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What certifications are you pursuing?

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<< but anyway, I do intend on going for my Ph. D. this fall though! >>



Well that's the granddaddy of 'em all. No cert not even the CCIE (oaky maybe the CCIE) can match that credential. You can have 100 certs but none will give you the title of "Doctor."

Congratulations. 🙂
 
<< but anyway, I do intend on going for my Ph. D. this fall though! >>

Well that's the granddaddy of 'em all. No cert not even the CCIE (oaky maybe the CCIE) can match that credential. You can have 100 certs but none will give you the title of "Doctor."

The CCIE may be equivalent in the networking world, but, I agree, even if you have a CCIE, they don't call you "Doc!"

Good luck on pursuing the PhD. I want to pursue an MBA very soon, then maybe PhD. Who knows....
 
I just passed the tests for my SANS GIAC Security Essentials certification (just starting a career in the security field). Will probably pursue more in Intrusion Detection or Firewalls/Perimeter defense.
 
How difficult were the SANS GIAC exams? Security seems like an interesting field, but I thought that it might be difficult to enter into.

Thanks for the clarification on EIT and PE!
 
Does anyone know of any Web design certs that are worth pursuing? CIW tends to focus on Web design, but are they respected in the industry? Plus, they seem pretty basic. Any ideas?
 


<< How difficult were the SANS GIAC exams? Security seems like an interesting field, but I thought that it might be difficult to enter into.

Thanks for the clarification on EIT and PE! >>



For the most of the SANS certs you have to write a paper and then take two tests. Level of difficulty depends on what you already know. The GSEC is a general knowledge cert for security. It doesn't go into explicit detail but it does cover a lot of ground from cryptography, intrusion detection, and wireless to basic networking fundamentals. I don't know how difficult it is to get into the field but there are quite a few opportunities out there. I kind of fell into my job by accident and decided it was a good field to stay with.


 
<<Yeah, that's right... I remember something about this... where Cisco would allow you some pretty nifty resources if you were a cisco partner, which I am. I can't believe I forgot about this one. This would be great for me to actually start my Advanced Routing labs.>>

I wasn't even a Cisco Partner. They just let any old Joe Tech come in from off the street as long as you wanted to get certified. It worked for me, I wasn't gonna argue with that. 🙂 Perhaps the policy differs from office to office.
 
Those paper MCSEs... :| I know a few, and they think they know... then they ask me for help with their computers or whatever.
This is why I feel forced to get certified as well... argh... I hate cramming my head full of useless junk.
 
<<Does anyone know of any Web design certs that are worth pursuing? CIW tends to focus on Web design, but are they respected in the industry? Plus, they seem pretty basic. Any ideas? >>

I've got the CIW Associate, but I'm too ashamed of it to list it in my sig. Perhaps it will gain in acceptance as time goes on. What do y'all think?

<<... then they ask me for help with their computers or whatever. This is why I feel forced to get certified as well... argh... I hate cramming my head full of useless junk. >>

Even if we have enough knowledge to prove that we don't NEED the cert (or don't want to get the cert), sometimes we have to look good in front of others by getting the cert anyway. At least, I'd like to think I've got enough knowledge. Can never have enough.

I forgot to list another certification I have - it slips my mind in the winter: PADI Rescue Diver. I'm working towards my Divemaster cert - just about got it.
 
not really a certification, but im an apprentice electrician currently, another 3 years and i'll be a Journeyman wireman
 


<< not really a certification, but im an apprentice electrician currently, another 3 years and i'll be a Journeyman wireman >>

Are you the guy they send climbing into the cieling when a cable gets caught? 😉
 


<< not really a certification, but im an apprentice electrician currently, another 3 years and i'll be a Journeyman wireman >>


I was recently talking to a friend in the same boat as you. All I could say was "Damn, you guys make alot of $$"
 


<<

<< not really a certification, but im an apprentice electrician currently, another 3 years and i'll be a Journeyman wireman >>


I was recently talking to a friend in the same boat as you. All I could say was "Damn, you guys make alot of $$" >>



LOL and they sure earn it !!
 


<< Are you the guy they send climbing into the cieling when a cable gets caught? >>


heh, at times, apprentices usually get the shaft, but its all part of the game, i see it as someones got to do the dirty work, i do get paid afterall..

as far as the pay goes, the scale here (reno, nv) for a JW is $26.75, im in my 2nd year, i make 50% of that, you increase a certain % each year, usually around 15%, so they raises per year are quite nice...just depends on where you work, in the bay area it gets around 45-50/hr, granted cost of living is alot more, so it evens itself out...you can also travel *anywhere* you want to in the country and work...i highly suggest it to anyone interested in construction (pm me if you want more info on what its all about)
 
Rival - I used to do some electrical work in a previous position, so I can respect someone who does that type of work. Good luck on the apprenticeship.

On a broader topic...What are people using to study for certifications? Any methods that worked for someone else, that you can pass along to help others?
 
Cramsession.com is one of my favorite sites, good to have a group of people studying the same thing you are when you need an answer to a question. Another good site is MCSEguide.com . When I did the NT4 MCP's, I used Exam Prep books and transcender's exams, plus setup a mini-home network. For Cisco CCNA, I am in the Cisco Net acad at a local community college, which is great because I get to spend as much time configuring routers as I want. Personally, I think the more experience you can get actually using what you are studying, the better you understand the material and the easier the test would be. So you are gonna have to budget some time and money towards the process.
 
For each test, I usually get one non-ExamCram book, one ExamCram book, and one practice exam. With Exam Cram, though, it's hit-or-miss. Some of their authors are great, others don't know their subject matter. Usually I can tell within the first few chapters. For non-ExamCram books, I've had good luck with the Sybex books. For practice exams, nothing beats Transcender. I would not have passed the Windows 2000 Accelerated Test (70-240) without them. Self Test's and Measure Up's exam questions aren't quite as complete, IMHO. If you're on a budget and looking to go cheap with the practice exams, I had good luck with the CICPrep series during my NT4 days. Not sure how they are now, but for the price, it's worth a look.

I usually go to Cramsession to find out what passing scores are, how many questions, and how difficult the test is. I don't often check out dump sites - memorizing concepts is so much easier for me than memorizing words or letters.

So, books and practice tests work for me. I guess it all boils down to what works best for each individual. Training classes always went too slow for me and usually covered irrelevant material. And, of course, the best training tool is always hands-on experience, if you have the resources.
 
I have to agree that Cramsession.com is a pretty good place to start. They have lots of info, and their study guides are pretty good. When I was studying for the NT 4.0 exams, I used Exam Cram books, CICPrep, took some classes and used the Transcender exams. The classes were OK, but were a lot of money, and I already had experience with the operating system, so I was bored during a lot of the classes. When I was studying for the 70-240 Accelerated exam, I used the Transcender exams, and I passed. I have never used Self Test or MeasureUp practice tests to study for an exam, so I don't know much about them. Actually using the stuff really helps. My work had a Cisco lab, so I was able to use Cisco routers, which helped me get the CCNP. Real-world experience is also great!
 
I've got it on my list for "certs to get". Fills the left hand side of my whiteboard completely. Unfortunately, the MCSD is way down the list, because I've got to get my CCNP, CCDA, CCDP, MCSA and OCP first. Plus, I don't have the development experience - it'll be harder for a networking guy like me to study.

AUTiger, what study tools do developers usually use to study for the MCSD tests? Just practice the code?
 
I don't believe any study materials are available for the .NET MCSD yet. I hope they are available shortly as I am ready to get started. Experience in coding is the biggest asset when taking the MCSD tests. Most study guides assist in pointing out what you don't know when preparing for the test.

I've been working seven years doing various programming and haven't taken the time to earn any certifications. My new company awards bonuses to anyone that earns a certification so I plan on earning as many as my company pays for.
 
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