So, I am jumping feet first back into unemployment after 5 years. All I have is a college degree in MIS and a class here and there and that doesn't seem to be getting me through any doors anymore.

So I am thinking of blowing some $$$ on training to get some letters behind my name.

What should I get? MCSA? RHCT? CCNA? Some security classes?

Just keep in mind I don't have much time or money, so I will probably have to take one of these boot camp things against my better judgement.

 

Honestly, depending on your experience, I'd gussy up my resume (I like using the word gussy) and see if that gets me in anywhere. Unfortunately, the market now is such that you have to know someone to get in anywhere, it sucks. See if you can get in to a place and get them to pay for your certs, because, honestly, certs don't mean **** if you don't have the accompanying experience.

 

Agreed... Certs are crap, the degree is what people want now, and the experience. I served on an oral review board (no comments please! haha) for an IT position in Woodland a couple of months ago and we all agreed that certs played only a minor to non existant role in our grading criteria, the employer agreed as well.

Those boot camp classes are really expensive by the way. If you feel you have all of the knowledge, maybe try testing out of a book and using internet knowledge pools / brain dump sites for test question anticipation. I managed to pass an IIS 3.0 exam back in 1998 and had never even used the product before using one of those sites.

-Chad, MCSE, A+, CHDP, P.I.M.P. Compaq, Dell and HP certified technician. ;P

 

My brain turned off two years ago when I started commuting. I think I would do better in a classroom situation so that I could get hands on with this stuff then try to go in cold turkey just from books.

I know that certs are nothing without experience, but doesn't it work a little in the other direction, too?

I can't really prove I have the knowledge if I haven't tested out on the subject matter...

 

I use to work for a company in Sac that did training for certs. Let me know if that's a way you want to go.

 

Who is it? Is it Ebusiness Process Solutions

 

No, they are called tech skills.

 

During my unemployment I got a lot of brainbench certs to plaster on my resume.

 

That's awesome, I'm cruizing around on their site right now.

 

You got hookups or what, bro?