what certs a network engineer should have.

[overclucker]

im planning on going back to school and getting more certs. i know the MCSE is great but is there anything else i should be studying for? what is really helpful in the Networking Engineer field.

maybe theres new tech thats coming out and theres a good cert i should acquire?

[Soichiro]

Network+ will be much cheaper and easier to get than MCSE, as will Security+, and you can use the Security+ as an elective toward your MCSE as well.

[TempliNocturnus]

Network+ and Security+ are good ones to start out with. CCNA is definitively something to go for. I would probably put MCSE on the back burner, until obtaining the ones I mentioned. As they say, the more the merrier; getting MCSE ain't going to hurt.

[overclucker]

is the MCSE one of the hardest to get?

[pimpinaman]

doesn't network+ count towards one of the tests for MCSE as well?

[TempliNocturnus]

doesn't network+ count towards one of the tests for MCSE as well?

Yes

MCSE requires that you take 6 or 7 different tests, one of them being and "elective" cert. This elective cert could be Network+, Security+, as well as certain others. As for difficulty, I hear CCNA test is one of the more difficult ones. The MCSE tests aren't extremely difficult, from what I hear.

[overclucker]

what about A+? does that count toward the MCSE?

[DorianBrytestar]

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcse/windows2003/default.mspx

I see Security+ counts as an elective, but I do not see Network+ or A+.

[Jon]

For Network Engineering I'd go for the Cisco certifications. For many positions I looked at while job hunting around the Atlanta area, CCNA was required to even have them look at a resume.

I'd be looking into strengthening your linux skills (if you have any), learn some firewalls inside and out, telephony systems, high and low-level networking protocols/architectures, and just be flexible.

Experience is probably going to matter most, so if you're just starting out you'll want to get experience where it comes quickest...even if means working for free.

[overclucker]

For Network Engineering I'd go for the Cisco certifications. For many positions I looked at while job hunting around the Atlanta area, CCNA was required to even have them look at a resume.

I'd be looking into strengthening your linux skills (if you have any), learn some firewalls inside and out, telephony systems, high and low-level networking protocols/architectures, and just be flexible.

Experience is probably going to matter most, so if you're just starting out you'll want to get experience where it comes quickest...even if means working for free.

i already have the job experience, but i really need more certs. im stuck at about 25 an hour without higher level certs.

[AMD Phreak]

I have a bachelors degree in infosec, plus an associates in computer electronics engineering combined with a few years of networking experience.


No certs, no bull....... You get the picture.


Certs look great on paper to the lamers that work in HR that cannot differentiate between "good" engineers, and "experienced" engineers. Having certs just means you are certifiable. Lets all not forget what happened during the dot-com years.....


Any goon could get certified and be a sysadmin or network engineer, without having any real OTJ experience.

[sandrock]

Having a combination of the A+ and Network+ certs will count as your elective towards MCSA, but not MCSE. Security+ will count as your elective towards MCSA or MCSE.

Experience is definetely key, but having a degree and certs can give you an edge over other candidates. If nothing else, it shows you are dedicated in that you wanted to go the extra mile to get certified. Having an associates degree and MCP status landed me a level 2 tech support position. Since then, I have completed Network+, MCDST, and am one exam away from MCSA. I'm hoping having the certs will give me an edge when applying for a network administrator position.

At least in my area (Midwest US), I see many more jobs requiring/preferring MCSE over CCNA. Go for what you like more, what you want to do more of. Like routers and switches? Get CCNA. Like Server 2003 and Active Directory? Get MCSE.

[cradivonyk]

For a network engineer, the certifications will only matter to the specific job you are applying for. If you work in a Windows enterprise environment, then MCSE is the way to go. If you are designing WANs for corporations, then go Cisco. Doesn't hurt to get both though. And I wouldn't say the MCSE is easier than the CCNA. The 70-270 and 70-290 are fairly easy, but 70-291 and the 70-294 are pretty tough. IMO, network+ does hold much merit these days. Especially for someone who is already a network engineer. Just my $0.02.

[brakezone]

I don't know what the best things to have are; however, my current strategy is geared towards having both an expertise and a broad foundation in both IT and CS. In IT my expertise will be unix/linux based systems, in CS my expertise will be in C and C++. Of course, I will be knowledgeable of the broad range and spectrum, but I think its important to specialize in an area of the field if possible. I'm almost done with my final semester in a 2 year associates in computer systems engineering technology. I'm going to transfer to a bigger school and get a BS in IT and get CCNA, linux+, and maybe a few of the easier certs. I also have been studying programming independently in attempt to master C and C++. There are alot of great good paying engineering jobs out there that require engineering experience and a high degree of skill in C/C++.

[leobkny]

I would start with Cisco's first step and then move to microsoft. If you want to work with switches and routers than forget micrsoft and concentrate on Cisco. The hot stuff right now is VOIP. You can get a CISCO certification for it but there is a prerequisite. Check out Cisco's website, for all the steps.
And as metioned above expirience is the KEY and will determine your paygrade, not the cert. :beer:

[Ddruid_SMP]

I have a bachelors degree in infosec, plus an associates in computer electronics engineering combined with a few years of networking experience.


No certs, no bull....... You get the picture.


Certs look great on paper to the lamers that work in HR that cannot differentiate between "good" engineers, and "experienced" engineers. Having certs just means you are certifiable. Lets all not forget what happened during the dot-com years.....


Any goon could get certified and be a sysadmin or network engineer, without having any real OTJ experience.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Too often we have people come in looking for a job, they all seem to have a network+, a couple have come in with their mcse. Unfortunantly all thus far have been dumber than a box of rocks. Cradivonyk is correct, get the certs pertaining to the area you are interested in. Networking is too broad of a category in itself. Wan, Lan, PtP Wireless, PtMP Wireless, Metro, etc.. Wanna play with the big boys? Expect to learn SoNET, MPLS, PBB/PBT, QoS/Cos, FrameRelay, ATM, (B,G)PoN, Optical. Want a Job with an Small/Medium ISP - OSPF, BGP, routing, switching, vlans, Qos/Cos, (x)DSL, *nix, radius, various SMTP severs (Qmail, Postfix), SQL servers (Postgres, Mysql), some script programing PHP, Perl, Bash, C, Radius, and the ability to become a BoFH.

If I were to go for certs at this point in my career (I have none) I would aim for Optical networking - GPoN and SoNET (Sonet isn't exactly specific to optical networks), CCIE, CCNP, and CCIP.

FWIW, I am the sole network/systems administrator for an ISP with 1100+ customers and I have no formal schooling (I have 16 hours in Automotive Machining - blocks/cranks, heads/valves). Everything I have learned has been self taught - either from reading or on the job training. IMO OTJT is invaluable.

When I finally hire someone to work with me, their certs aren't going to matter much to me - I will base my decision on the persons working knowledge and their drive to learn new technology..

[AMD Phreak]

and the ability to become a BoFH.



That really is what it is all about.....

:beer: :beer: :beer: :santa:

[fight556]

for networking I'd go net+ and the cisco certs, and if you want more software side I'd go for the MCSE. Right now I have my net+ and just procrastinating on taking my CCNA. Gonna go for my CCNP next, which should set up for a good job once I get out of the military.

[Midnight Dream]

is the MCSE one of the hardest to get?

No. The Cisco certifications are by far the most rigorous and difficult to acquire.

[brakezone]

Certs are nice and will help you get an interview, but the most important thing is that you have all of the intelligence necessary to be competitive in the field. If you really did know *everything* about networking and computers, even without a college degree or a certification, I'm pretty sure you could get somewhere; however, lets face it, if somebody did know *everything* they could easily get all of the certs and improve their chances at getting a job.

[fUzZ bUnNy]

I would say that this whole topic is on track. It is the overall combination that an employer is looking for. Your resume gets you in the door and your interview gets you the job.

Personally, I have taken the long way to getting into the IT field. I graduated with a degree in business and econonmics, then worked at jobs I didn't like, then went to tech school.

While at tech school, I passed A+ and the Network+. Certs plus experiences plus Linux goodness got my first full time IT job at a phone company sending TV over the phone (training has been fun!). In 4 weeks I am taking the CCNA and I have been studying my brains out. Learning the Cisco stuff helps my employer because we are moving from ATM to IP.

In short... ENJOY THE RIDE!

P.S. after the CCNA, I am going for the LPIC (Linux Professional Institute Certification). There are enough MSCA's and MSCE's I might as well move in another direction...

[dark_15]

You should also take a good look at the Juniper Networks Internet Associate (JNCIA) Programs. The certifications are very challenging and would complement any Cisco certifications you may be working on. It took me about 9 months in order to get my JNCIA-FWV (Firewalls and VPN's) and JNCIA-SSL (SSL-VPN's) - they aren't for the faint of heart. I failed the FWV exam once and the SSL exam twice... and those exams aren't cheap... >_<

But as fUzZ mentioned; the certs only get you so far. Experience is what matters most.

[CougarSE]

Study for the 70-270... Cause I didn't. And failed it :(

[su root]

I think you need to figure out what you want to do. You say Network Engineer and MSCE... those are two completely different things.

If you are looking at doing networking, LEARN networking, and go for Cisco and/or Juniper exams.

If you are looking at doing server admin, LEARN server admin, and go for MSCE, CLP, CLE.

Like others have mentioned, Certs mean squat. The only exceptions to this are CCIE, CLP and CLE, they are practical exams (or for CCIE, a lab component) which you must actually demonstrate the knowledge and troubleshooting in. Still, I'd never hire a CCIE or CLE that didn't have any hands-on experience.

For life-long learning, certs are cool to benchmark yourself, but otherwise they're just a marketing fodder ("All our techs are X certified!")