I know this isn't the place to put this and I don't know where this goes, but for those of you with certifications and in the upper echelons of the IT industry, for close to $1000USD do you think going for the Cisco CCNP would be more beneficial or getting A+/Network+/Security+/Server+ would be better for a Tier 2 capable hardware/networking/windows guy? As far as getting a job goes anyway...

Moving to the lounge I guess.

I'd also like to mention going for a Network Administration certificate from a community college - would it be worth the year/year and a half to go that way first if possible or go straight for the certifications and jump into the job market?

This really depends on why are you getting the certification.

Your posts appear to ask if you can avoid a more traditional formal education in exchange for a simple certification.



For many IT jobs you can get by with certifications rather than a traditional degree. For others, you will need a degree in information systems.


I strongly recommend getting as much education as you are able to afford. The extra 2-4 years before joining the job market is rarely harmful to your career, and the little piece of paper will nearly always result in dramatically higher salaries and improved access to the corporate ladder.

A lot of employers will actually pay for you to do the Cisco, A+, Sun and other certifications and some unis actually bundle them in with their degree.

Oracle certification help too. I do plan to to take it someday, specially when you can download Oracle from it's OTN. Couple that with linux and Virtual Box from Sun, it's awesome.

Oh, Oracle just bought Sun.

Does anyone know a nice place to learn latest Oracle other than OTN?