[TriLUG] Red Hat Certification

Jeremy Portzer jeremyp at pobox.com
Wed Sep 10 10:28:38 EDT 2003


On Tue, 9 Sep 2003, Tommy Becker wrote:

> All,
> I'm new to the mailing list and am considering getting a RHCT 
> certification.  I have substantial Unix/Linux experience, but not in 
> System Administration.  Right now I'm stuck in a App Support role which 
> is beneath my skill level with nowhere to go at my current firm.  I have 
> the skills to be a developer, but I've decided that I have been happiest 
> when working with *nix to script small tools and such, basically admin 
> stuff.  So the question I have is if I spend the time/money to get this 
> certification, will it be possible to get my foot in the door as a 
> sysadmin in this area?  In other words, is it worth it?  If so, what is 
> the ballpark salary I could expect?  One of the reasons I've been so 
> loathe to make a lateral career move is fear of taking a substantial pay 
> cut.  Also, if I do this, I would most likely subsequently pursue a 
> RHCE, but judging from RH's description, I'm not quite ready for that 
> level yet.  What are your thoughts? 
> 

I don't have any real good thoughts on how helpful the RHCT would be.  I 
received the RHCT certification at the beginning of this year, but it 
didn't have any tangible benefit for me as I'm not looking for a new job, 
and I work for government so pay increases aren't really based on things 
like that.  (Mostly everyone gets the same small raise each year based on 
state legislative action; it's not based on merit.)  

I do think the RHCE is well-respected, but real experience cannot be
duplicated.  (Also, you will find it tough to pass the RHCE without good
hands-on experience.)  Fortunately, with a broadband connection and a few
extra computers, you can set up your own network and gain this experience
yourself.  Start a web site, use technologies like LDAP, NFS, Kerberos,
NIS, etc., run some databases -- begin your sysadmin career at home.  
While certainly it isn't as positive on a resume as real work experience,
it can help a lot.

If you're interested in the RHCE study group, which would also be useful 
for preparing fo rthe RHCT, please join our mailing list at 
http://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/rhce/

Hope this helps,

Jeremy

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