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?

 

[kmcferrin]

I already knew that consulting doesn't give you any of those things. That's reason enough to stay enough from it. Thank you for helping prove my point.

I have all of those things, plus 401k, free training, education reimbursement, etc, so you're obviously wrong there.

The key phrase here is "off and on." If these consulting firms are such fine employers, then what is the reason for ever going off? I would think that if it is so great, one would go on and stay on. It seems that you have also worked for many different ones as well.

Again, you are reading your own biases into what I'm saying. I have worked for three consulting firms, two were so-so and I only took one contract from each of them. The third firm is who I work for now, and I've got about 18 months with them now, in addition to almost 5 years with them on a previous "tour".

Regarding the "off and on," I only left consulting once since I started, and that was for a truly unique opportunity to build a new company from the ground up. I worked for that company for three years until it was sold, and then I went back to consulting. Up until the point where the company was sold it was a great job, and something that I would consider a once in a lifetime opportunity. It's also an opportunity that I would not have gotten had I not been consulting, as they came to my consulting company looking for someone with my speciific skillset on a contract-to-hire basis. Of course I wouldn't have even had those specific skills had I not picked them up through consulting to begin with.

So yeah, consulting is great. I work for a great company with intelligent coworkers. We are constantly engaged on projects that are challenging an interesting, with more opportunities for professional growth than you can shake a stick at.

Have you ever tried consulting? If not, I'd suggest you do so (if you have the skills, of course). Otherwise you would do well to keep your mouth shut about things with which you have no experience.

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

 

[acewarlock]

I love doing Contract work as I get bored doing the same old crap day in and day out. I usually get hired to fix all the things the perm employees messed up or didn't know how to do it. I have a 401K and Vac and I don't need the Ins so I get extra money. Don't knock it till you've tried it. The last full time Perm job I had there where 30 IT people and 25 of them where Temps and they had been there 5 or more years untill the company was sold and the new owners merged us in there company and layed everyone but 3 people off.




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.

 

[shoalcreek]

Don't knock it till you've tried it.

This is very presumptuous. I have done contract work. I generally did it for companies that weren't very organized or well run. Quite a few of the jobs were quite boring and certainly didn't help with career growth.

Now that I am back on a "normal" job, I have vowed: "Never again."

 

[acewarlock]

No more presumptuous then you. But hey good luck.

I have to agree with stella740pl, you havn't proven any point except you don't like Contracting. It may work for other's. I have been contracting on and off since 1986, whenever company's are laying off, contracting picks up.




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.