[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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