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Certification Advice Needed

B

Blinkme323

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
1,666
I'm a university student graduating in 2011 and I realize that grades alone won't cut it, so I want to do everything I can before entering the job market. I hope to earn a CCNA by graduation, but I really want to take advantage of the $25 Microsoft certification exams right now.

The problem is I'm confused on where to begin. My adviser said to work on an MCSA designation and eventually get an MCSE, but this might be outdated by the time I get a job. Should I start fresh on the MCITP series instead? I don't have nearly enough experience to know what I want to specialize in yet, I'm just looking to get started. What's the recommended path?
 
The biggest question is what do you want to do as an overall goal career wise? I know you said you don't know, but something has you interested in IT work, so what is it? At least an idea is good enough. I know myself I've changed what I want to do a few times so it's tough to decide which help and which are just for show.
 
The 2003 track won't be outdated for a while. As long as businesses are using the product, it'll still be valuable.

Of course, you could always get both. Start with the 70-620 for your client for MCSA and for the MCTS/MCITP (that's what I did), And then the A+/Net+ or Security+ for an elective (or another MCTS exam), then all you would need would be the 290 & 291. I believe that there is also an upgrade exam for the MCITP from the MCSA, but I'm not sure. I KNOW there is for the MCDST to the MCITP: Enterprise Support (the 70-621 upgrade exam).

But, anything you obtain will be useful. A lot of people are still supporting Windows 2000 networks, and will be for a while longer. Take advantage of the $25 promos. I'm not sure if they are still doing it, but Dreamspark (if you aren't a part of this, you should be!) had a free exam up for grabs if you were a student, as well.

Good luck in whatever you choose!
 
Yeah, it's important to really hone in on my goals first, I just wanted to jump at these Microsoft certs while they're heavily discounted.

To answer the question as best I can, I don't have any interest in programming, hardware design, or web development. Networking is appealing and there's a lot to learn in the field, but I don't have much experience yet.

My dad is the VP of a telecommunications business, and I've been fortunate enough to work with the system admin in the IT department. It's mostly been basic stuff like troubleshooting as well as operating system and software deployment, but it's enjoyable.

I know the ins and outs of XP and Vista, but I'm not too great with Linux systems. I mean, I can set up and use Ubuntu and most popular distros just fine, but I find myself searching online a lot to figure out how to do advanced functions.
 
Sounds like you know what you want to do. Jump on the MS stuff while it's cheap and knock out whatever you can. Like Ur_Mom said, Server 2003 stuff will be good for a long while. It's not going anywhere anytime soon. Good luck and let us know how you progress. I know others, like myself, enjoy seeing others accomplish goals and hearing about their experiences.
 
i recently got my mcdst certification. i have to admit it was a fun class. i learned alot about windows that i did not know before. i may look into mcsa in the future.
 
I would highly recommend you start with the 70-620. Its one of the easier Microsoft certifications and it will give you a taste of how to study for a Microsoft test. A lot of people are still stuck thinking that Server 2003 will be around forever and will recommend the MCSE. Since you wont be graduating until 2011, you'll want to look at the MCITP instead. Server 2008 is a solid platform and new Windows-based servers will all be running it.

The CCNA is worth its weight in gold. When you start your IT career you'll learn very quickly that Microsoft certs are a dime a dozen these days. They're simply too easy to get and everyone and their sister has one. Cisco certifications are difficult, but very rewarding.

Personally, I've decided to focus all of my efforts on a Cisco path. I hold a 70-620, A+, Network+, and CCNA. They've all been very helpful in my career and they look great on the resume. Remember that there's lots of options in IT, and you may want to do something completely different. You could be anything from a Unix admin to an Exchange expert. Its up to you. :)
 
It sucks that the process for high school verification on Dreamspark is such a pain. I would have to try to explain what it was to my principal and then wait for the school to be verified and then he would have to give me an access code.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm glad this thread directed to me Dreamspark, I just signed up.

Apparently the $100 off voucher can only be used once, so I'll scale back the amount of exams I was planning to take. It was probably unrealistic to study for that many anyway since I'm taking a few summer classes and working. As of now, I'm registered for 70-640 and 70-642 at the end of June. I'm a little bit worried, but I have access to study materials for the exams, and am planning to set up a VMWare of Server 2008. When there's another promotion I'll take 70-646 to finish up an MCITP: Server Admin. I probably won't pursue the MS track any further than that, given how Cisco certifications seem to be worth more.

KUOCH said:
can anyone refer me to the 25$ ms certification page? thanks
Click to expand...

When registering for the exam on prometric, enter MCPBACK as a voucher code for $100 off. I'm not sure if it's still active.
 
Last edited:
worked for me today cyr0n, try again or restart your browser or delete cookie or something
 
Im not a returning MCP that hasn't taken a test in more than a year. Some reports said it wasn't checking .. but it seems it is.

It saw my MCSE and rejected me. :(

No worries, so I pay full price for the upgrade to MCITP.. no big deal.
 
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