Passed 70-210 and I am going to take 70-215. After that i have no idea if the entire MCSe track is worth it? Maybe go Cisco or learn some programming languages instead. I have been doing some intranet developement on the job which I enjoy. Just not sure which would be more marketable in the long run. Sad to say that this must be the final factor. Thanks in advance for the input.

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If MCSE is "not worth it" then why take 70-215 at all?

If you do not like the MS curriculum take your MCP and switch to Cisco.

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I'm not saying that this is your case but I see alot of people switching tracks in IT certification and never finishing any of them.
FOCUSon your goal and remember the reasons you wanted an MCSE in the first place.
Try to see if you can do the whole MCSE track or maybe MCSA since you will only have 2 tests to go after 215.

Stay the course!!!

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quote:

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Originally posted by chodan
I'm not saying that this is your case but I see alot of people switching tracks in IT certification and never finishing any of them.
FOCUSon your goal and remember the reasons you wanted an MCSE in the first place.
Try to see if you can do the whole MCSE track or maybe MCSA since you will only have 2 tests to go after 215.

Stay the course!!!

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I agree. It's best to set goals. Stay focused & obtain the first goal, then move on to a another. You'll definitely feel like you've accomplished more! Good luck to you!

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instead of having career goals, and build your study, certification etc on it to enhance your life, you are having certifications dicatate your career.

stop looking for what's hot and think really hard, what would you like to do, where do you want to be in 5, 10, 20 years. If you keep looking for the next hot thing, you will always be a step behind and never catch the ride....

for example, this is what I have told personal friends... sample teh field, keep your eyes/ears open, identify area of interest.

sys admin, network, security, etc

then research, tailor a track (path of study, not necessary cert, but often does include cert since many do fit well). What is needed to be in the security group? understanding of network technologies, understanding of Network Operating System. Protecting, prevention, recovery. After that, you can decide the general platform you would like to work with (this is often dicateted by work, but you can still have a preference).

The problem with ppl chasing cert is imo the game has long been exposed. Most IT supervisor will see cert chasers, whose more interested in letters rather than the technologies from far away. You would be better off knowing what you want, rather than fickle between this and that, and as others had pointed out, never get it done...

this is a pretty good example of mcse track... NT 4 or wait for 2000? sit and wait... 2000 comes, want to wait for proper material, life got in the way.... etc etc... then it is now... 2000 or XP? wait or go for it? Know what you want and just go get it... It may not be hot, but somewhere some company is looking for just that person with the not so hot knowledge that no one is pursuing, yet they need desperately.

anyway... the ocean is vast... the not so hot technologies still command huge requirement... long term certification prospect? who knows... 10 years ago we are still using windows 3.1... it will be antoehr 2 years b4 win95... how far as things come along? how long has various certification been in existance? CNE... how long has we predicted the death of novell? yet that cert is still sought after... so... make your decision base on your interest with an eye on the general focus, movement of IT and just do it.

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I just looked over your previous posts... hope I won't be too tough on you and that you take it to be contructive.


how many times have you asked about CIW... how long have you been interested in intranet developement as indicated by the 1st post in this thread? Why why worry about this and that, how it stack up vs other cert etc... and just do it? for the knowledge within...

books cost 50 bucks... buy the book for the knowledge... and when it is done, if you like hte cert or for the hell of it, dish out the 100 bucks and take the test... but no matter if you take the test or not, the knowledge is with you. Now... it has been well over a year since you first inquired about CIW... any headway? does not seem so... however, if you have just go... this track look interesting, fit my career objective of intranet development well, I think the knowledge contain will benefit me greatly... and just go for it... you WILL be in a better position than you are now... still wondering which is the one you should put your energy to... when all you are doing is putting energy into wondering... and not doing.

same goes with CCNA... you first inquired about it in late 2001... over 15 months later, any headway?... do...

You are having this conversation of this and that... indecision for about 2 years now... I don't know what other cert other than the 2 mcirosoft test you have... but seriously... focus... put your energy into what you want to do and study... that cert may be worthless, but hte knowledge is not, because YOU actually want to learn it, not because some cert survey say you want to learn it... anyway... getting useless cert but worthwhile knowledge is better than doing nothing at all... and spending your energy on standing in the same place... only face north in one instance, then decide to face south. then it is east... but never take a step forward.

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The criticism is well welcomed. I've actually got my A+, N+, CCA and MCP. Have abouit fouryears experience and do Citrix administration plus a lot of other odds and ends for a lawyer firm. I am rather wishy washy and do know it. Just trying to come up with the best way to stand out from the pack and make it to that next level. Thanks again for the input.

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quote:

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Originally posted by droozybean
Just trying to come up with the best way to stand out from the pack and make it to that next level. Thanks again for the input.

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cool, hope you do well in whatever you finally decide

just a note... if you just go for the next hottest thing... which every other IT dude is doing... you will just be a fish in the ocean.

I understand the strain of meeting all the search criteria in a resume search.

but imagine what an IT manager will think... when out of a sea of cisco certified... he see a nortel certified? would he think... dude.. what possessed this dude to go for such a low demand cert (it hardly come up in site searches, but keep in mind, nortel has a huge market in the core market, where cisco dominate the enterprise.) or will he think... hmmmm for him to go for nortel when every magazing, cert survey etc go for cisco, he must be really interested in the technology, be interested in improving his learning... He will be someone I can shape and be able to stand on their own, and not just another sheep. either way, he will make a note of it... that's standing out and taking notice.

granted, this all depend on if the IT dude actually see the resume... but standing out is not to follow... there are 2 interest, one is to meet all the letters in a search result. 2 making yourself stand out. like interview, resume etc... 2 different target, HR who screen, then it is the IT who make the decision. How do you satisffy those 2? i dunno... the easiest is to get them all but if that's not an option, I would just settle for going for whatever interest me... and let those decision of worth etc, individual preferences that is out of my control, fall where it may.

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Excellent advice, mikop!

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Best of luck for the future droozybean.

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