's of business does not make you a businessman. But it is a good starting point and not to be ignored. The thing that bugs me with the IT sector are the unwillingness of administrators to acknowledge that anyone besides them can perform a job. Obviously anyone without experience should never be given a chance because they will never learn to be as good as the existing admin right? Eventually the good ol' boy system in IT will give way to a more efficient model like most career paths. Good young students get basic jobs and eventually do better than their bosses who taught them. But I suppose that threatens the current admins, eh?