What is dear techie all about?
Looking for answers to your certification and IT career questions? Post your question on our tech support blog and receive an answer directly from IT professionals Wayne Anderson and Ken Wagner. Anderson is a highly certified instructional consultant and the certification lead for Avanade, a global Microsoft consultancy. Wagner is an IT network manager and part-time IT lecturer in the United Kingdom. He has lived in the United States, Asia and Europe.
Dear Techie,
I have been a network technician for about two years, and I have the A+, Network+, Security+, Project+, CIW Site Designer and the MCP. My question is, if I want to work my way into network design, should I try to get the CCDA/CCDP certification or go with a vendor-neutral certification? If the answer is the latter, do you know of any vendor-neutral certs with the kind of reputation that Cisco has? I would like to remain relevant to all of the networks that don’t use Cisco; however, I am aware that Cisco holds about 80 percent of the market.
Asked by joneseri on (08-18-2008)
Ken Wagner: Dear joneseri,
There are a range of certificates and qualifications that you can look into, depending on what you classify as network design. In addition to the CCDA and CCDP, there are other vendors that offer alternative design certs or modules, such as Microsoft and its MCSE program (from a systems design point of view), 3Com’s Certified Enterprise LAN Specialist, Juniper certification, etc. As for choosing a vendor certification program, I would recommend going down the route that matches the current technology you work with. As for vendor-neutral certificates and qualifications, the only ones I can recommend either would be part of a degree program or something along the lines of the BCS (British Computer Society) Certificate in IT Architecture. However, your national professional IT association might be able to provide you with more information regarding nationally accredited and recognized qualifications for your country. According to a May article on Wirelessdesignasia.com, Cisco now holds 57 percent of the market, followed closely by Juniper. It goes to show that other vendors are improving their equipment dramatically. Which vendor will have the top place or the biggest slice of the market in a few years’ time is hard to predict. That’s not to say that vendor-specific certs aren’t useful; there will always be an overlap of information between different programs, so only the vendor-specific information will be irrelevant. Just remember that whatever certification or qualification you go for, experience is more valuable, regardless of how it is attained — whether through job shadowing, volunteering or job placement. Certifications and qualifications will not guarantee you career progression; they will only assist you when added to the rest of your experience and skills.
~Ken Wagner
Wayne Anderson: Dear joneseri,
When you work with network design, as far as the industry is concerned, Cisco’s certifications really are the most common set of accepted credentials to validate those skills. While I certainly can appreciate the focus on staying relevant to all networks, the simple fact of the matter is that network design is so specialized there are not very good vendor-independent certifications. There are some universities that offer network systems design as a credit course or a certificate course, usually at the graduate level, but the ones I surveyed were still principally based on Cisco’s routers and Catalyst brand of switches. If you opt not to pursue a credential from Cisco, you would be pursuing a credential from another vendor, such as the CompTIA Network+. This is not nearly deep enough to target your design focus. If you would like to avoid “vendor lock-in” with your credentials, I would suggest pursuing the Cisco certs as a primary path. Certify in what you work with. Does your company have another brand of switches in the environment? If so, then that should be the focus of your secondary credential. Many vendors do not have a dedicated design credential, so you might have to go after the administrator/engineer certification that includes design components.
~Wayne Anderson
Wayne Anderson is a highly certified instructional consultant and the certification lead for Avanade, a global Microsoft consultancy. Ken Wagner is an IT network manager and part-time IT lecturer in the United Kingdom. He has lived in the United States, Asia and Europe.
Dear Techie,
I have been working at Wipro for the past two years. Initially I was in business process outsourcing (BPO) and my role was to support all U.S.-based customers who are using Dell products. Now I have been selected for Wipro Technologies’ State Street Project. My project is based on working on a server, and I am working as a service desk analyst. I want to know which certifications I should select to grow in this field and to have better opportunities.
Asked by Priyanka Roy on (08-06-2008)
Ken Wagner: Dear Priyanka Roy,
Start developing your professional development plan and determine in which environment you intend to work. However, one certification program you may want to check out is CompTIA’s Server+, a non-vendor-specific program that is geared to server technologies and will assist you in whichever route you choose. Other certification programs I would recommend would include: The Dell Certified Systems Expert (DCSE); The HDI Support Center Analyst; ITIL v3 (IT Infrastructure Library); Prince2, CompTIA Project+ and/or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM); Six Sigma Green Belt program.
~Ken Wagner
Wayne Anderson: Dear Priyanka Roy,
In order to grow yourself in the server space, you need to determine the kinds of environments you intend to support throughout your career. Are they going to be large environments? Do you anticipate them to be primarily Microsoft shops or another platform and vendor? Right now, it sounds like you are at the classic turning point, where one makes the transition from a direct customer-support environment to getting involved in the infrastructure side of information technology operations. I would advise two things for you at this juncture: Build a lab to gain experience, and then plan for 36 months of self-development. First, ensure you have gathered the necessary resources to invest in your learning. The odds are that your employer is not going to provide a lab machine that you can build and tear down server products on, so you will need to build that at home. To save money and enhance the effectiveness of your investment, I strongly recommend using one or two machines and implementing the free VMware Server product, available at www.vmware.com. Unfortunately, getting experience on server products often is expensive, particularly in the case of Microsoft Windows-based server products, as you will need to ascertain a technical subscription to MSDN or TechNet to gain personal access to server-class products at minimal cost. An alternative is to use trial download versions of these products, which stop working properly after 120 days. Build things and tear them down. Configure infrastructure services such as DHCP, DNS and directory services. Doing so is one of the best ways to learn for most IT professionals. As for your development plan for the next 36 months, assuming you work in a Microsoft shop, I would advise focusing on your MCITP: Server Administrator credential during that time. This will apply a series of five exams to build your framework of knowledge with the Windows Server 2008 platform while you separately are building your experience. If you are in a Linux environment, I would advise you to choose one of the major distributions, such as Red Hat or SUSE and plan to certify to the engineer level with that platform.
~Wayne Anderson
Wayne Anderson is a highly certified instructional consultant and the certification lead for Avanade, a global Microsoft consultancy. Ken Wagner is an IT network manager and part-time IT lecturer in the United Kingdom. He has lived in the United States, Asia and Europe.
Dear Techie,
I am looking for some sound advice regarding CISA and the IT auditor. I am considering moving into IT auditor as a career option. I have been working in IT for the last eight years, but mostly in network support. I would like your opinion on whether IT audit would be a wise career move; and furthermore, judging from my work experience, would I be able to apply for CISA certification? Thanks for your time. Regards, Donald Chodeva
Asked by Donald on (06-06-2008)
Ken Wagner: Dear Donald,
To become a certified IT auditor, I would recommend an auditing certification such as the CISA. However, there are more general audit qualifications such as the Certified Internal Auditor offered by the Institute of Internal Auditors. Or there’s a more specialized qualification program offered by (ISC)2 that includes the CAP, the SSCP or the higher CISSP certification. Combine any of the above certification programs with other IT professional certifications and this will only enhance your chances of entering the field. The CISA is internationally recognized, and it’s reinforced by the fact that you can’t just sit for the exam at a normal testing center, but at set ISACA-named centers only at set periods. Getting CISA status is not as easy as just passing an exam. ISACA says: “A minimum of five years of professional information systems auditing, control or security work experience (as described in the job practice areas) is required for certification. Substitutions and waivers of such experience may be obtained if certain education and general IS or audit experience requirements are met.” I must point out that you are moving from one area of IT where you have eight years experience to another field of IT: Do not expect an easy or smooth transition. You’ll be moving from a hands-on job to one where you’ll be assessing systems and then handing over your findings. Plus, your salary may drop as you’ll be entering the field at an entry-level position. While the IT auditing field isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it is still a good field to get into, especially since it is one that is rapidly growing due to companies’ increasing awareness of security and the need for legal compliance.
~Ken Wagner
Wayne Anderson: Dear Donald,
No matter your level of experience with information security, I would encourage you to start preparing in this area. One of the key things about a certification is that part of the credential is to certify your experience in the subject matter. I would advise starting with a lower level certification (or two, depending on your budget and time available) and working up to the CISA. My recommendation for your first credential in this space would either be the CompTIA Security+ or the GSEC from GIAC. Security+ is one of the worst-written exams I have sat for in terms of the lack of polish; however, it has a more comprehensive set of material than many credentials that have a more senior placement in the industry. You are building a solid footing to make sure this is something you have a basic understanding of and something you will be interested in long term. The CISA has a cost both in terms of sitting for the exam and the extensive study required. At the same time, the rewards of the CISA credential also could be significant, depending on your expectations. Certification Magazine’s 2007 Salary Survey indicated that individuals with the CISA earned, on average, $98,740. CISA-certified folks are in demand, too. At the time of this writing, a search on the keyword “CISA” on each of the major search engines turned up voluminous results, including 1,277 listings on one first-tier employment site. I would caution you to temper your enthusiasm with the knowledge that using the CISA to get a job will only help you go after one of these positions in combination with experience. Until then, expect your CISA to be a key to entry-level positions that will pay off in the long run with increased salary and desirability as an experienced employee.
~Wayne Anderson
Wayne Anderson is a highly certified instructional consultant and the certification lead for Avanade, a global Microsoft consultancy. Ken Wagner is an IT network manager and part-time IT lecturer in the United Kingdom. He has lived in the United States, Asia and Europe.
Dear Techie,
Do certifications such as MOS and IT certifications in general help in an economy like this? How do you make sense of jobs going to India? I think getting a MOS certification would help me. However, my company does not seem to honor that. The problem is I have not used much of what I learned. –Cynthia
Asked by Cynthia on (06-06-2008)
Ken Wagner: Dear Cynthia,
I will answer your questions one at a time, based on my own experiences and views. “Do certifications such as MOS and IT certifications in general help in an economy like this?” Any certification or credential will help in this or any economy. Coupled with experience, soft skills and personality, they will give you an edge over an unqualified person. “How do you make sense of jobs going to India?” I cannot comment on specifics; however, generally, there are both pros and cons organizations face when dealing with offshoring. Some of the pros are: Pay rates can be cheaper, and therefore more competitive, due to the lower cost of living abroad. Also, in a lot of developing countries — especially when unemployment is high — people are pushed to gain more skills and certifications in order to gain employment. So their technical knowledge and skills are higher. Some of the cons are: A company needs to control its quality standards, and with offshoring, a lot of companies can’t. It will see an increased language barrier, not only with general communication but also regional. There are also security issues. There have been a few cases recently in which companies that offshored have lost confidential data. If you’re going to stay with your current employer, then first of all, I would recommend doing a certification track that it recognizes as a benefit, especially if you want promotion in that company. If you’re going to leave in the near future, then go ahead and get qualified with certifications that are more likely to benefit you with other companies.
~Ken Wagner
Wayne Anderson: Dear Cynthia,
As with any certification, the value of the certification at the company you are applying to or already working for depends on the recruiting process and your level of experience and credentialing in the industry. If you are at the top of the competitive pool for a promotion or to be hired at a company, then certifications become a differentiating factor. If you are not yet at the top of the pool, certifications can put you higher on that list but may not make you the ultimate candidate to get the promotion or the job. Outsourcing to India has been a mixed bag, and a lot of its impact depends on where you are in the industry. If your job is as first-line help-desk support or office specialist, something of that nature, your position may be more vulnerable to pay reductions because market forces have to balance, and the demand for your role onshore may no longer sustain a higher salary. In some industries, it has allowed more senior professionals to focus more granularly on being an expert. In the training arena, for example, I have seen much of actual course production at Microsoft and similar vendors go overseas. The folks who used to have that job in the U.S. often end up becoming onshore liaisons between the experts and organization supporting the content and the folks developing it. Through outsourcing some of the old work, these folks have found a more capability-focused position.
