[olug] Linux Certs?

[William Haisch]

In my experience, vendor certifications are more widely recognized than generic equivalents, even if the generic certification is more rigorous. The Red Hat Linux certificates are widely recognized and required for many Linux server admin positions. A sector of growing interest in the datacenter are the VMware certifications, lured by the prospects of "hardware utilization = saving money". If you want to work on networks and firewalls, the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is the way to go. If you're going to work in security (esp. management), you will need a CISSP. Period. ISC2 has worked extremely hard to ensure the CISSP is recognized in HR departments everywhere. However, many server admin jobs with government contractors will require CompTIA Security+ certification. Hardware vendors also have their own tech support certifications. Get a Dell, HP, or Apple hardware support certificate depending on what hardware the organization has chosen to standardize on. Remember, just as nobody gets fired for buying $HUGE_VENDOR$ products, people get hired for being certified in same $HUGE_VENDOR$ products. Hope this helps!

-Wm.