IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

[HabitualLineSteppa]

Brehs, I'm in my junior year of the IT/ISS field and my plans were to relocate after graduation to the south/southwest region (I'm particularly fond of the DFW are)...Pproblem is, I need to get my foot in the door on SOMETHING IT related will I'm finishing up school. I've been in call centers from age 20 til now (one being AT&T doing SOME baseline troubleshooting for customers)...It's not just about bread for me at this point. I'm hungry for experience!!

That said, what do y'all suggest as a good means to switch up the flow of my résumé (I know help desk is a start but they not showin love in StL without experience)...

Holla at me! We family n shyt!!!

 

[↓R↑LYB]

I know there have been some mention of security and whatnot on this board, but has it been from an it admin role, or are any of you actually specialized in it security? If you are, do any of you guys keep up with IT Security news or go to any of those black hat conferences?

Never been to black hat, but I follow a couple IT security sites that keep me on top of that shyt. Plus I get invited to vendor events all the time (nitro, Symantec, mcafee, etc). I'm also a member of my local NAISG and ISC2 chapters. Good place to network, plus they always have presentations and speakers to keep you up to date on shyt.

Here some good sites:
cvedetails.com - security vulnerability DB. Also shows software with public exploits
exploit-db - vuln db with public exploit code
packetstorm - lists vulnerabilties and public exploits
eEye.com blog - blog on security vulnerabilities and how they work
MSRC (Microsoft Research Center) - gives detailed info on MS vulnerabilities
Infosec Institute - good info on various topics
Security Focus - good info on various topics
Darknet - good info on various topics
Dark Reading - good info on various topics

If you wanna do some practice pen tests:

OWASP hackademic challenge
Hacking-Lab.com

I also keep a list of security tools I track, mostly for pen testing and vulnerability exploits. I update every now again
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ank7ULa6R5UAdGxua2tUb3Zmem00MjYwYkdZT01wa0E

I gotta stop giving you cats so much free game

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Brehs, I'm in my junior year of the IT/ISS field and my plans were to relocate after graduation to the south/southwest region (I'm particularly fond of the DFW are)...Pproblem is, I need to get my foot in the door on SOMETHING IT related will I'm finishing up school. I've been in call centers from age 20 til now (one being AT&T doing SOME baseline troubleshooting for customers)...It's not just about bread for me at this point. I'm hungry for experience!!

That said, what do y'all suggest as a good means to switch up the flow of my résumé (I know help desk is a start but they not showin love in StL without experience)...

Holla at me! We family n shyt!!!

I'd recommend you start selling dope breh

 

[acri1]

Brehs, I'm in my junior year of the IT/ISS field and my plans were to relocate after graduation to the south/southwest region (I'm particularly fond of the DFW are)...Pproblem is, I need to get my foot in the door on SOMETHING IT related will I'm finishing up school. I've been in call centers from age 20 til now (one being AT&T doing SOME baseline troubleshooting for customers)...It's not just about bread for me at this point. I'm hungry for experience!!

That said, what do y'all suggest as a good means to switch up the flow of my résumé (I know help desk is a start but they not showin love in StL without experience)...

Holla at me! We family n shyt!!!

Get your A+ and start applying for help desk jobs.

My first IT job was call center tech support of at an ISP (telling people to reset their modems and shyt) and I didn't have any certs when I got the job. Just keep applying, and make sure you interview well.

 

[FastEddie215]

Congrats on the A+ breh

Unfortunately the A+ alone probably wont land you a gig (at least it didn't for me, but that was bout 8 or years ago).

Next you should take either the Windows 7 or Server 208/2012 MCITP exam. That'd teach you a lot about the Windows client OS and the networking features used in each (DBS, DHCP, file/print, etc).

This is the most important part. Make sure your resume is tight. Right near the top, make sure there's a section that lists your technical skills. So say you pass the Server 2008 exam, under tech skills list that you're proficient in installing Server 2008, installing server roles (IIS, DHCP, DNS, etc) networking services (DNS, DHCP, NAP, VPN, etc). Basically whatever you studied and learned whole passing the cert.

That way even though you may have never worked on a server 2008 in production environment you state you're comfortable with all the technology it uses.

since I don't have any experince which one in your opinion would land me a gig faster and look better on my resume? also the MCITP enterprise admin on windows server 2008 is like 4 exams right while the windows 7 is 2. if you know which books i need to study or if cbt nuggets would be better please let me know breh, i need to get my foot in the door asap so i can

 

[↓R↑LYB]

since I don't have any experince which one in your opinion would land me a gig faster and look better on my resume? also the MCITP enterprise admin on windows server 2008 is like 4 exams right while the windows 7 is 2. if you know which books i need to study or if cbt nuggets would be better please let me know breh, i need to get my foot in the door asap so i can

The Windows 7 one would probably work the most in your favor. The 2008 exams will be overkill for now because you more than likely won't get a chance to work on any servers. If you get a gig before going for the Windows 7 exam, start doing the server ones. Your main goal should be to get out of help desk ASAP.

Search the exam number on amazon to find the books. Search your torrent sites to find the cbt's. 70-680 and 70-685

 

[treezee]

I bet you couldn't leave that support job and make anywhere close to that same amount anyplace else. Tech Support jobs generally have the highest turnover rate in the IT Department and are the most expendable during downturns. And you'll most likely stay busy fixing the same shyt over and over again.

Actually I left a 60k+ paying job for a 70k+ paying job, only because the new company has room for growth and better perks (I just had a baby girl). Jobs are out there. Oh and EVERY job you're damn near doing the same shyt over and over again . I'll continue to off of this easy bread until I take it to the next level

 

[Regular Developer]

The typical admin has very little, if any development knowledge, but they should still learn scripting. Microsoft seems to be adapting a model of removing the UI from servers and forcing people to use powershell for server administration.

My point was even though an admin isn't a developer, he should still have a good knowledge of how to write scripts. Most admins have 0 scripting skills though, outside of basic batch files.

But it seems we're talking about 2 different things.

Yea, I have to admit I didn't even think about admins. I kinda just put the whole "well if you work with computers you do everything" stereotype on it, lol. But thats a good point you made, I'll keep that in mind.

 

[Regular Developer]

Never been to black hat, but I follow a couple IT security sites that keep me on top of that shyt. Plus I get invited to vendor events all the time (nitro, Symantec, mcafee, etc). I'm also a member of my local NAISG and ISC2 chapters. Good place to network, plus they always have presentations and speakers to keep you up to date on shyt.

Here some good sites:
cvedetails.com - security vulnerability DB. Also shows software with public exploits
exploit-db - vuln db with public exploit code
packetstorm - lists vulnerabilties and public exploits
eEye.com blog - blog on security vulnerabilities and how they work
MSRC (Microsoft Research Center) - gives detailed info on MS vulnerabilities
Infosec Institute - good info on various topics
Security Focus - good info on various topics
Darknet - good info on various topics
Dark Reading - good info on various topics

If you wanna do some practice pen tests:

OWASP hackademic challenge
Hacking-Lab.com

I also keep a list of security tools I track, mostly for pen testing and vulnerability exploits. I update every now again
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ank7ULa6R5UAdGxua2tUb3Zmem00MjYwYkdZT01wa0E

I gotta stop giving you cats so much free game

Hahaha, thanks bro. I'm not sure I'll get much chance to tinker with the security stuff, I just like keeping up with it, just to try and widen my knowledge on the computer front. I know everyday after that Sony hack, something new was getting hacked.

 

[Romell]

New to this part of board so I'm going to have to check this thread out more. CCNA with 2/3 of my CCNP tests completed. Since completing the second test of my CCNP I've started a new job that has me working with mostly Linux stuff so I've lost my step on the networking side. I definitely need to pick up my CCNA stuff and start from the basics before finishing my TSHOOT exam. Aiming at the top of the year to re-begin my career surge.

I'll be sure to drop links and help when possible. Salute!

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Yea, I have to admit I didn't even think about admins. I kinda just put the whole "well if you work with computers you do everything" stereotype on it, lol. But thats a good point you made, I'll keep that in mind.

I hate that shyt breh. My girl asked me the other day to make her an iPhone app. I'm like "da fukk you talkin bout "

Man I've had people ask me to make em websites, hack into the city to delete tickets, find baby daddy's that skipped out on child support, and everything in between. Bunch of damn demons the whole lot of em.

 

[Regular Developer]

I hate that shyt breh. My girl asked me the other day to make her an iPhone app. I'm like "da fukk you talkin bout "

Man I've had people ask me to make em websites, hack into the city to delete tickets, find baby daddy's that skipped out on child support, and everything in between. Bunch of damn demons the whole lot of em.

O man, tell me about it. I used to get asked to fix hardware and make apps. Not that I don't know how, but I found I really dont like using my computer knowledge for free. Especially the work where I 100% ask google for the solution to the issue. Fix blue screens, get rid of viruses, install software that just asks you to press next.. Privacy agreement? "NEXT!" lol.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Hahaha, thanks bro. I'm not sure I'll get much chance to tinker with the security stuff, I just like keeping up with it, just to try and widen my knowledge on the computer front. I know everyday after that Sony hack, something new was getting hacked.

Man that Sony hack was child's play, supposedly they gained access from a Linux server running on an old unpatched kernel in the DMZ. Read up on Stuxnet if you wanna see some real shyt.

How Digital Detectives Deciphered Stuxnet, the Most Menacing Malware in History | Threat Level | Wired.com

This shyt sound like something out of a damn Tom Clancy novel. The US and Isreali gov't created probably the most sophisticated piece of malware in history. That shyt brought down Iran's nuclear weapons program

Then there was the RSA hack that completely crushed the buildings . Supposedly Chinese hackers stole the algorhythms for their hardware tokens are were able to generate their own keys. Lockheed Martin got breached and word is the US Gov't did too. shyt went before congress I believe

Hacker Spies Hit Security Firm RSA | Threat Level | Wired.com

Just last month China was supposedly trying to get at US nuclear launch codes

Chinese government 'hacks into White House office in charge of the nuclear launch codes' | Mail Online

One thing I learned from being in security is nikkas want you, they gon get you

shyt's getting real breh, stay strapped

 

[tofuspeedstar]

you enjoy tellin nikkas to restart their shyt

Who wouldn't for 70k/yr?

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Who wouldn't for 70k/yr?

You've never worked help desk have you

It's soul crushing