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Are certs really useful in SMB at all? Perhaps if you're working at a MSP, but for a regular SMB business they probably have no idea what they are.
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@Dashrender said:
Are certs really useful in SMB at all? Perhaps if you're working at a MSP, but for a regular SMB business they probably have no idea what they are.
I interviewed at an MSP without any certs... they were looking for a sys admin, an A+ cert was required. Needless to say I thought both the interview went well, although I got into an argument about virtualization with the "technical" interviewer, I thought it was a friendly conversation apparently he didn't... wasn't offered the job. They went with a candidate who had the A+ cert.
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HUH? an MSP that was only looking for an A+ person, sounds like you were over-qualified for the job. Someone with only an A+ I wouldn't expect to know virtualization much if at all.
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@Dashrender said:
HUH? an MSP that was only looking for an A+ person, sounds like you were over-qualified for the job. Someone with only an A+ I wouldn't expect to know virtualization much if at all.
The ad was for a Sys Admin with knowledge of Windows Server, Networking Equipment, Windows Desktop, etc... The A+ cert was under the required certifications, among some others. I applied thinking they would just drop my resume...
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As Scott and others have posted, it's amazing the ridiculous requirements that some people have in those postings.
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@Dashrender said:
Are certs really useful in SMB at all? Perhaps if you're working at a MSP, but for a regular SMB business they probably have no idea what they are.
Yes. Things like the Network+, Security+, MCSA/MCSE and CCNA/CCNP are depending on the size of the SMB. Most of them I have worked at are on the larger size though. But things like VMware Certs, and Linux certs are generally more specialize than what SMB cares about out of generalists.
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@coliver said:
@Dashrender said:
HUH? an MSP that was only looking for an A+ person, sounds like you were over-qualified for the job. Someone with only an A+ I wouldn't expect to know virtualization much if at all.
The ad was for a Sys Admin with knowledge of Windows Server, Networking Equipment, Windows Desktop, etc... The A+ cert was under the required certifications, among some others. I applied thinking they would just drop my resume...
Small uneducated MSPs are worse than most SMBs as they think they know what they are doing but, don't. There's probably a lot more bad MSPs out there than there are good. You have to be picky with MSPs.
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@coliver said:
What about the LFCS? Is that a worthwhile cert for someone looking to get into Linux Administration?
Don't even know that one. Is that the Linux Foundation one? If so, yeah, worth getting these days, probably. Linux is doing so well, you don't need certs to succeed, but they help.
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@thecreativeone91 said:
Generally, in SMB no. In SMB Linux tends to be thought of as this mysterious and confusing OS so if you know your way around it and can work it. it's as good as a cert to them, as most SMB shops aren't looking for Linux admins but, generalists.
This applies to the enterprise too. In my Wall St. experience they were so desperate for Linux people that they would consider high schoolers with no job experience if they knew some Linux and were heavily interested in learning more. I've never seen the enterprise look much at certs at all. When they do, RHCE.
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@Dashrender said:
Are certs really useful in SMB at all? Perhaps if you're working at a MSP, but for a regular SMB business they probably have no idea what they are.
Yes and no. Some love them, most have no idea what they are.
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@Dashrender said:
HUH? an MSP that was only looking for an A+ person, sounds like you were over-qualified for the job. Someone with only an A+ I wouldn't expect to know virtualization much if at all.
That's often the case. And working someplace where you are overqualified rarely goes well. Most shops want you to toe the line, not try to change policy.
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@thecreativeone91 said:
Small uneducated MSPs are worse than most SMBs as they think they know what they are doing but, don't. There's probably a lot more bad MSPs out there than there are good. You have to be picky with MSPs.
By far, most are pretty awful. But, by far, most SMB IT shops are atrocious too.
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@Joyfano We have a Lynda account, and I'm taking that course there - Scott sums it up pretty good, but it sure does it fill in the blanks.
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I like PluralSight a bit.
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@scottalanmiller said:
I like PluralSight a bit.
I like it, I just think it's a little bit expensive for what it is, as it's really only supplemental material. you still need a book for the Cisco and MS certs and labs.
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@thecreativeone91 said:
@scottalanmiller said:
I like PluralSight a bit.
I like it, I just think it's a little bit expensive for what it is, as it's really only supplemental material. you still need a book for the Cisco and MS certs and labs.
$29.95. Not horrible.
