Certs are hard even for some pros

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Aspirin

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I'm serious about that. I just completed my MBA in CIS with an A average and have a Bachellors in BIS also with an A average. I managed to get certified in A+, CNE, and dual MCSP (the XP and Server 2003 tests of the MCSE track). After passing two tests of the MCSE track I failed the third and stopped testing after that. Very difficult tests in my opinion.

I ran a company's network as the network administrator for four years before leaving to go full time on my MBA and got excellent experience managing a PIX firewall, various routers, a VPN concentrator, switches, a repeater, etc... just on the Cisco side. I contracted a network solution vendor to help me upgrade the entire network to a 100mb fast ethernet to the desktop (gigabyte backbone) and windows 2003 active directory over four geographical locations and it went off well. I could go on but I did a good job and got great reviews and good compensation but honestly passing those certs were really difficult. And I never did finish the CCNA or the MCSE in those four years.

To all of you who are working full time as network analysts, network engineers, network administrators, and top tier network support who are MCSE with CCNA I take my hat off to you.

I did hear that it was easier to get the NT 40 MCSE and upgrade it than getting the 2000 MCSE from scratch; however, I was already into 2000 by then.

Just some comments from another working nerd. I'd like to pass the CCNA but not sure if it's worth all that effort at this point. Might be though. Anyways, peace.
 
If you have an MBA In CIS I dont know why you're worried about getting meaningless certifications.
 
Oh I wouldn't call them meaningless. That's going too far imo. Certifications have their place. They can enhance your ability to secure teaching positions where certification courses are taught and better secure positions where they are considered desirable.

You can also wallpaper your office with them. They look pretty up there on the wall next to your diplomas.

Whatever, the point is they do have a value and aren't entirely meaningless. Of course they are not the end all they were once touted to be about ten years ago.. rofl. But they do have a value and are not meaningless.
 
I meant they would be meaningless to you since you have experience and a nice MBA. The only way certifications could help you is if your employer gives you a pay increase for getting them. What kind of teaching positions are you talking about? Now a days even teaching highschool requires a masters.
 
What high school teachers need a masters? Here in Florida they are so desperate for teachers that anybody with a Bachelors can be a teacher. Any grade level.

Also, to the original poster, I dont think it would be easier to go NT40->2000 MCSE. I am MCSE NT4 and 2000, and I did the upgrade path. The upgrade test was 4 hours long and like 100 questions, and it used the newer adaptive testing. Also, you only had one chance to pass.
 
TheHeadFL said:
What high school teachers need a masters? Here in Florida they are so desperate for teachers that anybody with a Bachelors can be a teacher. Any grade level.

Also, to the original poster, I dont think it would be easier to go NT40->2000 MCSE. I am MCSE NT4 and 2000, and I did the upgrade path. The upgrade test was 4 hours long and like 100 questions, and it used the newer adaptive testing. Also, you only had one chance to pass.

Flordia is one of the worst states for highschool education in the US, so this is not surprising. But I think they would still have to get their masters since it is a government requirement. What they might do, is hire the teachers out of under grad, then give them so many years to get their masters before they let them go.
 
Cert. tests can be very very hard, this guy I know is prolly 27 years old, has tons of certifications, very smart in server side especially w/ MS, read MCSE books word for word cover to cover and it still took 2 or 3 tries to pass 2k3 infra. Very difficult tests.
 
I guess now that I finally have an MBA in CIS I don't think much of it. It's just more wallpaper to me.

Wallpaper isn't enough. To be successful you need excellent people skills, the abilility to effectively manage, attributes, all applied well and in a way that gives you a strategic advantage. My humble opinion.
 
I agree, but that MBA is worth more then all certs combined in my opinion. Now you just need the experience to go along with the MBA :)
 
You got it right on the experience factor. Because I've been in tech support and network engineering and a network adminstrator for many years: I don't have MBA experience. ROFL! I know, I'll just form a Nevada Corporation online for under $100 and make myself the CEO.. haha...
 
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