| Author |
CCNA or MCSA first?
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| Tsakali 2003-02-04, 1:24 pm |
| what do you think?
I have A+ and Network+
is CCNA easier than MCSA?
I know MCSA is more exams, but I am not familiar with the difficulty level of either
all opinions are welcomed. | |
| Sexy Lexy 2003-02-04, 2:30 pm |
| It depends on what you want as a career.
The MCSA is directed at administration of a Windows 2000 network and you are required to pass four exams if I remember correctly.
CCNA is one exam and is the entry level Cisco certification (Albeit a difficult entry level exam) that can be compared to the MCP as the entry level for Microsoft.
If you want to administrate a local network using a GUI based NOS then the MCSA would be your best choice, but if you want LAN and WAN network infrastructure as a career then take the CCNA.
Different people find different aspects challenging, four exams instead of one is tempting but considering the amount of material covered in the one exam for the CCNA it would depend on what you wanted to do.
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| Tsakali 2003-02-04, 3:46 pm |
| First of all your reply is greately appreciated.
I am really in crossroads as we speak, I dont have a job in either field, as of now I am just trying to figure out what would be the best choice that would help more to get in the IT field in general mind you...
I know I have the basic certs but considering the time I put into getting them I am not really impressed...I am just starting out with all this (3 weeks ago I was not certified for anything)
Surely the idea of networking is very much an important subject IMO, and from what you suggest the cisco road is prefered it would seem. but then again Microsoft is everywere todays. I started blapbering again, I'll stop...again thanx for the repliy. | |
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| Tsakali,
If I were in your shoes right now, and knowing what I do after just recently acquiring my MCSE cert, I would get the MCP (one Microsoft exam) and then do CCNA
I believe at this time in the IT field it's best to have a variety of certs, and not necessarily one big one. Just my thoughts for ya.
Good Luck. | |
| Spides 2003-02-05, 2:03 am |
| When here's advice from someone who has both. I am surprised that a great many people in the IT field are still not aware what a MCSA is!!!!!! I would do MCSA first then go onto CCNA. I did CCNA first but I work in IT so I did the cert that was required. As someone said previous it really depends what you want to do. CCNA in my opinion is losing credibility in the work place, everyman and his dog has it on there CV but it is still worth doing. Go for MCSA while it's fresh, CCNA just because it's one exam is no easy feet. I passed first time with 936 but I studied hard. Good Luck.. | |
| Tsakali 2003-02-05, 9:30 am |
| I know what they are both about, ut it's all just words I was looking for the detail of difficulty they might present ....thanx for your advice | |
| ANDRONDA 2003-02-05, 10:13 am |
| My opinion is that CCNA is becoming a basic requirement so go ahead and knock it out. Each test in MCSA builds on each other (210 leads into 215 then into 218) so it is good to get on a roll. For me it ws like a snowball effect. I breazed through 215 and 218.
You can knock thse three exams out in about four months. | |
| Sobje 2003-02-05, 10:19 am |
| Hello,
I personally don't understand why people who have jobs in other fields are still trying to get into IT at all. I have MCSE, MCDBA and Prince2 certifications and I don't have a job. The IT field is so bad at this moment. At least in Europe it is but I hear the same stories for the US. So I feel if you start now you will end up disappointed. Or maybe by the time you are ready the market will be better. But who knows..... | |
| ANDRONDA 2003-02-05, 11:57 am |
| Having any certification will not guarantee emplyment.
You have to bring your A-game to the table. | |
| Sobje 2003-02-05, 12:37 pm |
| Hi,
English is not my native language. I am very familiar with the job hunting game. I have besides computers quite a good education. However, what do you mean by A-game?
There are a lot of people looking for jobs at this moment and I know I will find one soon but still... | |
| ANDRONDA 2003-02-05, 1:33 pm |
| In sports such as American Football athletes, coaches and sports analysts refer to “bringing their A-game” meaning that they are going to bring their very best to the contest, and compete as though everything depended on it.
Competition is very steep right now in most sectors of the economy. It is not enough to be good, you have to stand out.
When I say bring you’re a game I am saying that you must make yourself stand above the rest and be VERY aggressive.
Some people get a degree, then mass-mail out 100 resumes and wait by the phone for someone to call. Or they respond t a few adds in the paper or online. That may be OK in an expanding economy but does not cut the mustard in our current climate.
Job-hunting is a vicious game right now. It is a narrowly focused, intense full effort thing. One must run with gazelle like intensity. | |
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| I know and I am learning on that front. I am in the running for two jobs now so I hope things will be fine soon. However, the initial feeling remains, why would someone with NO experience even want to try to get into this field? | |
| Sexy Lexy 2003-02-05, 2:46 pm |
| You could ask yourself this question:
Why would a company want to employ someone with no experience?
The same reason people with no experience want to get into the field, money.
It will cost them less money to employ someone with no experience than it will to employ someone with five years experience in a certain field who has no certification.
Experience does, and always will, count for everything in any industry.
Not a flame, far from it. Just an observation through experience.
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| prezbedard 2003-02-05, 4:05 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by Sobje
The IT field is so bad at this moment. At least in Europe it is but I hear the same stories for the US. S
Sobje,
Yes it is indeed a tough field here in the US as well and the whole economy as a matter of fact. I have seen MCSE's and other high level IT people get laid off.
I'm currently looking for myself work and it is tough. I have a college degree and I'm just contuning to try to learn what and as much as I can little by little. | |
| Sexy Lexy 2003-02-05, 4:26 pm |
| In the UK, the IT industry is currently in the same situation.
I know experienced MCSE's who are having trouble finding work at the moment as no one is hiring or has the budget to take on an extra member of staff.
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| ANDRONDA 2003-02-05, 4:44 pm |
| For that matter, why get into anything? There are already too many lawyers, too many shop owners, too many mechanics, too many airline pilots, too many cosmetologists, too many engineers…
I guess I am too competetive. Or too stupid to know better.
It is becasue I had a disadvantaged background and had to fight tooth and nail for everything I ever got so it is nothing to me to be told that there are too many of something. It just means that I will have to work harder.
When I was younger they told us to forget about fancy dreams of ever accomplishing anything worthwhile becasue we were from a dirt poor, backwards community and we were dirt poor ourselves.
I have always managed to get things I need or desire through hard work and by never giving up. | |
| AlphaInfinity 2003-02-05, 4:45 pm |
| I completed my MCSA and I would suggest getting BOTH.
Flexibility in the job *hunting* market is a plus.
I also have a number of friends at Microsoft and they are telling me that there is intense pressure there to have both the MSCA or MSCE AND the CCNA.
It appears as though there may be a trend in the industry to combine your networking talent. The old model of having your neteng admins and the 2k network administrators is becoming obsolete due to budget constraints within companies. They are now looking for multi-talented people who have intermediate knowledge in handling NOS's and basic knowledge in handling the grunt work on the routing side of things.
My 2 cents..
I am going after my CCNA now. Just finished the MSCA. | |
| Tsakali 2003-02-06, 2:52 am |
| Than you,I enjoyed all of your posts, and I think it's my turn to explain my stance.
I want to get into IT cause I love the field, I work with comuters all the time on a personal level, and it is very interesting to me...to me.
Sure if I happen to get a good job(which is possible) it might even be more profetable than others, but my main point is that I want to get into the field cause of my interest.
IMO if you cannot bare your work you wont succeed, other than the fact that you're gonna lead a dull life that feels pressed.
Everyone has to work hard to make it in anything these days, so why not do it on something you could enjoy?
That's my point of view and honestly I couldn't see it any other way.
I'm definatly not planing on landing a job and sitting on it...
My courent job is nothig but an obligation to me, something that just has to be done, but as you can see I'm trying to change that. | |
| ANDRONDA 2003-02-06, 8:28 am |
| I would never let anyone talk me out of something I really want to do.
There have been many who sit in the ivory towers thinking that they are safe but history shows that the most determined can unseat them. |
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