rogp

I know that Darlodge started a thread along these lines not that long ago but I wondered if anyone currently working in I.T could offer some real world advice before I go insane!

My current role is for a large Japanese consumer electronics company where I work in 3rd line/Infrastructure support in a Windows environment (Server 2003, Exchange 200, SQL 2000, Dynamics CRM, ISA 2004 etc). In the long term I'd like to pursue a security related aspect of I.T.

I've been in I.T in various guises for nearly 10 years but through some bad decisions on my own part I've never really progressed satisfactorily, and now I'm started to feel trapped. It's getting to the point now where I'm biting my lip everytime the puppet that was installed as my manager makes yet another gloriously naive decision. (just to make it clear that I have no man management aspirations so it isn't just bitterness)

I don't have paper certificates to prove my experience, and increasingly jobs at the level I feel comfortable pitching myself at (32-35k London based) require an MCSE or CCNA etc

So, for those of you who are working in more senior positions or consultancy, what is the best route forward? I'm not averse to hard work, or investing my own money in self improvement through training but I suppose I want to know if there are still companies out there that value business acumen and communication skills as well as hardcore techy stuff.

I'd really appreciate some advice.

N.B - I'm off to Europe for a few days after today so may not reply to any further posts until the weekend.

David_Wallis

Speak to the employers and say that you dont have MCSE or CCNA but say you feel that you have equivalent knowledge or more relevant industry experience.

CCNA is all well and good if its a small company and there isnt a seperate networks team, All it then demonstrates is that you have an understanding of cisco / tcpip etc, Which if you have an mcse then you would have anyway (except the cisco specifics)

If that makes sense.. I personally think Id find security boring all it says to me is creating users, setting permissions, gpo's, creating mailboxes and checking eventlogs. Sounds like first line support rol that requires domain admin rights

KiwiGTI

You need to look at a higher level, I wouldn't see those as security roles. What about compliance, PKI Infrastructure, Identity and Access Management, forensics, biometrics, setting corporate security policies, setting application security standards etc

darlodge

What David said about speaking to employers and telling them you have exprience is best. I'd also back this up with some practical examples of projects that you have completed.

I'm in no-mans land at the moment, I've been looking for a while I would like more money (as does everyone), I don't want to travel to London and I also have a skills shortage in Exchange.

Security has many levels. I'd like to get into forensics and biometrics as CSI make it look so intresting

Darren

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Why not just do the certs ?

It will cost but you need to speculate to accumulate.

I did the Oracle ones, now on Websphere and will do the SQL Server MCDBA soon.

doobiedoo

Have you considered contracting?

I have been in IT about 8 years and finally took the contract plunge about 2 years ago - Best thing I have ever done! If you are ok to work in London / Thames Valley area there is LOADS of work. You could also earn £30-40ph easily for 3rd line support.

I do a similar area to you (although doing infrastructure design now) and I have only 1 MCP (Exchange) which I only did last year. I have moved jobs loads, even before I went contracting and it has never stopped me finding work. Re the MCSE - the time has passed when it is needed. My current boss told me at my interview that he avoids MCSEs becuase there are so many rubbish engineers out there who have just done the bootcamp thing!

Get your CV upto date and looking first class and post it on "Jobsite". Also check Jobserve and CWJobs daily for stuff in your area of expertise and keep sending the CV to agencies.

You'll be fine matey

If you're really interested in contracting - PM me and I can advise on how to get things moving.

Good luck

rogp

Back from Brussels today, and as expected there's some very good advice in all of your posts, so firstly let me say thanks for that

Some feedback on the comments so far:

That's a fair point, but as I said it seems like more and more job ads specifically ask for certs, presumably because the potential employer uses that as a benchmark? I like the thought of challenging them (in a nice way) to justify it by mentioning my 'real world' experience though.

When you put it like that, it does sound a little limited . Longer term I'm thinking more of the pen testing niche.

I feel that there's a definite gap between knowing you can do a job, and finding the right combination of company, role, salary and location. If you have other commitments such as Uni part time (which I do) then it throws another variable into the mix.

Another fair point. Why not just get my head down and get them done? It seems as if that might be the only way to progress in the direction I want to go. I don't mind the financial investment, but with Uni part time as well (BSc Comp Sci) I'm going to struggle to find time to pore over more text books.

Consider the offer of advice taken. PM sent

Any further input is very welcome.

Would anyone be willing to critique my CV as they did with Darlodge to make sure I'm not shooting myself in the foot?

WOLFIE-PWF

eeekkkk!
I hope not i have just started doing my first MCP (the 70-270) And thats not want i want to hear!!
Have i just flushed 4k down the lav?

David_Wallis

Depends if you understand what you are learning, and can see how you would apply things in the real world..

Its like microsoft's way of doing things is sometimes nothing like how you would implement something in a large organisation.

Text book MCSE's are a fookin pain in the ****..

'Have you rebooted?'

**** OFF!

David

GaryK

Agreed David and also the machines in the classroom are always setup perfectly and the environment is ready to go.

There was a story years ago about someone who attended a novell certification, passed it got back to work and kept trying to login by just entering 'login' and couldnt understand why it wouldnt work, turns out the machine was sitting at the 'C:\' prompt and not the 'F:\' prompt and it kind of sums up the difference between the theory and the reality!

Gary

David_Wallis

LMFAO!