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What Certifications are Valuable in Today's IT?
ganjadude asks: "I am a twenty-something who took the CCNA classes back in 2001. College at the time was not an option, so I am mainly self-taught in the field. I was wondering if there were others on Slashdot who took this route, and what certifications they have found will best further their careers. Does college matter in the security field anymore, or are certifications the way to go?"
What certifications would you recommend as the most pertinent in today's IT market?
Personally I never had a desire to go to college. I started working at an ISP when I was 15 due to my desire to learn, not to mention Linux experience. I've had my share of crappy IT jobs working at a repair shop, or what have you. However all of that served as a good learning experience. I am 22 and currently hold a CCNA and MCP (I only did MCP because my ex-employer had an MCSE and I bet him I could pass an MCP without studying, and I won) I currently work in an environment where everyone else has a bachelor's or better. I'm a Network Engineer, dealing in a large enterprise Cisco network, I make about 25/hour when you break it all down without ever setting foot in a college. I'm not saying a degree is not the way to go, but it's not the only way to go.
In a world of acronyms, the words are the real victims.
I WORKED in several shops where the 'managers' thought certifications
were the best thing in the world. Sadly, most of the people thet hired
with 'Certifications - you name the cert' were simply test takers.
We replaced EVERY one of those people within 2 months of their employment.
WE ended up doing the work THEY were supposed to be able to handle.
They can line their bird cages with certs.