Cert path update

Some good advice I received (probably 'received again') when asking which path to take: Admin or Design or both?

Admin is the how, design is the why.

The how part is fun for me, but the why is far more intriguing and satisfying to unravel.  Design is also fundamental to the how being enjoyable.  "I love it when a plan comes together," I think the quote is.

At any rate, the advice for me was to get as many virtualization certs as possible, then worry about the new MCSE for Private Cloud (MCSA+SCOM2012) and/or Exchange certifications.  Am I being blind and following orders?  Hardly, virtualization is my primary IT 'love' - I'd say my home lab spells that out quite nicely.

So, with that in mind, here is the exam order:

Q2-2012: VCP4 (less than two weeks now!)
Q3/Q4-2012: VCAP4-DCA (if it goes well, maybe try for DCD, too)
Q1-2013: What's new in vSphere5? course
Q1-2013: VCP5
Q2-2013: MCITP: Virtualization Admin (3 exams)
Q3/Q4:2013: VCAP5-DCA
Q4-2013: MCSE for Private Cloud (3 exams)

Busy?  Yes.  Ambitious?  Nobody ever got things done by resting on their laurels.  Impossible?  Difficult, but not impossible.

My long-term cert plan is to stay current on the following:
1.  VCP
2.  VCAP-DCA/DCD
3.  Top Microsoft admin cert
4.  Microsoft virtualization cert

My 5-year plan is to become a virtualization consultant/architect and get VCDX-certified.


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