Home > Articles > Certification

📄 Contents

  1. First Steps into IT
  2. Recommended Certification Paths Based on IT Sector
  3. Conclusions
Like this article? We recommend

Like this article? We recommend

Recommended Certification Paths Based on IT Sector

Now let’s look at the certification paths that I recommend if someone wants to enter IT in 2008.

Networking: LANs and WANs

Networking is such an expansive sector in IT. Every vendor has its recommendations for entering IT using its products. Based on marketing and fluff, you might consider only one or two vendors and their certifications. And that is fine.

If geographically one or two vendors dominate the landscape, by all means go with those certification paths. For everyone else, I would strongly recommend a solid background in LANs and WANs.

If you want to manage, administer, install, maintain, upgrade, migrate, or access a network, you have to know something about the topics, skills, and concepts unique to generic LANs and WANs.

LANs to manage a local area network, the servers on that network, and how those servers and clients interact. The best, most affordable LAN certification that has the potential for the longest life cycle is the LPI-1 certification sponsored by the Linux Professional Institute.

In this certification you will learn all the fundamentals of client-server networks in a vendor-neutral environment. You will be able to access excellent, affordable training materials from online vendors like InformIT.com. You will also be able to get free—or very reasonable—copies of the operating systems needed to establish a test environment. Once you have the LPI-1, you will have the basic knowledge needed to manage a Linux environment, as well as some notable proprietary environments. The LPI-1 requires two tests that you can read more about at the Linux Professional Institute website.

Some would say that I should recommend a Microsoft certification. And again, if you are in a geographical area where Microsoft is king, then by all means go for it. But the issues that I have with Microsoft certifications for folks entering IT (and I am an MCT, MCSE, and many more) are the following:

  • Training materials and courses are expensive.
  • Certification life cycle is not as long as most open source/Linux certifications.
  • The operating systems are not cheap. To set up a Microsoft LAN with Vista and Server 2003 could be very expensive.
  • Most network environments are not exclusively Microsoft, while most have some Linux/Unix in them.

I would also encourage those interested in networking to look at getting some hands-on knowledge of WANs (wide area networks) because the world does not revolve around a local area network. Now the world revolves around accessing other corporate networks and the Internet.

You need to have some background in routing and switching to understand the methodology of how networks communicate and transmit data. The best, most affordable WAN certification that has the broadest market appeal is Cisco’s CCNA.

Admittedly, the CCNA has only a three-year life cycle, which I find problematic, but it can open so many doors for career changers. There are so many jobs out there now that require the CCNA. Training materials for those who want to self-study are readily available and affordable from Cisco Press.

To supplement the Cisco Press textbooks, I recommend not buying a lab of Cisco routers and switches as I did, but instead seeking out some of the online labs that you can rent some time in to get sufficient hands-on practice configuring a pod of routers and switches.

Whether you decide to pursue the LPI-1 or the CCNA or both, I strongly encourage those interested to access a good practice test before spending the money on the live exam. There are a few excellent practice test providers. And by this I am not referring to brain dumps. I am referring to those providers who offer good test questions that offer a simulated test environment in an attempt to help you assess your readiness for an exam. The best that I have dealt with over the last 10–15 years is MeasureUp.com. It has a superb philosophical corporate understanding of the IT environment and offers clients excellent support.

If you do not want to go the self-study route, I encourage you to look at some of the online training available. Not prepackaged online PowerPoint presentations, but live online training with a live instructor. One that I have recently heard great things about is RealTimeITSolutions.com, which provides live instructor-led training and is authorized by a number of the major vendors.

Database Work

The design, administration, and management of corporate databases have become a true specialization in the IT community. There are a number of major database solutions available and (depending on to whom you speak) loyalties run deep.

For those wanting to enter IT through the database avenue, there are two certifications/paths that I recommend because they require only one test to get your feet wet, and they have a large enough base to offer good job potential.

The two are the MySQL CMA which you can research here, or the Microsoft SQL 2005 TS certification which can be found here. Both offer the serious candidate a taste of database work without being cost-prohibitive; have a good, affordable selection of self-study materials available; have growth potential for someone who really wants to pursue a DBA-type certification; and are sought after in the current job market. There are also numerous online courses available and a good selection of practice tests for those interested in these two.

For the person who wants to jump into the deep end of the pool and pursue Oracle certifications, I still recommend as first steps either the MySQL certification or the SQL 2005 certification. The concepts and skills you learn with these will easily translate to Oracle.

Web Design

There are a number of ways to enter the Web design sector in IT. Most ignore the certifications that are out there because skills and experience speak volumes in this field.

For those wanting to quantify their experience through a certification as they take their first steps into IT, I recommend only one certification that is not well known. Although most would expect me to recommend the CIW because I hold many of its designations, I have not found the CIW a profitable certification in this market.

The certification that has benefitted me the most is the one that I earned through the Center for Professional Development at Florida State University. It is without question the best instruction I have had in the field of Web design and is very affordable. It is offered in both instructor-led and online programs. Both offer the same content, the same assignments, and the same final project. Both are highly demanding and very fulfilling.

Anyone looking to enter into the field of Web design would be wise to research the online program at Florida State University. It can be found at the following websites:

If you have a local program similar to the one at FSU, I strongly encourage you to research it to see how well respected it is in the local job market. The one at FSU is highly respected in the local market.

Programming

This is the field I know the least about because it is not my passion. That said, I have done a bit of programming, taken too many programming classes, and have learned what I need to know to do the jobs I am faced with.

Those who are interested in programming should look into starting with one of the open source languages that have an abundance of self-study books available and that can be run on a number of platforms.

Here I recommend Perl and PHP as good places to start. If you are a Microsoft fan, then without question you need to look into the certifications Microsoft offers for .Net programming. Some might point you to VBScript, but I am not seeing as many job opportunities for VBScript programmers as .Net programmers.

A caveat: In the mid-90s there was not much call for Fortran and Cobol programmers until Y2K sprang into the media conscience. Then the "old" Fortran and Cobol programmers were working big time. So the language you choose should be based on what is popular in your geographic area and have enough of an installed base to secure its future.

From my perspective, I would enter programming with the cheapest language to learn or the most popular. That means either one of the open source languages or .Net.

Programmers traditionally are not certification-oriented. Skills and experience are make-or-break criteria for a good programmer. So I would not get hung up on programmer certifications. Instead, I would find something that feels right and run with it. When an employer tells you that you need to learn a new language or a certification, I would go with the languages that you are most comfortable with.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020