About Andy Expertise I can help prepare candidates for job interviews; assist in discussing problems with your supervisors or peers; help in creating a resume that gets results; answer general work related questions.
Experience I have been in a management leadership role for the past 30 years. I have extensive knowledge re: the interview process, problem solving, team building, communcation with executive management, company mergers, downsizing, outsourcing of jobs, project management, disaster recovery, office politics, management consulting, business ethics,career changes, job relocation to another part of the country & becoming an agent for change within a corporation.
I've been working for a major Wall St law firm as a
Desktop Support Tech since March 2001. I think I've
gone about as far as I can go here as there is little
opportunity to move up unfortunately. I was thinking
of leaving and taking off a few months to devote
myself full time to gaining more IT certifications,
specifically a 2003 MCSE with specialties in Exchange
and Active Directory and I also want to try for a
Cisco certification. My question is this: Will I be
at a disadvantage when I reenter the job market 6 or
so months down the road because of the layoff? I've read that employers don't give that much weight to it if you've used the time to improve your skills.
What do you think?
Thanks very much
Answer Hi Paul,
It would be to your advantage if you could remain working while getting this additional training & certifications. I’m assuming your current company is not interested in helping you reach these goals so you are faced with this dilemma.
These certifications are great if they are coupled with real time hands-on experience. “Book knowledge” is of little added value to a new company as they want personnel who have utilized these skills in the trenches. I believe becoming an expert in Active Directory is an excellent idea as this is a skill in high demand as opposed to getting your MCSE or Cisco certified. Don’t get me wrong; MCSE & Cisco certified are fine but Active Directory is where true expertise will be quickly rewarded & currently in high demand.
Have you considered this? I would suggest staying with your current position & getting the Active Director training you desire for a few reasons. First, you will still be getting a check every 2 weeks while you get the training; secondly, it’s much easer to get a new job when you already possess a job.
A new company may question why you left your old company after 6 years to get this training instead of staying & getting the training when time permits. I understand you are in a rush to get these certifications but decisions made in haste rarely pay off in the end & you will have incurred a hefty expense in acquiring these new skills with no guarantee of a position waiting for you once completed. Don’t buy into the instructor’s propaganda that they can or will find you a position after completing the training. They are not in the recruiting business but rather the training business.
Paul, I’m not sure this is the answer you wanted to hear but it is my honest answer based on the info you provided. I wish you all the best in whichever decision you choose & I hope you find this advice helpful. Please let me know if I can further assist you. When time permits, I would appreciate you filling out the allexperts.com questionnaire.
