certifications

[flynnwallace]

I want to get involved in computer networking as my career after my CS degree. I already have 5+ years pc tech experience, sales, etc but I dont know what certifications I need to help me with that networking job. Here is what certifications I am looking into now...

Novell Netware (acutally have netware 3.11 and will get to know it before moving to novell 5)
Linux
Maybe Apache
A+ (dont think I need but might look better on resume)
Win9x

I have been looking at study books and books like the Oreily Series. Can anyone recommend good study books, what the cert tests are like, what is needed if you are an admin.

Flynn

[stiles]

internetworking

CCNA (http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/10/wwtraining/certprog/lan/course.html)
NNCSS (http://www.nortelnetworks.com/servsup/certification/nncss.html)

Thoes two are a good start, both cisco and nortel have higher certs.

Networking

Most networking certs are vendor specific, Microsoft, Sun, compaq, RedHat, LPI all cover networking in one form or another. I guess you cold look at CompTia's network +, but that's pretty basic. Take your pick.

If your getting you CS degree, I'd sugest looking into DBA certs (if you can stand DBA type of work of course). Oracle (http://www.oracle.com/education/certification/index.html?ocptracks.html), Sybase, and the other vendors have DBA certs. There is a need for qualified Oracle DBA's like you wouldn't believe. Six figures with two to three years experence is not a streach at all.

Novel is good to know but not a growth area (my opinion).

If you get one of the *nix system admin certs you should have a good idea how to administrate Apache.