Studying for certs ='s brain now goo

[Claymonkey]

So I've been rather MIA from here lately. I'd like to say it was because I've been making more art but that's is at best only mildly true and for the last month its been very untrue.

Due to the craziness that is work I finally got off my butt and am working my way through all the certifications I need to get. If any of you have heard about a rather large international company that focuses on technology services (such as IT infrastructure) being bought out by another international company that focuses on printers and computers then you know a bit about what's going on. When the combined company has 300k jobs and they announce plans to get rid or 24.6k of them.. you start to prepare.

So... two weeks ago I took my Citrix CCA certification (Presentation Server 4.5 Administration) and passed with a 96%.

Today I'm taking my Windows Server 2003 Management and Maintenance, 70-290, certification which if I pass it will be my second MCP and I'll be further down the path for my MCSA and then MCSE.

I'm self taught almost completely (BFA in Sculpture) and studying does show you how you know a lot of high end stuff but you tend to forget how you skipped over some pretty basic stuff along the way.

Wish me luck.

[Jammrock]

Congrats and good luck. I'll be joining you on the cert trail once I get done with some projects at work. Going for my Server 2008 certs.

[Nowhere]

What, no bitching at uselessnes of those certs?

(now, don't get me wrong...they can be usefull for sure, if you want it; but it's quite easy to stumble on stories of people for whom the cert itself is a goal/hiring people for which it's a benchmark of a candidate)

[Gurm]

It really depends. For the jobs Claymonkey would be seeking, it's beneficial. Citrix administration is a weird little universe.

I didn't get my job on the basis of certifications, but certainly they are a potent argument for advancement/pay increases...

I'll be Exchange 2007 certified come end-of-year, on the MS technical specialist track (contributory to MCSE 2008). Probably 2 exams in that. Plus I might end up with some of the MSSQL DBA stuff.

[Claymonkey]

So I passed the Server 2k3 70-290 cert. I'm a little annoyed with myself that I only got a 780 (700 to pass out of 1000), especially after getting a 1000 on my last MCP. Half way done with my MCSA now. Still I passed and prepared for this cram session style.

*yawn* now I need a nap.

[UtwigMU]

Congrats.

Today I need to recertify my certs for that printer/computer company you mentioned, which is making sick. Accredited sales professional cert really is bullshit. My MCSA certification is also not going the way I wanted - too much work. I also have a situation where bosses are telling us we'll have to start walking the plank if revenue doesn't go up.

[Dr Mordrid]

Remember when I was studying for my national boards - after the first 2 months my brain felt like scrambled eggs. Must have done some good - tied for 5th in the US - but boy, did that first pitcher of beer at the post party taste good

[VJ]

Congrats!

[Umfriend]

Congrats and good luck!

[Claymonkey]

Thanks guys. I didn't much sleep that night before the test. I ended up just getting up and going to work at 6am.

It's not the day after no sleep that is bad... its the evening. I came home and passed out on the couch. I had to force myself to go take a walk after an hour nap. I didn't need to start the trend of waking up at 3am.

I'll give myself a few days brain rest.. maybe go over some of the stuff I knew I didn't have down pat for the test and then move on to the 70-291. That and I'm going to use the Exchange 2007 cert as my elective for the MCSA.

[Jammrock]

What, no bitching at uselessnes of those certs?

(now, don't get me wrong...they can be usefull for sure, if you want it; but it's quite easy to stumble on stories of people for whom the cert itself is a goal/hiring people for which it's a benchmark of a candidate)

I have corrected them on the errors of his no-cert ways Okay, maybe not corrected, but reminded them that most HR people like the pretty certs on resumes, so unless you have 20 years industry experience you better have certs if you want the good jobs in most IT shops.

[Claymonkey]

I have corrected them on the errors of his no-cert ways Okay, maybe not corrected, but reminded them that most HR people like the pretty certs on resumes, so unless you have 20 years industry experience you better have certs if you want the good jobs in most IT shops.

This is amazingly true. I've also met the guys WITH 20 years experience that want you to have the certs. Though they tend to be the types that don't think much of self taught and if you didn't have a company send you to training... feh.

[Gurm]

This is amazingly true. I've also met the guys WITH 20 years experience that want you to have the certs. Though they tend to be the types that don't think much of self taught and if you didn't have a company send you to training... feh.

Because those training courses are AWESOMEZ (not. *snicker*)

[Claymonkey]

Because those training courses are AWESOMEZ (not. *snicker*)

You know.. when I first started out I got my company to send me to an A+ certification class and New Horizons. It was a week long... and was completely useless. It was working on computers for dummies and I spent more time explaining what the teacher said to the people around me than anything. Not one useful thing was taught.. the books were good though.. they just didn't match up to the class itself.

You can memorize IRQ tables and port charts till you're blue in the face but I DO find that real life experience is worth more.

I say this though when I'm not at a point where I need both. Though, I refuse to learn the things I need for these tests and just be a papercert. learning all this without application.. truly useless.

Gurm, JW and I have talked about this a lot and I truly believe that the best IT guys I've met studied something other than computers in college, or at least had other interests. Being well rounded lets you think about things in ways that one trick ponies just can't. Also, I prefer all the network admins that have done time in call centers or at help desk. they have people skills and realize that the functionality of their servers and networks aren't in some weird little void and users being unhappy... matters.