Re: Getting Hands-On Experience for Cert Exams
- From: "Darrick West" <mrdrwest@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2005 17:21:09 -0400
If you can make time for it, volunteer your time to help local
organizations. Also attend the free seminars sponsored by Microsoft, and
network with others. Build a lab at home. Ebay has proven to be a money
saver.
I've been fortunate to transition from a electronic tech position to IT
helpdesk. I've installed, and configured Windows 9x/NT/2000/2003/XP
clients and servers(manually and unattended), implemented AD,
installed/configured DNS and DHCP, learned how to use Group Policy to create
GPOs for software deployment, resource/user/desktop management, and
enforcing security policies; all in 1.5 years time. I also have a lab at
home based on 2 computers, and several virtual machines for exam prep, and
experimentation. I'm still learning. There's lots for me to learn.
Paper certification just doesn't cut it anymore. Hands-on experience is
very important even if you don't get paid for it.
"jpersona" <anonymous@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:12ef01c53c5f$19ae9a40$a401280a@xxxxxxxxxx
> Some brief information before my actual question. I've
> been working in different industry for some time now. And
> I'm thinking about making a change in career--thinking
> about going into the IT industry.
>
> Everywhere and everything I read about getting certified
> says the similar thing about prepping for exams. Their
> step for certification go like this:
>
> 1. read exam info (certification tracks, skills
> objectives, etc.)
>
> 2. study and/or train (books/guides, self-paced, online,
> instructor-led)
>
> 3. apply skills to real work/get hands-on training
>
> 4. take practice tests
>
> and they all say, #4 and #2 should not be substitutes for
> #3.
>
> Isn't #3 sort of a catch-22, at least for people
> relatively new to IT (I have some knowledge of networking
> but not enough)? How is someone to get experience without
> an IT job? Some people might have the equipment
> themselves. I have a few pcs lying around, but either
> they're not good enough, too old, just not the amount of
> pcs to build a network, or don't have the needed software.
>
> So my ultimate question is, how did some of you get your
> first IT jobs (and what did you do in those jobs) to have
> exposure to networks and equipment such that you received
> hands-on experience?
.
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