[ale] Credentials (wuz: [Semi-OT] Networking Equipment)

[Leam Hall]

On 11/30/2011 03:49 PM, Michael B. Trausch wrote:
> On 11/30/2011 03:46 PM, Leam Hall wrote:
>> To tie this back to the original topic, it behooves the poster to think
>> through what they want to learn networking for. If it's to deepen their
>> knowledge then there's one path. For resume building, it's another.
>
> Understandable.  I just (well, for the most part) ignore the latter.  I
> probably shouldn't, but frankly I don't have the money to add tons of
> sets of acronyms to my "credentials".  I know what I know, I know how to
> learn, and I know my way around most any computer system I can get my
> hands on.
>
> After all, nobody needs me to have a hundred obsolete certifications in
> order to actually get things done...
>
> 	--- Mike

A slightly funny and relevant story, though it's a bit old. I'm up at 
Linux World many years ago, before it became infested with suits. I'm 
scoping out the NetBSD table and trying to get a little SWAG. Guy comes 
up and asks "What's the difference between working on this and doing 
Microsoft?"

"Twelve thousand dollars." Was my answer. Never let the peanut gallery 
hang around without giving them swag.

His eyes got wide. "It costs that much?"

"No." I relied. "This is free. However, the average person who works on 
Solaris/BSD/Linux earns about twelve thousand dollars more per year than 
the same person working on Microsoft products."

Given the rise of Ubuntu I'm at the point of thinking that the LPIC 
certs are worth about 30% - 50% of an RHCE. I can assure you that those 
four cute Red Hat letters on my resume get attention and have materially 
affected my hires and salary. They have gotten me the attention I needed 
to show how good I am in person at the console.

Whether or not someone has the creds doesn't affect their skill. It can 
significantly affect their life, though. If I were starting over I'd do 
the same thing, but sooner.

Leam