n00b Network Manager Qualifications!

[garrya100]

I would go for some Cisco Quals, preferably do your CCNA, or at least a CCENT. If you have been a network manager, and are as good as you say you are, then a couple of decent books from Cisco press will get you through the exams.

 

CCENT is really much the same as Network+ but with the Cisco flavour. CCNA adds basic routing, ACL's and a few other skils.

 

Cisco aren't the only network quals, but the are the 'industry standard'.

 

Speaking from the employer side of the fence, I allways look more favourably on the candidate who has shown the willingness to improve their quals.

 

For equal expirience, the guy who is working to become more knowledgeable wins everytime.

 

Age has very little to do with it, practical skills are more important

[featured_spectre]

Whilst Cisco and Microsoft are the industry standard, also try to get some Linux quals in, just having them adds value to you!

[tmcd35]

Also look into the FITS qualifications. The practioner course is available now and the manager course comes online soon.

 

The FITS Foundation - Professional qualifications and support for ICT staff within education

 

This is something I rearly need to do. Just had a look around the website and no mention of prices. Anybody here point me in the right direction?

[wesleyw]

I got my first NM job when I was only slightly older than that but I'd got just over a year of experience (and a degree) go for it I don't know why some of these comments are so negative.

 

 

Wes

[Ex-MGSTech]

Have you tried the online cert route, sites like Brainbench offer free tests and certificationa and have been going some time now (I have Windows 98 & NT4 certs from them)

 

There are a considerable number of free exams too (although if you want a paper certificate you have to pay a few $)

 

PS I'm not connected to this site in any way other than holding some of their certifications and also putting some of my junior technicians through there tests as they could also not afford MS certifications.

 

Steve

 

Aptitude Test, Employment Screening, Assessment Testing, Online Personality Test - Brainbench

 

http://www.brainbench.com/images/certlogo/color/mastercert/computerfundamentalswinxp.gif

[Dos_Box]

Moved to the training forum.

[Rydra]

I am 25, have been a NM for about a month now. Was a technician for about 3 1/2 years before that at another school, and before that did a few repair/installation type jobs. I started my first IT qualification 3 months ago, doing an OU degree in Computing, before that I have some AS levels in maths/chemistry/physics, and 2 years of OU chemistry degree study.

 

It's ALWAYS worth applying for the highest ranking position; a school can hire someone who ran a multi-million pound IT corporation with more CISCO and MS certs than I can list off the top of my head... But Education ICT, as most of us know, is a WHOLE different ballgame.

 

In business, most people specialize in one specific area; customer support, networking, desktop support, hardware, server, etc etc.

Us poor buggers in Education have to do ALL of it, in one role, for usually about 60% of what most of the 'specialists' make.