Re: Examination results before...

[Michael Rogero Brown <brownmic@plhp002.comm.mot.com>]

> 
> Hello everybody,
> 
> A member of my team wanted to go to a Citrix
> course about their 'Metaframe' product.
> 
> So far so good.
> 
> However they ask for, and I quote:
> 'The above courses require WindowsNT 3.51 or 4.0 certification.
>  Please attach Windows NT Server Exam Results'
>

Weird.  I've taken lots of NT courses (my job for the last few years has been
to being the lead NT admin at our site) and have never been asked for my
certification.  At present I don't have one, and its not that high a priority
for me.  I may get it, but working on my PhD is more important. (my BS, MCS,
and MMIS are to me more impressive then a MCSE).

I'm taking an official Citrix metaframe course with PPI (productivity point)
and on one demained my certification or exam result.  There IS a prerequisit
level of knowledge, but I have that.
 
> 
> (I even don't wanna talk about my past experiences with NT
>  certified engineers...though the result was a salary raise for us >-))
>  main problem is that these certificates seem to easy to get)
> 

Well, the resent SANS salary survey shows that NT admins are paid BELOW the 
range of the average UNIX admin.  So much for the "get your MCSE and earn
big bucks...".  Also, a recent issue of M$ Certified Professional Magazine ran
a LOT of letters recently from people who got their certification thinking it
would do great things for their careers and having it be ignored by their
companies.  (don't think it was just a slap against certifications.  a lot of
the letters showed companies with a lack of respect for any sysadmin/support
types.)

Certifications are nice, but to me knowledge and experience are more important,
and certifications are NOT necessarily a gauge of that.

Michael R. Brown
Motorola, Inc.


--
Michael Rogero Brown                  |  Disclaimer: I speak only for myself.  
Unix/NT Systems Support               |   Any opinions expressed are my own
Motorola, CGISS/CE                    |   and do not reflect the opinions of
email: emb021@email.mot.com           |   Motorola.