IT Certifications are impossible.

[NesuD]

I've been working with vmware years... I can set it up, set up storage, networking, troubleshoot, maintain etc... my job is vmware/windows admin and I'm at least AVERAGE at it!

So work is pushing/paying for training always and I need to take the 6.5 'Foundations' exam which will allow me to take the real VCP exam (might be two, don't remember). Problem is -- it seems impossible.

I cannot recite off the top of my head every single menu option in exact order for every single GUI type, or know exactly how much of X every single feature supports. I'm not going to remember all of these possible tricks with questions that they openly admit to in these 120 exam practice videos. So far they are basically saying - read and know the entire vSphere Documentation Manual word for word and watch out in case we flip two random words to change the answer entirely.

The worst part is that this isn't even the real exam! Just a get your feet wet kind of thing to prepare me to take the actual exams.

Am I out of the club and missing the part where everyone just downloads dumps and memorizes exact questions? Is that what I'm supposed to be doing? Am I a fool for attempting to study?

Same for the Microsoft exams except they seem even worse. The most annoying part is is that I've worked with plenty of people certified up their asses and seemed to know squat, and vice versa.

/rant

My experience has been that certs often times have very little to do with doing the actual job. Learning to pass a cert test and learning to do the job aren't necessarily the same.

 

[MtnMan]

Study for the test, not the technology.

I worked for a large computer company, and I had to have certs because the contracts we had, mostly with the government, that specified that the tech would be 'certified'. So I had Cisco, Bay/Nortel, Microsoft, Novell, and even had to have A+.

I also used to hire temps for large network roll-outs. The temp agency sent me a bunch of resumes, and I would pick the ones I thought would be a good fit. One guy had 6 of the 7 MCSE tests under his belt, so I figured he would be a good troubleshooter and to modify some units that had a unique configuration. Long story short, day #1 a PC needed extra RAM installed. He didn't have a clue where to start, and he ended up on the loading dock collapsing cardboard for the rest of the day, and I told the temp agency to send me someone else in his place.

This was on a large install where the equipment was delivered in 4 - 56' semi's and we had 3 weeks to get it all installed and on the network.

 

[sourceninja]

Study for the test, not the technology.

I worked for a large computer company, and I had to have certs because the contracts we had, mostly with the government, that specified that the tech would be 'certified'. So I had Cisco, Bay/Nortel, Microsoft, Novell, and even had to have A+.

I also used to hire temps for large network roll-outs. The temp agency sent me a bunch of resumes, and I would pick the ones I thought would be a good fit. One guy had 6 of the 7 MCSE tests under his belt, so I figured he would be a good troubleshooter and to modify some units that had a unique configuration. Long story short, day #1 a PC needed extra RAM installed. He didn't have a clue where to start, and he ended up on the loading dock collapsing cardboard for the rest of the day, and I told the temp agency to send me someone else in his place.

This was on a large install where the equipment was delivered in 4 - 56' semi's and we had 3 weeks to get it all installed and on the network.

We often have this idea that all technology is the same. My grandma thinks I should be able to fix her PC because I work in computers, but honestly I have no idea how to support random windows desktop issues. You want to build a fault resistant environment though, I'm your guy. Like wise I have seen amazing software engineers fail at basic usage of excel. I'm not saying this was the case in your instance, and there are paper tigers out there, but expect someone to know how to replace hardware because they are certified in software isn't the best idea. I know how because I built my own computers as a kid, but I have rarely opened a device in a professional setting. There are guys for that.

 

[Red Squirrel]

It's not as much work as it sounds. I spend maybe 2-3 weeks a year working on certifications. The payoff for me has been huge compared to my degree. The VCP got me my first consulting job and a huge pay raise. The CCNA boosted that further. In my current role the security certs I hold as well as the cloud certs have pushed me well into the top salary for my field and location. A week or two of continuing my education is worth that to me.

I also try to get new certs, not renew old ones. Like you said in most cases other certs renew old ones. For example I need to keep my Security+ valid, but rather than re-sit for that, I'm going to look at the CSA+.

3 weeks? Would be more like 3 years for me, I'm not really good at memorizing stuff. The worse is lists. "The 5 steps of ..." "the 10 parts of ..." so many lists to memorize and then start to get all the items mixed up between each one. There's even more than one freaking OSI model, there's one with 7 items and then there's another with 4, (if I recall, been a while). Easy to get the two mixed up on a multiple choice test.

If you're good at theory stuff then certs are going to be easy but if you're more of a visual hands on person they're going to be very hard. I can find my way around a computer program, but God help me if I need to recite from memory how to do something.

 

[DietDrThunder]

We have a requirement by our customer (US govt) that everyone on the program have Security+ certification. The pre-qualifications for Security+ is Network+, which my company says isn't necessary (and may not be), but we are all embedded software engineers and none of us are IT guys. Several of us took the course in which the instructor said that this course is a water hose and doesn't really prepare you for the certification testing. The company will only pay for the certification test once, if you fail you have to pay for the second, or third test, but you must pass the test. Two pretty sharp software engineers took the tests and failed on their first attempt. One barely passed on the second, the second failed both times and hasn't attempted a third. I looked at the material at home, but every time I do I start falling asleep. I think I will start looking for another program because I have no desire to be an IT guy, it doesn't relate to my job responsibilities, and I just don't care.

 

[sourceninja]

We have a requirement by our customer (US govt) that everyone on the program have Security+ certification. The pre-qualifications for Security+ is Network+, which my company says isn't necessary (and may not be), but we are all embedded software engineers and none of us are IT guys. Several of us took the course in which the instructor said that this course is a water hose and doesn't really prepare you for the certification testing. The company will only pay for the certification test once, if you fail you have to pay for the second, or third test, but you must pass the test. Two pretty sharp software engineers took the tests and failed on their first attempt. One barely passed on the second, the second failed both times and hasn't attempted a third. I looked at the material at home, but every time I do I start falling asleep. I think I will start looking for another program because I have no desire to be an IT guy, it doesn't relate to my job responsibilities, and I just don't care.

Yea the security+ is not a technical certification, it's a policy certification. It's 100% about memorizing terms, strategies, and policies related to security. Really boring if you don't have a passion for it and annoyingly simplistic if you do.

 

[Genx87]

Oh my god the things y'all have to go through. Become a PM like me with none of those studies (only PMP). Easy 150K.

I should get into PM. I enjoy the project process more than the rat race to keep up with the latest tech.

 

[bradly1101]

I guess when the job market gets this competitive they can be really demanding to 'find the cream' and weed out the best for the bestest.

 

[MtnMan]

I should get into PM. I enjoy the project process more than the rat race to keep up with the latest tech.

I did that, and it was the best move I made. First off was the $$$, a big boost from my top of the pay silo in the technical classification, which wasn't all that bad to begin with.
If you enjoy it, you are probably good at it, and if you keep projects on the rails it can be smooth sailing.

 

[Oyeve]

My last cert was mcse windows nt4 / sql 7 / exchange 5.5. You need to figure out whats next for you.. the way I see it, the sys admin jobs will be phase out slowly as more people move to data center (cloud/azure/amazon/etc) they'll need less sys admin. I'm transitioning my sys admin into database / data mining positions. ill miss the days that you can talk about esx and iscsi..

Ha!, Nearly the same as me. Been doing the IT crap over 30 years. I can bang out systems in a heartbeat. But I most likely will fail any cert test. Thankfully the job I work at leaves me alone. Totally autonomous.