Hey everybody!

 

I know it has been a minute since I have posted, as I write this I am sitting at work in Baghdad, Iraq. Yes, I am deployed (yay for money, boo for location!) Anyhow, I am fixing to start working on studying/testing for certifications. I am scheduled to be out of the Army by December 21, 2009. That gives me about 16 months? to try and get them. I want to be able to go from working in the Army doing IT to working as a civilian doing IT, however I currently do not have any college time or any certifications which I intend to start fixing now.

 

During my time in the army I have had several (lengthy) classes on everything from basic computers to building a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure with Exchange 2003 to designing, building and maintaining Cisco based networks. Unfortunately, the 4 years worth of Army classes do not really hold much value on the civilian side although the experience does. And with this in mind I would like to get a few certifications before I get out of the army to make it as easy as possible to transition to the ciivilian side. A few of you guys know me and know what I am capable of doing/learning, so I ask you this: What certifications should I go for mastering?

 

I currently have on my agenda: MCSE 2003, Cisco CCNA, Comp TIA A+ (2007 Objectives), Network+, Security+, and Linux+. Is this a good objective set or am I skewed on what I really need to aquire? I think most of these should be easy for me to study for and conquer with out a whole lot of effort and would also be key to getting a good job as a civilian.

 

Any real-world information and guidance on this would be greatly appreciated!

 

Very Respectfully,

Mollie

 

 

PS: I hope everybody has been safe and has had a wonderful year in the time I have been away!