Would I be making a mistake by going to get MCSE certifed? Any help or comments would be appreciated.

[classy]

I have been trying to decide for awhile now. I am concerned that when I am done I won't be able to get employed to get experience. I live in NJ. I went to school years ago for electronics and thus learned computers. I have always built my own PCs and am pretty well learned. But I have been comteplating on making a career change. So I have been kicking this around for awhile. I am thinking about taking the MCSE course at the community college. But I have my reservations on being able to get employed to get experience. To go and get an A+ would be waste of time because I would take serious pay cut to accepet an entry level job doing that or help desk. Am I thinking correctly? I always wanted to run a network or work in the network enviroment. Any help or comments would be appreciated.

 

[Shack70]

If you are making a career change and have the cash, I would get certified.
Keep in mind that MS is replacing out the NT test with Win2000...

 

[Tripleshot]

Get Certified. It means extra money in your pocket and is a requirement in many bussinesses,especially government facilities. Not to mention the knowledge and skills you gain are valuable beyond measure.IMHO

 

[Czar]

I just finished basic computer school specializing in Networking and sometimes I think its just not enough, expecialy since I work as a net Admin (the only one) and its a Win2000 netowork I had to build from nothing.

Though my goal is not MCSE, my goal is taking CCNA soon on the companys expence and then after 2-3 years go to England and take a BS in networking.

Since I´m allready in the business a MCSE exam will not bring me enough boost.

I think I´m lucky, I just finished base schooling that ends when I´m 16years old, then I went to 2 years in business school and then 3 years in this networking thing, though I could have skipped business school. And now I´m a network admin

 

[classy]

Anyone have any other advice?

 

[orbadelic]

hmmmmmmmm...I personally am kind of weary of the MCSE program, there is an overflow of paper MCSE's in the market today, I have worked with quite a few who just get the piece of paper and think that they can go out and do the job(which ends up in them getting fired for incompetence), I would say if you are getting the MCSE to learn how to network, not only get it but take some other certification programs dealing in Cisco and/or Sun. As for the getting employed without experience, I would say you are correct having to start at more of an entry level experience because in the end the MCSE only teaches you concepts but doesn't deal with any actual "networking experience" that comes only from working somewhere and learning how things "really" work as compared to the theoretical situations that mcse training provides.
don't know if that helps at all, kind of my jumbled thoughts.