Certification - November 2008 - (Page 33)

does the industry/trends dictate that we, in a sense, take sides?” If you know the answer, don’t delay in responding to Sam’s question. The Careers forum also saw a revival in one of its discussion threads from April titled “Career Guidance.” Fibve99 posted the original message, indicating that he’s pursuing a degree in IT with an emphasis in networking. The user has worked in low-voltage electronics for more than 20 years, installing and repairing any and every low-voltage system including closed-circuit television (CCTV) and telemetry antenna systems. He is experienced in CAT 5/5E termination and has a good understanding of the installation of the wire, but was never introduced to anything beyond the terminations at the jack or patch bays. “Installing most of the systems included some limited programming; basically, the site needed descriptions,” fibve99 said. “I guess my question is: Will I be able to [convert] some of my experience to a career in IT networking? What steps do I need [to take to ensure] I am an appealing candidate for a job in the future? I figure I will graduate with a bachelor’s in about three and a half years and I want to be ready to hit the ground running. Or should I consider entering the field when I get my associate’s [degree]?” Dean Lewis, CCNP, responded: “Step number one: Brush up on your acronyms; you are about to learn more acronyms than 40 pages of encrypted text, and it is all important. “Really, layer one, the physical layer, you seem to have down. Just add a pinch of wireless and a half-cup fiber optics and stir well. Then only six more OSI [Open Source Initiative] layers to go,” he continued. “It is a good field to be in if you like to use your brain as opposed to your back. Also, I think you can get your degree in almost anything, but certification is important when it comes to having your resume put in the good pile. There is no better value than experience.” Take Varun, for instance. He’s wrapping up his undergraduate studies in information technology and hopes to earn a master’s in computer science from a reputable graduate school in the U.S. “What entry-level certifications should I take in order to make my application stronger?” Varun asked. “I am interested in software programming; could anybody suggest some certifications that would help?” To offer related advice, visit the Entry-level Certifications thread in the General Discussion forum. Systems & Networks Over in the Systems & Networks forum, under the solaris cluster thread, vijay alapati requires assistance installing and configuring the cluster. He noted there were a number of documents online pertaining to this topic, but they were just too confusing. Member sant responded: “First you can check that the prerequisites are fulfilled for the installation of Sun Cluster packages [and] start the installation individually on both the systems,” sant said. “[You] will get detailed procedures in [the] Sun Cluster Administration PDF.” In a separate thread, Mohsin Arif posed a debatable question to CertMag readers, wondering whether an IT pro has any career prospects in Europe if he achieves the highest-level Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) credential. While CertMag member cisco noted that the future is in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, senior member Ken Wagner took a different approach, stating that it directly related to one’s experience. “A lot of the higher-end professional IT certifications — MCSE, MCSA, MCITP: SA, MCITP: EA, CCNP, CCIE, etc. — should reflect a person’s job role and responsibilities and not be used as a shortcut for experience,” he said. To debate the topic, head over to the Systems & Networks forum and post a reply under the Future thread. Want to share your thoughts or experiences? Here’s your chance. Your comments and feedback are always welcome on the CertMag forums. Please visit them at network.certmag.com/forum. 8 – Deanna Hartley, dhartley@certmag.com General Discussion Meanwhile, in the General Discussion forum, CertMag members from around the world sought certification advice from the community. November 2008 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A2426 http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A548 http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A4127 http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A4127 http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A3718 http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A1932 http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/le2/le37/le10/learning_certification_type_home.html http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/le2/le37/le10/learning_certification_type_home.html http://www.opensource.org/ http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A1932 http://network.certmag.com/forum

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Certification - November 2008

Certification - November 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Tech Careers Dear Techie Virtual Village Data Stream Academic Connection Troubleshooting What We Like Look Ahead The Gender Gap: IT Lacks a Woman’s Touch IT for Free: Volunteering Today Interface Technical Architect: Learning, Growing, Innovating Inside Certification Endtag Ad Index

Certification - November 2008

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