Entries Tagged 'Certifications' ↓

Many people ask me which certification they should choose, especially when a newer version becomes available.  This is an important question (Thanks Mike M.) with an answer that depends highly on your current experience and skills.  When Mike wrote to me, he asked specifically about the new Windows Vista exam, so I will use this as the example. 

 Windows Vista (for those of you that don’t know) is a brand new operating system by Microsoft that has quickly taken over the retail market (we the average PC consumer) but is just recently gaining momentum in the corporate market.  Due to its new design and significant changes from Windows XP, it can certainly seem that by pursuing one certification over another could impact your value to potential employers.

 While this decision does have some significance, it’s more important to evaluate your current skills than to worry over which certification will be more popular with potential employers.  Here is why…

 Windows Vista is certainly gaining popularity, but it still makes up a small fraction of workstations in the workplace. That being said, Windows XP is still the most common OS found in corporate environments both big and small. If you have several years of experience with Windows XP and are very comfortable with its various features and settings, then pursue the Windows Vista certification. By doing so, you’ll strengthen your overall knowledge of Microsoft client offerings, and teamed together with your years of experience of XP will show strength in this area on your resume.

If you don’t have several years of experience with Windows XP, then it should definitely be your topic of choice. With such a large audience, an IT professional (that would be you) needs to have this knowledge and skill in order to be valuable to employers.

In summary, choose Windows Vista if you already have years of experience that you can demonstrate on a resume. If you don’t, then pursue your Windows XP certification first, and then consider Windows Vista once your foundation is complete.

Want to know more about building your foundation? Visit www.UltimateITHandbook.com to learn more.

Emily B wrote in this week to ask about the Cisco CCNA certification.  Cisco CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is an entry-level certification from Cisco Networks that helps to display a competency in administrating common Cisco switches and routers.  Cisco certification are extremely popular due to the popularity of their equipment in the IT world.  A large majority of organizations run Cisco equipment to at least some degree, and so a lot of requests are made for professionals that understand Cisco technology.

That being said, a lot of people make the assumption that obtaining this certification will strengthen their value in the IT market.  But it all depends on where you want to go in your career that will determine its true value.

There are many reasons why a Cisco CCNA certification could be right or wrong for you.  Here are a few reasons to consider:

• Where do you plan to go within your computer career? 
• Do WANs (Wide Area Networks), routing and switching appeal to you? 
• Is it a skill that you feel comes naturally or is it difficult for you to understand? 
• Does this technology excite you, or are you more interested in it because it will help to “sell” you as a professional?
• What is your real goal?  Is it security, or communications or network engineering?  Is this an “additional” skill to add to your resume or is it a stepping-stone to your ideal career?
• Finally, do you need the certification or does your work experience already display your competency in this subject?

All of these questions are important to determining why you want to pursue the certification, and what it will ultimately gain you.  For those people specifically aiming for a career in networks, a Cisco CCNA certification can be an important step towards achieving your career goals.  However, if you are just starting out there are several other ways to strengthen your networking skills that would help much more towards your value as an IT professional.

To learn more about building value as an IT Professional, visit www.UltimateITHandbook.com