Wich cert for certain?

March 4, 2008 12:52 AM

I have a month to cram for a vendor certification.... any vendor certification. Which one should I go after?

As part of an agreement with my best beloved, I've agreed to go for a certification test by April 12. She doesn't care which one, or even if I pass, just so long as I do it, and make a good faith effort to get it.

My question, which one should I shoot for?

I have deep experience with Solaris, AIX, HP-UX and Linux, and some exposure to Oracle and Cisco (I have a way out of date CCNA cert). At the moment, I'm out of the Unix admin game, and working with industrial-grade security appliances: Netscreen, Sidewinder, Pix and Checkpoint on Nokia.

Since this is a good-faith effort, I'm going to avoid the "gimme" exams - A+, CCNA, etc, and go for one that would "wow" a hiring manager.

Should I stick with what I know, and go for a Unix cert? Are there any Linux certs that mean anything to anyone? Is this a good opportunity to learn Oracle, or is a month too short to cram for something new? Should I go for a Checkpoint or Netscreen cert, even if I may not be with this job this time next year?

I'm leaning towards AIX - but I'm not actually an AIX admin at the moment, and haven't been in a few years. I'd like to go with Oracle, but it may be too much to tackle. Yay, indecision!

posted by Slap*Happy to computers & internet (5 comments total)

My understanding of the Oracle certs - and this is secondhand - is that they're quite difficult. I came by this understanding while my company provided certification testing through VUE. Many Oracle students failed the tests; I remember one guy who took one three times, and when he failed the last time, he broke into tears because he was going to be fired.

How about something different, like CISSP? That sounds like it might be somewhat relevant to your day job. I don't think it's a "gimme", at least it's no Security+.
posted by me & my monkey at 2:38 AM on March 4

Here's a refreshing thought, most certs don't mean shit. Nine times out of ten, practical experience means more than the cert. Also, unless you're going to get a raise, promotion, or want to jump ship to a new company/job, the cert is a waste of time and money.

That being said, if you're really dead set on not trying the gimmies (CompTIA, CCNA, most Microsoft), Checkpoint might be best for you in your current job. It isn't overly difficult and has some real use since it isn't a common to have cert.

CISSP would be the best cert to get if you wanted to get a better job with a bigger company or with federal government, but unless your current employer is willing to give you a raise and/or promotion, it isn't worth it. Its a very difficult exam to study for and pass. I work with a bunch of guys that passed it last year and it was brutal from what they said.

In the end though, the choice is up to you. You're really the only person that can determine which cert will mesh with your current job role best. Maybe your employer would have some input. Hell, they may even be willing to negotiate a raise/promotion with you depending on the cert and they may pay for it and training if you're lucky.
posted by ChazB at 3:31 AM on March 4

Not to be boastful, but I didn't find the CISSP exam hard; there's a great breadth of knowledge required, but it doesn't delve deeply. Unfortunately, the exam isn't that well-written, and some questions end up being of the "pick the least bad answer" variety. There are several online "sample exams" that you could run through to see if it would be worth your while even trying -- but with my experience of Solaris, Linux, some good general security knowledge, and some general common sense, I finished the 6-hour exam in 2.

Yes, my employer paid for the exam, but I was confident before I went in, because of the sample exams. I used the sample questions at cccure.org
posted by 5MeoCMP at 4:07 AM on March 4

Spoke with some higher-ups, and they seemed enthusiastic about the CISSP cert. I took some time to browse the study guides, and I already know a good chunk of it, and can follow along with the rest without spraining the brain. Plus, as the soonest testing opportunity where I am happens at the very end of May, I get an extra month to study...

Thanks, MeFi!
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:48 AM on March 4

I'd recommend the CHFI (Certified Hacking Forensic Investigator) and CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) certifications. They get my notice when they're on resumes.
posted by aerotive at 7:50 AM on March 4