Certification

[Scott Williams <swill41@jcpenney.com>]

Awarding certification as a Systems Administrator would be a difficult task. 
What would be the criteria? What would you test me on, to say that I am now a 
"certified" Sys Admin? 

That's the daunting task. Our field is so incredibly diverse. Right now, I 
manage Solaris 2.5, SUNOS 4.1.4, SVR4, IRIX, LINUX, NT, MAC, with multiple 
hardware platforms: Sparc20, Sparc Server2000, Digital ULTRIX, Linotype-Hell 
Davinci, Auspex, Intel PC's, Mac's, Blah, Blah......

My last place of employment didn't have half of this, and had even older 
Win3.1 and DOS to mess with too. But I was a "Systems Administrator" there, 
too.

So, what will you test me on? Everything? Really, what will be the definition, 
the standard to seek. This field is changing all of the time. Fast. My current 
employer did not care what my education was. They only cared about what I know 
now. What I can do now. In this field, a BS is obsolete in several years. I 
have to always learn, keep on top. The technology is changing too fast. As a 
Sys Admin, I have to be very well rounded, adaptable, and have knowledge of 
many areas. I am interested in Sun's CSA, and Microsoft MCSE. Not because I 
"need" certification, but because those are my specialties. I wish to be 
recognized as a cut above the rest in those areas.

But a generic, all encompassing "Certified Systems Administrator" title? I 
think the field is just far too broad.

Scott
Uncertified Systems Administrator