Anyone else here persuing one of the new Microsoft Certifications?

[Bisquitlips]

Time to get my certs for MS 2008 Server. Is anyone else studying for these??

I am just looking for what resources you are utilizing for your studies. In the past I have used Transcender, Measure UP, Exam Crams, and some of the Self Paced Study Kits by MS. These still look pretty good, but I am open to others. I am currently installing my Windows 2008 lab with 4 servers and 2 clients. Virtual Server based.

Any suggestions will be happily investigated!

[Bisquitlips]

Crap, crap, crap, cra..cr..CRAP!!! I posted this in the wrong section. Mods, please move to open discussions. My sincere apologies all!!

[JimSnyder]

I don't even know what your talking about Richard but so far this is a funny thread

[2careless]

I wouldn't do those certs unless my employer tells me to do them at their expenses and give me time off to study for them!

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by 2careless

I wouldn't do those certs unless my employer tells me to do them at their expenses and give me time off to study for them!

They don't give me the time off to study, but do pay for the classes, books, and tests.

[Paulie]

I went down the cert road during the 90's. Problem with them is they get old and as technology changes they become less valuable/useful (My OS/2 Warp Server cert looks pretty but makes me ZERO money). What is hurting my career now not having a college degree. Don't let the certs take the place of one or more of them. :)

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by Paulie

I went down the cert road during the 90's. Problem with them is they get old and as technology changes they become less valuable/useful (My OS/2 Warp Server cert looks pretty but makes me ZERO money). What is hurting my career now not having a college degree. Don't let the certs take the place of one or more of them. :)

I understand what you mean, but where I come from Certs are more important than anything but experience. It's the guys who write the paychecks that want them and it also goes a long way toward job security. When you have them and the other guys don't. You stay and they go. Why? Because they can bill more per hour for me than they can for them.

[gmh1013]

I have a Novell CNA, A+, MCSE for N.T. and one for Server 2000 and some Avaya crap, and the biggie CCNA
then I stopped, its a never ending cycle that I grew tired of playing and making Mr.Gates richer.
I went to sales ....doubled salary

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by gmh1013

I have a Novell CNA, A+, MCSE for N.T. and one for Server 2000 and some Avaya crap, and the biggie CCNA
then I stopped, its a never ending cycle that I grew tired of playing and making Mr.Gates richer.
I went to sales ....doubled salary

What kind of sales are you into Greg?

I know the feeling of the never ending cycle! I have 4 MS, 2 IBM, and 1 Cisco cert. It is a burn trying to keep up with them. Now gotta do my MS for Server 2008.

[gmh1013]

Originally Posted by Bisquitlips

What kind of sales are you into Greg?

I know the feeling of the never ending cycle! I have 4 MS, 2 IBM, and 1 Cisco cert. It is a burn trying to keep up with them. Now gotta do my MS for Server 2008.

Did sell for IBM....I had to leave 2 years ago due to a back injury.
But when I did sell ....I sold to Harvard, MTI, Yale and Harvard Medical etc.
I really made closer to 3x more than I did as MCSE.
Look for sales eng positions at Dell, HP IBM etc....give dog and pony shows
and lots of powerpoint demo's at lunch, and Travel to exotic places like
New Jersey...and lug around demo servers
Its better than getting calls on weekends and 3 am

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by gmh1013

Did sell for IBM....I had to leave 2 years ago due to a back injury.
But when I did sell ....I sold to Harvard, MTI, Yale and Harvard Medical etc.
I really made closer to 3x more than I did as MCSE.
Look for sales eng positions at Dell, HP IBM etc....give dog and pony shows
and lots of powerpoint demo's at lunch, and Travel to exotic places like
New Jersey...and lug around demo servers
Its better than getting calls on weekends and 3 am

Isn't that the truth! I am on call this week and have been paged all week! This is the one part of this business I hate.

3X more than an MCSE??!! That is a great income. I may have to try that at some point.

[Ed Rooney]

I have an MCSE and CCNA, among others. I am at Director level now so I don't worry too much about certs. I just do a few to help keep our gold partner status and get lots of free software. Since gaining my original MCSE 10 years ago, I just pick tests here and there to help keep up to date. I'll never have the need, time or desire to do a full blown MCSE or whatever again.

The Cisco stuff is a little different since they expire in 3 years. If I am near an expiration and I have been working on a specialist exam I go take it. If I haven't I beef up for a week and go take CCNA again.

IT is weird. It's too easy to braindump Microsoft certs, so I don't have any faith in hiring by them. The 2 or 3 smartest IT guys I ever knew had no certs and a liberal arts degree.

[gmh1013]

Originally Posted by Ed Rooney

I have an MCSE and CCNA, among others. I am at Director level now so I don't worry too much about certs. I just do a few to help keep our gold partner status and get lots of free software. Since gaining my original MCSE 10 years ago, I just pick tests here and there to help keep up to date. I'll never have the need, time or desire to do a full blown MCSE or whatever again.

The Cisco stuff is a little different since they expire in 3 years. If I am near an expiration and I have been working on a specialist exam I go take it. If I haven't I beef up for a week and go take CCNA again.

IT is weird. It's too easy to braindump Microsoft certs, so I don't have any faith in hiring by them. The 2 or 3 smartest IT guys I ever knew had no certs and a liberal arts degree.

Amen, the smartest guy I have ever seen had no certs .....just a MBA from ASU and left IBM for Intel in Chandler AZ. Im sure I will see a Nguyen chip
in the near future...named after him.

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by Ed Rooney

I have an MCSE and CCNA, among others. I am at Director level now so I don't worry too much about certs. I just do a few to help keep our gold partner status and get lots of free software. Since gaining my original MCSE 10 years ago, I just pick tests here and there to help keep up to date. I'll never have the need, time or desire to do a full blown MCSE or whatever again.

The Cisco stuff is a little different since they expire in 3 years. If I am near an expiration and I have been working on a specialist exam I go take it. If I haven't I beef up for a week and go take CCNA again.

IT is weird. It's too easy to braindump Microsoft certs, so I don't have any faith in hiring by them. The 2 or 3 smartest IT guys I ever knew had no certs and a liberal arts degree.

I completely agree about the worthlessness of certs in some circumstances. But the managers like to see them and they never really hurt you on a resume.

[Cephas]

MeasureUp all the way. I am 2 exams away from getting MCIT Pro Enterprise Administrator. In fact I am taking 070-643 next Wednesday...

[2careless]

The best Windows admin I ever met is a Unix/VMS guy. He branched out to do Windows because he couldn't tolerate the Windows guys rebooting problematic machines every day.

[gmh1013]

Originally Posted by 2careless

The best Windows admin I ever met is a Unix/VMS guy. He branched out to do Windows because he couldn't tolerate the Windows guys rebooting problematic machines every day.

Im an old VAX VMS / Unix guy.....very old. Think Vax 11/780