A Guide to the Levels of it Certification
In the ever-changing IT world where a bachelor’s degree means less and less, certifications have arose as the primary way to prove to your employer that you posses a skill and can actually put it to use. Which career path you wish to pursue determines which certifications you will need to attain. Generally speaking, garnering certifications outside of your career path will not hurt you in any way, but they may be more difficult for you since it is out of your area of expertise. There are 4 major IT areas that have clear certification paths available. They are server administration, database administration, support, and networking.
Server administration generally consists of Microsoft certifications, since the vast number of servers run Microsoft operating systems. Prior to the release and mainstream use of Windows Server 2008, the crowning jewel of Microsoft certifications was MCSE (Microsoft Certified System Engineer). With the advent of Server 2008 however, the title MCSE has lost much of its validity as it was focused on the Server 2000 and Server 2003 platforms. The new equivalent for Server 2008 is Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Administrator. The top level Microsoft certifications, be it MCSE or Enterprise Administrator, are some of the most sought after certifications by employers of server administrators.
Database administration focuses exclusively on the management of databases, resulting in a very different certification path. There are two separate paths for DBA certification, resulting from the two main databases in use in industry. Microsoft Certified Database Administrator shows you can understand and support SQL Server databases. Oracle has several different levels of certification for their different database levels (9i, 10g, 11g) so you would have to decide which to pursue based of which tasks you would like to perform.
Those wishing to pursue a career in support of desktops or servers would most benefit from several Comptia exams. The most sought after for this category would be A+, Network+, Security+, and Linux+. By obtaining these certificates you show employers that you understand the basics of how Windows and Linux servers and desktops function.
The 4th major area is networking, which could almost be considered a subset of server administration. Any of the certifications for server administrators would also serve useful in this role but should be supplemented with two others. Comptia’s Network+ exam will give you a better breakdown of TCP/IP and communications across domains. The other beneficial certification would be CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate). This certification concentrates more on routers and switches and is extremely useful in large scale operations that require several subnets.
All certification tests have an associated cost, generally between 75 and 300 dollars per test. Many employers will pay for you to take the tests if they believe it can help in your current position; so check with you employer to see if you can take advantage of this to help you build your resume. Adding certifications to your profile is a relatively cheap and easy way to prove to current and future employers that you are a talented IT professional and have a firm grasp of concepts in your area of expertise.
