Looking for Advice on Certifications and Degree

[bjmach]

Curious. I currently am 8 yrs away from a 20yr military retirement. Taking A+ Certification class next week via New Horizons. What certs should I pursue next?? Network+, Security+?? CCNA? Microsoft??
Also I have been chipping away at my bachelors degree through Park university. Bachelors in Management/Computer Information Systems. Should I put ahold on the degree and focus on Certs? Just trying to be in the best position when I retire in 8yrs. I also have a TS Clearance which I am told would help me when I retire from the military. Any advice? Suggestions?

 

[genomon]

Looks like you've chosen a networking path. As a programmer for the last 16 years I have found it more useful to get the degree first, then pursue certifications based on your experience and interests. Employers I have worked with (all two of them, but had lotsa interviews) seem more interested in experience and a track record of critical thinking and accomplishments. IMHO, certs are icing on the cake.
Good Luck (and thanks for serving)!



"Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without."

 

[SQLSister]

The TS clearance will help alot if you choose to pursue employment with the Federal government or government contractors. Make sure to put it on your resume.

Having done a lot of hiring, if I have two resumes with roughly the same experience, a college degree will count for more in my eyes than any cert. There are far too many people out there with certs that don't know their stuff for most hiring managers to give them a lot of credence. While there are people with degrees that don't know their stuff either, at least the degree shows a level of ability to persist to accomplish something that a cert does not. In order these are the things that are important to me
1. Pertinent experience
2. demonstrated ability to accomplish something (I want someone who can point to specific projects that have been implementd not someone who says responsible for maintaining the system in a resume)
3. demonstrated ability to learn new languages/technologies, etc.
4.formal education (BS or MS first, AA or AS or technical school or PhD second, some schooling but no degree third)
5. certs



"NOTHING is more important in a database than integrity." ESquared

 

[spamly]

There's nothing wrong with certifications, but with 8 years until you get out of the military, you need to make sure that your certs aren't dated.

Make sure you use your GI benefits. You're probably aware of how the military will help you go to school while you're serving. Take advantage of this! I got my associates while I was in. Not bad, but I wish I would have gotten many more credits finished. It has taken me almost 10 years to finish up my bachelors degree. The major obstacles were money, time, and just life.

If a degree is something that you are planning on doing, start now. Putting it off just makes it more difficult. On a related note, a bachelor's degree looks good on promotion boards.

Also, certifications are good for specialties. Degrees may (depending on the degree) be better for a broader range of careers.

Good luck!

 

[Bandenjamin]

I'll agree with everyone else, with 8 years to go till you'll be looking many of your certs will be completely out of date by the time you hit the job market. Use the time to get a BA/BS or even an MS if you can do it. Once you hit the open market then look at what certs will best help you get the job you want and go for them then (Maybe start looking a year before you actually leave so you know which to get).

The company I work for has a very large IS department (3000+) and we go through a lot of people, many come through that have all kinds of certs but lack in real knowledge. At the very least a degree will show that you are dedicated and can acomplish a difficult and time consuming project that last for several years with a lot of ups and downs. I agree with spamly it will only get harder the longer you wait. I'm 31 now and in my Junior year, I'm only able to attend part time because of work/life obligations and it is pretty frustrating knowing that it will probably be another 3 - 5 years before I get my BS, and maybe 7 before i get my masters. (I really hope to do it faster!!)

Good luck, and thank you for serving! If you're ever in the Pacific northwest I'd happily buy you a round

--Dan
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Mark Twain

 

[bjmach]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I forgot to add that the military is paying for most if not all of my certs. Would it still be a waste of time and money since I won't be retiring for another 8 yrs or so? As far as school goes im about 6 classes away from my Bachelors, that will defentiely be done in the next year.

 

[acewarlock]

Education is never a waste of time and the CERTS won't hurt even if the expire, it shows you can do it.




This is a Signature and not part of the answer, it appears on every reply.

This is an Analogy so don't take it personally as some have.

Why change the engine if all you need is to change the spark plugs.

 

[spamly]

Thanks for the clarification.

If the military is paying for the certs now, go ahead and get them. I'd recommend keeping them up to date, if possible.

Leaving the military with experience, a degree, and industry recognized certifications... Not bad at all.

 

[beltmanjr]

I would prioritize the degree and even consider concentrating on a further/higher degree in the 8 years you have left in the service.

Degrees indicate a level of thinking and portray more than being able to sit a bunch of exams and get a paper. A good degree course will help shape how you analyze issues and resolve those.

I was once told, after getting my B. Eng, that I learned nothing that would be of any value to a prospective employer... nothing except for how to solve any problem from A to Z logically. And what more can an employer look for in an employee?

 

[Stella740pl]

I would prioritize the degree and even consider concentrating on a further/higher degree in the 8 years you have left in the service.

I agree with beltmanjr. With 8 years left, Bachelor's degree just a few months away, and while the military is paying, I would go for Master's (possibly MBA, since you are majoring in Management/Computer Information Systems). Then, a little closer to the retirement, would start to do the certs. It may help to ensure that the certs are more up to date, and you get the most value from the education money you are getting from the military.

It would also help if you get some professional experience while serving. After 20 years in military, (hopefully) an advanced degree and some certs, you wouldn't want to go for an entry level position. But if you can show some experience and skills in addition to all of the above, you might be a good candidate for a managerial position somewhere.

 

[beltmanjr]

It would also help if you get some professional experience while serving.

Stella740pl is right. No experience means you are of lesser interest to companies.

Perhaps you can move into a relevant section within the services to gain more experience?

 

[tfg13]

beltmanjr, I think there is a disconnect in what a degree is. Let me explain. You made the statement

Degrees indicate a level of thinking and portray more than being able to sit a bunch of exams and get a paper. A good degree course will help shape how you analyze issues and resolve those.

I tend to agree to a point. But isn't a degree nothing more than sitting a bunch of exams to get a paper? Don't you have to analyze issues and resolve those issues in certifications that require a lab test (such as CCIE)?

As a military man myself with 10.5 years in (yes, I kick myself for getting out), I found that the experience of what I did in itself is what found me jobs, not any particular certification, or degree. Having a TS didn't hurt either.

 

[Stella740pl]

But isn't a degree nothing more than sitting a bunch of exams to get a paper?

For some people, it definitely is.
So is certification - depends on who gets it.
I've seen people for whom work experience is nothing more than sitting on the job some hours for some years.

The difference between a degree and certification (supposed to be, in a general case) is that the degree gives you a well-rounded, rarely-expiring knowledge of concepts, ideas, and theory of how and why everything works the way it does. It gives you an instrument to apply to things that you didn't know how to do - but you got an instrument to approach it.

The certs are usually (in a general case, of course) a proof of a narrow, specialized, dated knowledge in a particular area or a product. Not bad to have, too, but a completely different animal.

But the topic of degree vs. certs is beaten to death here.

 

[bjmach]

Currently I work as a CSA Client Support Administrator so basically do installs etc..for my immediate office customers. Hoping to transfer to the cyber command in the next year or so.

 

[xmsre]

In 1998, I took early retirement at 16 years in a similar situation. I had MCP and immediately began working on MCSE. I took a position with an IT contractor that basicly hired me for the clearance. 10 years and 4 companies later, I'm an industry leader in my field.

experience, certification, experience that exploits the certification has been the repeating cycle throughout my career.

 

[shoalcreek]

The security clearance will help you a lot. Plus, ex-military people hire ex-military people.

Having not served in the military, I try hard to avoid such companies.

Certifications are mostly a waste. Get all the IT experience while in the military.

 

[kmcferrin]

I agree, the security clearance will probably help a lot. My consulting company only has a handful of people with a clearance, but they're never short of work since we do a fair amount of business with the government.

Other than that, it's about experience. Certifications are nice to have, but you really need the experience to back them up or they're meaningless. A lot of people think certs are the way to get in the door. They think that having certs will allow them to get the job to get the experience that they really need. The reality is that certifications should be a demonstration of the knowledge and experience that you already have.

The only exception to that I think would be new technology. For example, Windows 2008 was just released in February, so nobody has much experience working with it. At this point in the game someone with a Windows 2008 certification looks like they're interested in new technology and is working hard to keep up with what's new. Especially if they have certs on previous technology.

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCSE:Security 2003
MCTS:Active Directory
MCTS:Network Infrastructure
MCTS:Applications Infrastructure

 

[SANEngInCO]

By far the degree will server you the best once you finish your military service (thank you for that, BTW). We are no longer in the "good old days" of the IT bubble. That bubble exploded several years ago and companies are looking for more qualified candidates with good experience and a degree. Certifications never hurt (just make sure they're in the realm of what you want to do - ie don't get an MCSE if you want to be a network engineer), but they are now looked at as gravy instead of the entree. If the military is paying for everything, then don't let anyone stop you from getting them. Just be sure you get your degree and maintain a high GPA. Also, a masters would be an incredible card to have in your pocket when the time comes. And with 8 years before getting out, you should have plenty of time to do both.

Good luck and God bless our soldiers.

------------------------------------------------
"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
- Bill Gates, 1981

 

[kmcferrin]

I'm not sure what market you're in, but in the midwestern United States there is a serious dearth of people with solid technical skills, especially at the network/systems engineering level. I personally interview 5-6 people a month (and some of our other consultants do as well) and we're lucky if one or two of them is good enough to hire. Many of our customers have dozens of open reqs for technical resources, many of them listed as contract to hire. Pay scales have been increasing steadily, and if the pattern holds they're not going away any time soon. At this point (as has been the case for years) what you know is far more important than whether you have a degree or not, unless you're looking for a management job.

And by the way, Bill Gates never said that.

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator

 

[SANEngInCO]

I agree that the Midwest has a lack of good, quality candidates. I actually just left the Midwest for Colorado and a great opportunity that I couldn't find back home (Indianapolis). This is why I feel a degree is more important now than ever. A degree shows you can be taught, work in groups and are responsible. Certifications anymore just tell people you can memorize a book (or a Test King test) and pass a test.

There is certainly a difference between being experienced and having experience. But everything I see these days requires a degree of some type. Since the IT bubble burst several years ago, hiring just anyone with a certification is no more. It's just my opinion and the experience I see in my travels / job changes as a technical engineer/administrator.

I won't agree the quote. For every website that says he said it, there's one that says he didn't. Not worth the headache.

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"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
Albert Einstein