Which Linux Certification?

dirvish asks: "I am trying to break into the Linux Server Administration field so I have been doing quite a bit of studying lately. I figured while I am studying the subject I might as well work towards a related certification. I am leaning towards the Linux Professional Institute Certification. Other certifications I am considering are CompTIAs Linux+ and Red Hats RHCE. So which Linux certification is the best? I would say Red Hat is the most reputable of these three but I am concerned that their certification might be too Red-Hat-centric, and I don't want to be locked into one distro. Which one is the easiest/cheapest to obtain? Which is the mostly highly regarded in the industry? Are there others that I missed?"

Re:Why Bother

[Stop Error]

Odd, I have had different experience. I have consulted for and worked for many companies that give preference to certain certifications over CS degrees. The managers involved I talked to stated that while a CS degree does show theoretical knowledge their experience has been that Certified professionals have greater "working" or "practical" knowledge.

I myself have no degree but a numer of certifications and have had more success finding and maintaining employment then many of my colleagues who do not.

Re:Why Bother

[shaitand]

Highly regarded compared to? Certs do not just show you could take the test, but also that you studied for an passed the test. That means at one time you at least had cursory knowledge of the full breadth of a real job related subject.

They certainly are no substitute for job experience, but they are far more relevant than a degree.

It does make a difference WHICH certs you have. MCSE's aren't worth the paper they are written on. Current CISCO certs are in style.

Do Bother

[lbmouse]

I've been working IT in the private sector for over 15 years now. In most cases, proper and current certification is more important than a college degree. Much of my college experience was done in FORTRAN 77 and does me little good now. Certification helps keep you current on new industry technology. A degree is a piece of paper that might help get you in the door.

New RHCE

[mckeowbc]

I just got my RHCE last week. I've been using Debian for years, but since my office uses Red Hat I got certified so that I'd know better how to support the boxes in my office. Without violating the NDA, I would say that it is a mix of Red Hat specific material and general linux knowledge. My previous experience with Debian still put me ahead of my other co-workers who didn't have as much experience in general with Linux. However, they do go through all the RH specific tools for doing things, but in the end a lot of the time I still come back to using a text editor and hacking the config file by hand.

Re:"Which one is best?"

[Total_Wimp]

The fact that you are asking this indicates that you don't understand the question. blah, blah, blah Certs answer none of those. Remember, past "experience" is no guarantee of future performance. At all. Ever.

The fact that you answered the question in this way indicates _you_ do not understand the question. The question is: "What will get me more money and be most relevant to my job for the least amount of effort on my part?" It's a damn good question, It shows he's willing to work, but doesn't want to do unnecessary work, and his goals are most certainly something employers highly value.

Part of the answer is easy to find. More money means more respect, at least within the context of this subject, so salary surveys (which he has already attempted to look at) will point at the truth. The other parts about relevance and ease, do not appear to be answered by salary surveys, hence the question put to the /. community.

So, my recommendation: Make an attempt to answer his highly relevant and well worded question which he appears to understand very well. Denegrating him for asking it only helps to drive another eager, fresh mind from IT.

TW

Re:"Which one is best?"

[sfjoe]

Remember, past "experience" is no guarantee of future performance. At all. Ever.


On the contrary, past behavior is the BEST predictor of future performance. A person who has a history of taking intitiative and solving problems will be the person who continues to do so. I bet you're one of those people that asks questions like, "why are manhole covers round" at interviews.

Re:ScreenSavers quote

[tverbeek]

My previous job required everyone with my job classification to have CompTIA A+ certification. I didn't have it; I don't have any certs. Instead I have a decade and a half of professional experience and the ability to learn new tech as I use it. I managed to get hired without the cert, with the provision that I'd have to take and pass the test within six months, and they generously offered to pay for it.

Another coworker who'd been hired at the same time studied hard for it, and was very pleased to pass it with a few months to spare. Good for her. But I studiously avoided signing up for it, figuring that any employer who insisted that I get the IT equivalent of a GED, despite my obvious qualifications, was not a place I wanted to stay. So that gave me a six-month deadline to get out of there. 26 weeks later, I was out the door, having found and taken a better job, where they didn't even ask about certs; instead they read my resume and asked me good questions about what I knew.

I considered letting the previous employer pay for that cert test, so I'd have it in my back pocket. But it's something I'd be embarassed to put on my resume, and I feel better knowing that I didn't have to resort to it.