Certified IT folks... have some questions.

Okay, my advice is crucial:

Get certs by brute force. Skip the class. If a cert is 6 $100 tests, start taking them, even before you are ready. A class is a few thousand dollars and takes forever. $1800 will buy you THREE tries at SIX tests.

If you want MCSE, get these two books:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/mcsecoreian/index.html

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/mcseceeian/index.html

Get them from bookpool.com. Read the first test section with a PC running in front of you, then go take the test. If you fail, come home, read it again, go take the test, the same day if you can. Do it again the next day. You'll pass by then.

Repeat 5 more times.

Now you'll have an MCSE. Afraid of being only book smart? Don't worry, no place will care, you won't get any tasks that are too hard right away, and if you are dropped into a mess, BRING THE BOOK with you. O'Reilly is the most respected name in computer books. Nobody will look down on you for reading it while you do IT work. Other publishers, yes, especially those big thick books that are sold by the pound. I'll say this again; pretty much only buy O'Reilly books unless you have no other choice.

You want CCNA? Skip the class. Get this book:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/coreprot/index.html

and maybe these two books:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596101510/index.html

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/cisconut2/index.html

Repeat process for CCNA certification just like the MCSE.

Don't own any router? Get a setup like this from ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Cisco-CCNA-CCNP-Lab-Ki...1QQcmdZViewItem


SKIP the A+ certification. It's embarrasing to admit out loud that you have this. I think it's for the extra 50 cents an hour at CompUSA.

You want Unix?

This book is the Unix Bible, the sacred tome:

http://www.oreillynet.com/catalog/esa3/

This is a book so good, that the 1995 edition is still relevant to many sysadmins. The 2002 edition is current now. (Yes, that's right, a computer book that only needs updating every seven years).

To sum up: SKIP the certification training class. You'll save time and money. BUY O'Reilly(Nutshell if possible). BUY Cisco routers for the house. Run Windows and Unix servers at home off of cheap PC's. Go work for a temp agency, they'll hire anybody with the certs, and you can get your foot in the door.

This will get you rolling faster than courses and classes will. Certification classes are for people afraid to get their feet wet and are a waste of time and money.

Now, if you want to go to COLLEGE, that's a whole different story. Computer Science, the real deal, is worth the money in the end because of the types of jobs you can get. These classes have value and will challenge you, and can teach you to write code, very good code.

Galaxee, I WILL be very upset if I find out DH just enrolled at DeVry or ITT Tech. Please report back to me that he just spent $100 on an MCSE test and bombed it but now he knows what the test looks like, and is busy reading a Nutshell book.

Make me proud.

Nate

 

Okay, my advice is crucial:

Get certs by brute force. Skip the class. If a cert is 6 $100 tests, start taking them, even before you are ready. A class is a few thousand dollars and takes forever. $1800 will buy you THREE tries at SIX tests.

If you want MCSE, get these two books:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/mcsecoreian/index.html

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/mcseceeian/index.html

Get them from bookpool.com. Read the first test section with a PC running in front of you, then go take the test. If you fail, come home, read it again, go take the test, the same day if you can. Do it again the next day. You'll pass by then.

Repeat 5 more times.

Now you'll have an MCSE. Afraid of being only book smart? Don't worry, no place will care, you won't get any tasks that are too hard right away, and if you are dropped into a mess, BRING THE BOOK with you. O'Reilly is the most respected name in computer books. Nobody will look down on you for reading it while you do IT work. Other publishers, yes, especially those big thick books that are sold by the pound. I'll say this again; pretty much only buy O'Reilly books unless you have no other choice.

You want CCNA? Skip the class. Get this book:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/coreprot/index.html

and maybe these two books:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596101510/index.html

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/cisconut2/index.html

Repeat process for CCNA certification just like the MCSE.

Don't own any router? Get a setup like this from ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Cisco-CCNA-CCNP-Lab-Ki...1QQcmdZViewItem


SKIP the A+ certification. It's embarrasing to admit out loud that you have this. I think it's for the extra 50 cents an hour at CompUSA.

You want Unix?

This book is the Unix Bible, the sacred tome:

http://www.oreillynet.com/catalog/esa3/

This is a book so good, that the 1995 edition is still relevant to many sysadmins. The 2002 edition is current now. (Yes, that's right, a computer book that only needs updating every seven years).

To sum up: SKIP the certification training class. You'll save time and money. BUY O'Reilly(Nutshell if possible). BUY Cisco routers for the house. Run Windows and Unix servers at home off of cheap PC's. Go work for a temp agency, they'll hire anybody with the certs, and you can get your foot in the door.

This will get you rolling faster than courses and classes will. Certification classes are for people afraid to get their feet wet and are a waste of time and money.

Now, if you want to go to COLLEGE, that's a whole different story. Computer Science, the real deal, is worth the money in the end because of the types of jobs you can get. These classes have value and will challenge you, and can teach you to write code, very good code.

Galaxee, I WILL be very upset if I find out DH just enrolled at DeVry or ITT Tech. Please report back to me that he just spent $100 on an MCSE test and bombed it but now he knows what the test looks like, and is busy reading a Nutshell book.

Make me proud.

Nate

 

wow, tahts amazing

 

wow, tahts amazing

 

Another thing to consider:

Where to look for employment. Every single large organization needs IT support. Keep in mind:

Financial Institutions - many IT jobs require a background check, any database experience is relevant.
Hotels - most now maintain a wireless high speed network, as well as their own, critical machines - some networking knowlege is esential as these are usually seperate DMZs. The larger chains usually hire through a central corporate personel department.
Hospitals - LOTS of computers.
Schools - Prev. discussed.
Local government agencies - most come with unions, pension plans, etc. and req. background checks. There are numerous web sites for searching government agencies for jobs.
The Local Paper, depending on the size of their operation.

Good luck.

 

Another thing to consider:

Where to look for employment. Every single large organization needs IT support. Keep in mind:

Financial Institutions - many IT jobs require a background check, any database experience is relevant.
Hotels - most now maintain a wireless high speed network, as well as their own, critical machines - some networking knowlege is esential as these are usually seperate DMZs. The larger chains usually hire through a central corporate personel department.
Hospitals - LOTS of computers.
Schools - Prev. discussed.
Local government agencies - most come with unions, pension plans, etc. and req. background checks. There are numerous web sites for searching government agencies for jobs.
The Local Paper, depending on the size of their operation.

Good luck.

 

galaxee, go return the non-O'Reilly books and get the O'Reilly Nutshell books.

I mean it.

The A+ book, and all those other books, are there to stroke your ego. Don't let your man fall into the trap, reading the book that has everything in it, and reassuring himself because he's reading about topics he already knows. That's what those books are for. That's what the classes are for. Stroking egos and wasting time and money.

O'Reilly, through some mysterious force in the universe, prints books that only contain things that you don't already know. And even more mysteriously, explains it to you in a way that makes you understand it right away, and remember it later.

Listen to me. I'm looking you straight in the eye. I am a former Toyota Master Technician who went into the tech field, and have done well. I know exactly where your husband stands, more so than anyone else ever will. He is smart, analytical, and technical, and can leapfrog the process.

I hope that you don't even bother responding to this post because you got in your Prius and went to Barnes and Noble to return whatever oversized books you have and are buying the O'Reilly right now. Can't find them? Hint: they are the tiny books with no crap filler in them.

Nate

 

galaxee, go return the non-O'Reilly books and get the O'Reilly Nutshell books.

I mean it.

The A+ book, and all those other books, are there to stroke your ego. Don't let your man fall into the trap, reading the book that has everything in it, and reassuring himself because he's reading about topics he already knows. That's what those books are for. That's what the classes are for. Stroking egos and wasting time and money.

O'Reilly, through some mysterious force in the universe, prints books that only contain things that you don't already know. And even more mysteriously, explains it to you in a way that makes you understand it right away, and remember it later.

Listen to me. I'm looking you straight in the eye. I am a former Toyota Master Technician who went into the tech field, and have done well. I know exactly where your husband stands, more so than anyone else ever will. He is smart, analytical, and technical, and can leapfrog the process.

I hope that you don't even bother responding to this post because you got in your Prius and went to Barnes and Noble to return whatever oversized books you have and are buying the O'Reilly right now. Can't find them? Hint: they are the tiny books with no crap filler in them.

Nate

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(naterprius @ Sep 12 2007, 12:40 PM) [snapback]511411[/snapback]</div>

I agree with this 100% - O'Reilly books are by far the best out there. I've been programming since a very young age, and have been exposed to just about every type of programming book out there (and trust me, there are a ton more than you'll find at B&N). O'Reilly are the best. When i need a book for anything, thats what i stock my shelf with. Heck, when i was in school, i often had the required book for the class sitting on my shelf next to the applicable O'Reilly book.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(naterprius @ Sep 12 2007, 12:40 PM) [snapback]511411[/snapback]</div>

I agree with this 100% - O'Reilly books are by far the best out there. I've been programming since a very young age, and have been exposed to just about every type of programming book out there (and trust me, there are a ton more than you'll find at B&N). O'Reilly are the best. When i need a book for anything, thats what i stock my shelf with. Heck, when i was in school, i often had the required book for the class sitting on my shelf next to the applicable O'Reilly book.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(naterprius @ Sep 11 2007, 11:54 PM) [snapback]511117[/snapback]</div>

That's totally not the point of a computer science education, or even college in general.

A college education should be seen as preparing you for a lifetime of learning. I hire software developers, and the ability to write code is a low-order skill that you're assumed to have to even get past the initial filtering done by the HR recruiters.

Software development can be a very lucrative career. A senior developer at my company can easily receive cash compensation in the low-to-mid $200k range, between salary, profit sharing, bonuses, and stock grants. And the very top tech positions, which have titles like "Distinguished Engineer" or "Fellow" have base salaries over $300k. But these positions are much harder to come by with all of the offshoring and outsourcing taking place in the industry. Coming right out of school, you're not going to get heavily recruited unless your degree is from MIT, CMU, Stanford, or a similar top engineering school. If you've got some solid experience in industry, that changes things a lot. However, I've seen a lot of average performers with degrees from mediocre schools lose their jobs since 2000, and they've had to change careers as no one wants to pay the premium of a US employee unless you're a star performer.

On the other hand, if you have the skills that are in demand, and a solid track record, you'll have no shortage of job offers. I have a friend with a very impressive resume who takes contract development jobs and his phone rings off the hook with people who want to hire him for $150 or more per hour.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(naterprius @ Sep 11 2007, 11:54 PM) [snapback]511117[/snapback]</div>

That's totally not the point of a computer science education, or even college in general.

A college education should be seen as preparing you for a lifetime of learning. I hire software developers, and the ability to write code is a low-order skill that you're assumed to have to even get past the initial filtering done by the HR recruiters.

Software development can be a very lucrative career. A senior developer at my company can easily receive cash compensation in the low-to-mid $200k range, between salary, profit sharing, bonuses, and stock grants. And the very top tech positions, which have titles like "Distinguished Engineer" or "Fellow" have base salaries over $300k. But these positions are much harder to come by with all of the offshoring and outsourcing taking place in the industry. Coming right out of school, you're not going to get heavily recruited unless your degree is from MIT, CMU, Stanford, or a similar top engineering school. If you've got some solid experience in industry, that changes things a lot. However, I've seen a lot of average performers with degrees from mediocre schools lose their jobs since 2000, and they've had to change careers as no one wants to pay the premium of a US employee unless you're a star performer.

On the other hand, if you have the skills that are in demand, and a solid track record, you'll have no shortage of job offers. I have a friend with a very impressive resume who takes contract development jobs and his phone rings off the hook with people who want to hire him for $150 or more per hour.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Sep 12 2007, 03:31 PM) [snapback]511477[/snapback]</div>

Maybe he can fix my software; it usually doesn't work. :lol:

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Sep 12 2007, 03:31 PM) [snapback]511477[/snapback]</div>

Maybe he can fix my software; it usually doesn't work. :lol:

Tom