Rick Vanover likes letters after his name. To date, he has four certifications and is constantly getting new ones. Vanover, a systems administrator for Safelite AutoGlass in Columbus, Ohio, runs a diverse network and needs to stay on top of technology.
Vanover attained his latest certification – the VMware Certified Professional (VCP) – earlier this year. His other certifications include the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) and Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS). Vanover answered questions from About.com on why he pursues certification with such vigor.
About.com: How difficult was it for you to get your VCP?
The VCP exam was not overwhelmingly difficult, but was materially different than the Microsoft certification experiences I've had. The foremost point is that VMware requires candidates to attend one of three possible VMware Education Services training courses to be eligible to take the test.
The VCP exam covers many areas of virtualization administration, especially in the network and storage areas. Candidates learn best by doing, and experience working with fibre channel, iSCSI and NFS storage systems will have advantages.
List your top three reasons for getting certifications.
Certifications are primarily a credibility boost for me in my career position. From the personal and professional development, the certifications keep me marketable in situations that may arise (planned or unplanned) related to my career position.
My certification track is somewhat different from the mainstream IT crowd in that I do not go for the certifications immediately when new products come out. From my employer’s standpoint, certification is more for achieving development goals than for raises and promotions.
My opinion on certifications is that they are a great sanity check to ensure that your real-world experience is in alignment with the way the product is intended for use. My top reasons to get certified:
- Credibility
- Career change protection / marketability
- Personal development
I think they are becoming more important, simply because more certifications are available. In the case of VMware, I like the requirement that a class has to be taken. I am a firm believer that a well-rounded individual is defined by real-world experience, instruction, and certification.
All certification candidates should be well-equipped to quickly provide verification of certifications. The Microsoft official transcript service can help with this: it allows employers to log onto the Microsoft Website to print out a prospective employee’s certification.
What study methods do you usually use to prepare for a certification? Which ones do you feel are most beneficial?
My primary strategy is a test prep book that goes through the test topics with relevant labs, examples, and reading. These can provide testing tools to simulate what kind of questions may be available on the test. I also go overboard in memorization of details and reading related to the tests. Take for example the VCP exam: it is no secret that the Configuration Maximums document is a cornerstone. I memorized the entire document before taking the test.
What's been the hardest certification to achieve, and why?
For me, the MCSA credential was most difficult, due to my situation. In 2005, I determined to add a credential to boost my credibility to my clients, and in case I needed to change careers (which I did). At the time, I was a software engineer for a large supply chain solutions company, and was primarily focused on software. Those skills were not very transportable outside of the supply chain and material handling industries. The MCSA was difficult for me because I did not use technologies such as Active Directory on a daily basis. In fact, one of the tests in the series I failed (twice!)
What certifications do you think carry the most weight in the industry?
For my work -- IT infrastructure -- Microsoft, VMware, Citrix and hardware platform certifications are very transportable. Cisco certifications are strong on the network side, as well.
What are your top test-prep tips for exam preparations?
- Adequate rest is more valuable than the incremental difference in cram time at the last minute
- Get the resources you need for the test: A prep book, a class, and time to do the work
- Make sure real-world experience supplements your study efforts