I'm asking this here because I figure it'll get the most response, though it's not really travel-related.

I was recently laid off from a boutique consulting firm that worked mainly in outsourcing advisory, where I'd been a consultant. I was only there about 6 months. My background is in IT (system development and administration) and renewable energy project development. I have an undergrad degree in computer science and finance, and a top-5 MBA. I've always been a computer nerd and enjoy playing with networking and the like. For example, over the weekend I found it fun to set up a three-way site-to-site VPN between my house, my parents' house, and my dad's office.

I'm thinking that my next move would be to return to the world of IT, particularly in IT management or the like for an energy company. Since it's been a while since I officially worked in the field, I think I should get some certification.

Which IT certification(s) are the most valuable for IT management to say essentially, "I'm deeply technical, but I also have this fancy MBA I would like to use"? While part of me thinks it would be useful to do MCSE or CCNA certification, I'm not really sure.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

I'm of the opinion that certifications add the most value for those who are early or mid-career, or working in a large corporate or government environment which requires it for certain job categories. If you're specializing in a particular technology, it couldn't hurt, but you'd need to stay within the specialty: an MCSE doesn't really add value for a project manager developing embedded applications; a CCNA is largely superfluous for an executive producer in new media.

I don't put too much value on certifications.

Besides government work (where they are sometimes mandatory), I think they are usefull only for entry-level positions, as a means to assure that you know the a-b-c of the field, nothing more.

Check out Global Information Assurance Certification for some further ideas on Certs/education for IT.

If you want to play management roles you want to look into getting your CISSP
Other then that its network network press the flesh.

Certifications say you want to be technical, not managerial. Except maybe PMP certification (and that is a stretch).

+1

Certifications can help you get past the software that checks resume adding to your "rating score".

In the real world they don't really prove that much, in the past I've had two people, one right out of school with just about every certification one could think of and one with ten years of practical experience in what we were looking for. The experience won out for us, but it was a fight with HR at the origination I was at over the certifications.

Which ones would depend on the type of work. There are tons of them now, very specialized, and having one not relating to what you are applying for may be seen as a negative for that position.

You need four things to land a job in IT and then move on up in the organization. Education, experience, certifications, and those intangible personal qualities. Experience is always good. Employers want it because it tells them they do not have to retrain you the first day. You can do the work when you walk in the door. The problem with experience is it does not age well. I am highly experienced in restored the Novell bindery. Today this is of no use. Certifications are similar to experience in that they tell an employer you know the basics of the job whether or not you have done it before or not. Also like experience certifications do not age well. My Novell CNE Version 3 is not very useful either these days. Education is the foundation. It tells the employer you know the basics as well. It is different from the other to in that it also tells the employer you have the drive, the perseverance, and the ability to manage a long term project, you know how to learn, and you have a suitable level of intelligence. Unlike the others education prepares you to learn new things when your experience and certifications wear out from old age. None of these three will help you if you have the personality of a twit.

agree 100%

To be honest, this seems like blanket advice that applies in any industry. So, point taken. I've got it all but the certifications - though I'm probably just a little light on the experience side of things.

Let me explain. My idea behind certifications is that it's been 9 years since I officially worked in IT (as a bona fide IT consultant, developing systems). I'm realizing that I really like being in IT - I like being a computer nerd. I like architecting systems and connecting networks together. Why else would I find it fun to set up/administer the network and server at my dad's office?

So, I think that, whatever my next job, I'd like it to include an element of that. The thought behind getting a certification was that it would be a way to show my knowledge is current, since I haven't officially worked in the field (i.e., something I can put on my resume) in a while.

Plus, I have this MBA that I would like to use, which is what steers me towards management. I know, I'm conflicted: technical or management.

Thanks for your input, everyone.

I think IT management is the place to aim for. Especially with that MBA. the more things get outsourced, the more people you need to manage an implementation or IT project. Also an MBA might be helpful in a CTO/CIO/CSO type role.

You'll make more money in management, if this is more important, you can geek-out at home as a hobby, plus all the friends and family that need you to fix their computers.

Much has been already said here that bears repeating, but I won't since you can just scroll back.

Consider technology conferences for the people-networking opportunities.

Evening graduate schools also offer this chance, when the target audience are employees of local businesses -- or see if the local college is looking for instructors. People sign up for classes to learn how to do something, but then realize they'd just rather hire someone. Instructors and star students can both pick up opportunities here.

Ah, but there is nothing better than sitting in a cool server room listening to the humming of the fans and watching the little lights blinking away. Management is do boring in comparison.

Agree with the above comments - the only reason why you would want a certification is because you want to be in a technical role and you are seeing specific mentions of it in job postings. I have held both of the certifications you mention (though one is on a version so old as to be irrelevant, and the other is expired). Both would look good if you were applying for an entry-to-mid level position in technical support or systems administration. Neither will get you into senior or architect roles without relevant experience or knowing someone.

As I'm sure you know, as a manager a completely different set of skills apply. IT has a bad habit of promoting managers from within its own ranks, which may work in your favor. Skip the certifications and just read up on new trends and technologies - breadth of knowledge will be better than depth. Your excitement about technology will also be a great asset.

Good luck!

There are very few certs out there that I think are worth the effort. In my field, it's a CCIE or nothing. A CCNA or a CCNP...well...if those lower level certs matter for getting the job then it's not a place I'd want to work.

With one slight exception - being a VAR/SE. They have to have certs on board.