Your Information Technology Career: Beware The Comfort Zone

I've seen it happen time and again to programmers, network engineers and administrators, and other IT personnel. They get a solid IT position, a good-paying job, and they get comfortable. They stop keeping up with the latest technologies, they stop studying, they no longer keep their CCNA, MCSE, and other industry certifications up-to-date.... and then one day, their comfortable job is gone.

Maybe they get laid off, maybe the company moves and they don't want to move with it... but for one reason or another, they're in the worst position possible. They have no job, and they have allowed their IT skills to deteriorate to the point where they are no longer employable.

If you're in IT, you must be constantly learning. You must continually take the long view, and ask yourself three important questions. First, where do you want to be in three years? Second, what are you doing now in order to reach this goal? And finally, if you were laid off today, are your current skills sharp enough to quickly get another job?

That third question can be the hardest of all to answer honestly. I'm reminded of Microsoft announcing years ago that they would no longer be recognizing the MSCE 4.0 certification, since the network operating systems that certification was based upon would no longer be supported by MS. (Keep in mind that this change was announced months in advance, giving those holding the MCSE 4.0 plenty of time to earn the latest MS certification.)

Some MCSE 4.0s just went nuts. Microsoft's certification magazine printed letter after letter from angry MCSEs saying that their company would always run NT 4.0, and that there was no reason for them to ever upgrade their certification.

This wasn't just denial. This was career suicide. Let's say that their network never moved from NT 4.0. Let's also say that they got laid off yesterday. Would you want to go out into the current IT workplace and have your most recent network operating system experience be on NT 4.0 ? I sure wouldn't.

The fact is that you've got to continue studying, continue growing, and continue learning new things if you want to have a successful long-term IT career. If you plan on studying only one topic, getting into IT, and then never cracking a book again, you're entering the wrong field. And for those of us who have been in it for a while - again, ask yourself this question: "Am I prepared for what would happen if I were laid off today?" And if you're not, do something about it!

It’s 2008. Do You Know Where Your IT Career Is?

Whether you're thinking of starting a career with computers and information technology, or thinking about earning a professional certification such as the CCNA or MCSE to accelerate your career, there is no better time to start than today. Silicon Valley is hiring again, and while we all can't work for Google, IT hiring is at its highest level in years and the opportunities for driven, motivated individuals are unlimited.

I also know that for many of us, the holiday season is a good excuse to put off those studies! "I'll study for the CCNA after Thanksgiving..." "I'll start working on my CCNP after the New Year..." Well, guess what - the new year is here.

It's 2008. Where is your IT career? Are you actively studying to earn a certification, or are you still thinking about it? Are you attending a school to break into the IT field, or are you still thinking about it?

Newton's First Law Of Motion states that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object at motion tends to stay in motion. This is true of careers as well, including yours. Where do you want your career to be in one year? Do you want to have earned several certifications in that time, therefore advancing your career, or do you want to be in the exact same place you are today?

The only person who can make this decision is you. And I can speak from experience that when you begin putting your career into motion - the possibilities are unlimited. But you have to get started - today!

Cisco CCNA Certification: The Value Of The CCNA And CCNP

One question I see often on the 'Net is "Is it worth my time to earn a CCNA / CCNP / CCIE certification?" My personal answer to that is a resounding yes. The power of Cisco certifications has allowed me to create a tremendous career, and they can do the same for you.

There has never been a better time to accelerate your IT career, and earning a technical certification is a great way to do just that. I don't care if you're looking at earning an MCSE, a Cisco certification, Red Hat, or any other vendor - you are always better off having a technical certification than not having one. Technical certifications are an excellent way to market yourself and stand out from the crowd. Earning certifications shows a potential employer (and your current one) that you are willing to go the extra mile.

Sadly, when you ask this question on most Internet message boards, you're going to get some very negative people giving you their "unbiased" opinion. Ask yourself this question: Do you want to entrust the direction of your career to someone you don't know, has no accountability for what they say, and has some kind of ax to grind? Do you want someone like that to decide whether you should earn a CCNA or CCNP?

I can speak from experience on this point. When I told a few people that I was going to earn my CCIE, almost 100% of the responses I got were negative. "It's too hard", "no one can pass that", "the CCIE isn't worth the work", etc. Every single one of these statements is false, and again I speak from firsthand experience. The same is true for the CCNA, CCNP, and MCSE. All of these certifications can add value to your career and put more money in your pocket. But you have to make the decision to earn them and to "keep your goals away from the trolls".

Don't ask anonymous strangers whether it's "worth the time" to get a CCNA, MCSE, or other computer certification. The only person you should ask that question of is yourself. Whether you want to start an IT career or jumpstart your current one, make the decision to move forward in your career - and then follow through on that decision.