Linux VS Microsoft Certification (2013)

Any certification is good certification when backed by extensive experience and good employer.
 
And sadly if you have no experience only a certification it does not count for much :(
 
ZAFluffyBunny said:
And sadly if you have no experience only a certification it does not count for much :(
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I even view a cert with no experience as counting against yet. Experience from a reputable company is way more valuable than a certification that expires.
 
Okay, this is obviously going nowhere. There are many factors to consider, and while I agree that experience is key, we need to look at this from a "neutral" point of view. If you had to decide Linux or Microsoft certification (let's say this is your first certification), which would you choose, and why? Is there a high demand for Linux certification in SA? Does Microsoft certification pay more? These are the type of questions that need answers.
 
Hidden Attribute said:
Okay, this is obviously going nowhere. There are many factors to consider, and while I agree that experience is key, we need to look at this from a "neutral" point of view. If you had to decide Linux or Microsoft certification (let's say this is your first certification), which would you choose, and why? Is there a high demand for Linux certification in SA? Does Microsoft certification pay more? These are the type of questions that need answers.
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You are going at this all wrong, if money is the object, get out of IT and do something else. Depending on how good you are there will always be demand for both.

For me personally I would get both, I love Linux and would make that my aim and focus, I will not be able to stand it to only do MS 24/7, it will drive me nuts, but it would not hurt to be qualified for both.
 
There's probably more demand for MS skills generally but I suspect less people well qualified in Linux which tends to boost earning potential. At the end of the day, you can make money somehow with any specialised skill so it's best to do what we are good at and what we enjoy and go from there.
 
Ref first certifications and assuming someone with little or no IT Support work experience, A+ and N+ are probably the most appropriate entry level qualifications. Get those and work at that level for a year or two and then choose Linux, MCITP, CCNA, VMWare or whatever building on that experience.

I know people who have got MCSE's and such from book work but I don't think you get a full understanding of this sort of thing without exposure to the technology in the workplace.
 
Get the microsoft one, you are more likely to find a job like that. I work in the industry and I wouldnt hire a linux person without experience no matter what the qualification.
 
Rocket-Boy said:
Get the microsoft one, you are more likely to find a job like that. I work in the industry and I wouldnt hire a linux person without experience no matter what the qualification.
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That experience has to start somewhere and for a lot of roles (not just IT) the requirement for 'someone who can hit the ground running' is often overrated. Sometimes someone who has enough knowledge to make a contribution plus reliability and enthusiasm is a better longer term prospect as they grow into the role.

Of course we don't know where the OP stands experience wise at the moment. Could be very experienced in Windows and interested in moving to Linux for all we know.
 
InvisibleJim said:
That experience has to start somewhere and for a lot of roles (not just IT) the requirement for 'someone who can hit the ground running' is often overrated. Sometimes someone who has enough knowledge to make a contribution plus reliability and enthusiasm is a better longer term prospect as they grow into the role.

Of course we don't know where the OP stands experience wise at the moment. Could be very experienced in Windows and interested in moving to Linux for all we know.
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Anyone that knows linux knows it doesnt work like that. Im not trying to be funny but in windows you can click on things and look around until you find the option you are looking for. Linux servers very seldom have a frontend and require you to know the commands etc. Yes you would learn some of that from the certification but Im not quite sure it would be enough to let anyone near any of my servers!
 
ponder said:
rm -rf / ...oops!
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I had someone do something similar a few weeks ago, they were in a directory and wanted to delete some files. Unfortunately instead of rm -rf * they did a rm -rf /*
They got confused after a couple of minutes when their putty session timed out :/
 
I would hate to work in Linux as I have yet to come across a company that can implement proper solutions using Linux. All we ever come across when taking on clients with Linux solutions is cheap workstations that run as servers. No proper backups, no standardization, no user lock down, mobile phones still using pop3.

Everyone says Linux is cheap until they get badly burned then we charge a premium to move them back to Microsoft.

But this is just in my experience.
 
InvisibleJim said:
Of course we don't know where the OP stands experience wise at the moment. Could be very experienced in Windows and interested in moving to Linux for all we know.
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Well, I have about two to three years experience with a dated MCSE 2003 certification. I've been using various Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, OpenSUSE, Debian and BackTrack) for roughly a year and a half now. Personally, I believe with MCSE, the entry level jobs are too basic and boring. I would much rather prefer deploying, managing and maintaining the back-end - in many (if not all cases) Linux is ran at the back-end, not the desktop. So it seems like a logical move - but then again, we have the experience issue... Note that I enjoy Linux a lot, and would be interested in learning more, but I don't have an issue with Windows either.
 
TheGuy said:
I would hate to work in Linux as I have yet to come across a company that can implement proper solutions using Linux. All we ever come across when taking on clients with Linux solutions is cheap workstations that run as servers. No proper backups, no standardization, no user lock down, mobile phones still using pop3.

Everyone says Linux is cheap until they get badly burned then we charge a premium to move them back to Microsoft.

But this is just in my experience.
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I think you might find some of that due to the client having been cheap in the first place. No one puts in a pc as a server if the client is willing to pay for an actual server. It does sound like the setups you have seen were run by amateurs though which would annoy me too.
 
Rocket-Boy said:
I think you might find some of that due to the client having been cheap in the first place. No one puts in a pc as a server if the client is willing to pay for an actual server. It does sound like the setups you have seen were run by amateurs though which would annoy me too.
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+1

I find people use Linux to save money... Not really what it was built for. Wow, look I can run my mail and web server on a Pentium III, awesome :D And then it all comes crashing down. The fact is you should be choosing your server technology to suit your business, not to save money. Successful use of Linux I have only seen at companies where there are very technical people.

That been said: Linux vs MS Cert.... MS Cert will probably get you into the job market faster and you can start earning experience. Linux cert with experience might get you more money... But maybe not. Some of the most cash I've seen blown on configuration issues was Windows 2003 dual domain controller + Exchange + a healthy dose of emails are going nowhere. Had to get an "Expert" who showed up in an expensive car and took him the whole night to get the server back up after a crash. The cost of that exercise was enough to buy another entry level server.

Either why, stop procrastinating choose one, do it, see what happens. You'd probably want both in any case :)
 
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