Starting a new career, is Redhat a good investment (certification)...
 

Hello, my name is Sean. Looking to start a new career. Is a Redhat certification worth it? Can a good job be found with this certification? What is the best route?

Thanks for you help,

Sean

Red Hat is a major player in the Linux server market. Depending on your current skills and the sort of Linux-related work you're looking for, getting a Red Hat certification could be worth it.

So, what kind of positions would you like to qualify for, and what is your background and existing skillset?

New...
 

This is new to me, totally. I have computer background (windows). I wanted something new and not a lot people trying to do. I just do not hear the general public talking about Redhat. I just wanted insight about it before spending money and time getting certified.

The Red Hat certifications are pretty Red Hat-specific. Great if you already know a bit about system/network administration and want to work for companies using Red Hat (or CentOS) servers to run their business applications.

Is systems or network administration something you're interested in? How well acquainted are you with basic network theory?

Do you currently hold any MS certifications? Have you considered certifications from other vendors, like Cisco or Novell, or vendor-neutral certifications like Linux+?

No, I do not hold any certs. I thought about Cisco. It seems to be pricey to become certified. Thanks for the input about redhat. It seems that Linux needs to be known first. I will look more into Cisco.

The Cisco CCNA certification is great if you want to learn about both LAN technology and TCP/IP. There's relatively little Cisco-specific theory, mostly stuff basic router and switch configuration. In the latest revision of the syllabus, wireless networking has been dropped and replaced with more IPv6 theory.

Linux+ might not be a bad place to start. You can easily study for the test on your own, as all the software you need is freely available. And should you get stuck, there's always LQ. :)

I've taught CCNA, Linux+, Security+ and a number of MS (MCTS, MCITP, MCSE) classes. I'm not currently involved in teaching MS stuff, but might do it again in the future if an opportunity presents itself, who knows.

Moved: This thread is more suitable in Linux - Certification and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

Thanks for help.........
 

Thank you for your input. I did some research and I'm going to start from the bottom and work my way up. I'm going to do A+ then Network+ and decide after that.

Thanks again...

I don't know that a certification ... any certification ... should be thought of as Willy Wonka's "Golden Ticket."

However, it can be a very well thought-out and concentrated source of information about the system. Personally, I'd grab some maybe slightly-old training manuals and study them, but save the (rather considerable) amount of cash they want for a piece of paper.

There are _tons_ of people "doing" Linux these days, so if you're looking for a less competitive/saturated job market, this route may not get you what you're looking for. OTOH, certifications can often times open doors that are closed to those lacking them because clueless PHB's view them as a sort of hiring "insurance". There may in fact be another candidate with 10 time the knowledge as you, but the person doing the hiring lacks the knowledge to ascertain the difference in technical skills, so "plays it safe" and hires based on certification.

Also, HSW, consider this: You say that you are starting a new career? Well, what sort of experience and good-references can you bring forward from your old one? "Experience" is the one thing that you can never buy.

Really, the knowledge of how computers work today (this being a good bit of what these certifications try to test ...) is very, very temporal. It will be very-different tomorrow. But the ability to work well in a workplace, to pick-up knowledge as you require it and to make good, disciplined work of the tasks that are assigned to you ... these are soft skills that you undoubtedly already possess. So, you really aren't "starting from the bottom" just because you're branching into a new aspect of your career. Be a creative salesman.

Don't let "old timers" talk you out of anything ;)

Truth is everyone had to start somewhere and a Cert is a good way to get that foot in the door for an interview that might land you that entry level job

If you want to go the "red hat" route with little experience; the path is usually

A+ > Network+ > Linux+ > RHCSA > RHCE

Just know that it's a LOT of work and a lot of breaking things...but that's how we learn

Good Luck! :)

--C