Just so you all understand where I'm coming from, it's probably a good idea if I explain a little of my background. I have 12 years IT experience and recently moved into a management role. I supervise a team of 35 server and desktop specialists in an IT services company. I originally started in IT as a mainframe applications programmer. After four and a half years, I moved into networking and worked with OS/2 and LAN Server (IBM's version of LAN Manager). Over time, I moved to working with NetWare, Windows NT and later Lotus Notes/Domino. I have been taking certification exams since 1994 and have passed more than 70 since then. (And yes, I did fail a couple along the way, if you want to ask me about those as well!) Although most of my career has been in Australia, I did spend a couple of years working as a consultant in San Francisco.

In this first column, I want to look at what options are available for those of you who have completed your MCSE. Although many people are delighted to have completed their MCSEs and very happy to finish the seemingly never-ending cycle of taking exam after exam, there are also many who would like to continue on to other certifications. Yes, there is something satisfying in learning a new subject and then passing an exam that verifies the fact that you do understand it.

The most common option nowadays seems to be Cisco's CCNA certification, which requires passing a single multiple-choice exam. I personally don't understand why so many are heading this way since I don't believe that many people work with both routers/switches and Windows 2000. Unless you do, I think it's a waste of time to dabble in other technical areas without the ability to get extensive hands-on experience. Sure, for one-person IT shops there is no choice but to know a little bit about everything. But, once the team gets larger, we typically need to specialize in technology areas. I suspect that one reason for the rush to the CCNA is the well-earned outstanding reputation of the CCIE vs. the MCSE, and the hope that a little of that shine will rub off on the participant. Not that I'm criticizing those who do this--I seriously thought about doing this myself a couple of years ago when I happened to be at a desk that had a spare router in it (it seemed like a great opportunity to get this certification). However, I realized that I would probably never actually configure a production router and, conceptually already understood what it did, so there would be little benefit to me in completing the exam.

More Information On... Cisco CCNA Cisco CCIE Citrix CCA Citrix CCEA Microsoft MCSE

For the vast majority of those who specialize in Windows 2000, I think there are three good options after completing the MCSE:

• Get your life back. This isn't a joke! You've earned a break after completing your MCSE, and probably could do with some time catching up with your friends and family after all of that exam preparation.
  
  
• Continue learning about your chosen specialty. There is much more to know about Windows 2000 than what you picked up studying for the exams. You can learn a great deal by reading the resource kits and/or by keeping up to date with the latest KnowledgeBase articles. As an alternative, you might take additional exams for related Microsoft products or some of the other core Windows 2000 exams that you haven't already taken. For example, if you took the 70-219 exam (Designing a Microsoft Windows Directory Services Infrastructure) as your MCSE core, you may wish to take either 70-220 (Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network) and/or 70-221 (Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure). There's no reason why you can't do additional exams after you have completed your MCSE, and one value that an exam does provide is that it can set a schedule to work to for your study.
  
  
• Choose a complementary certification to Windows 2000. Instead of CCNA, why not choose a certification more closely related to your Windows background--for example a Citrix certification? I believe Microsoft very deliberately included Terminal Services in the Windows 2000 server product for good reason. This is hot technology, and MetaFrame makes it even hotter. Particularly in larger enterprises, there are many groups of staff that need access to some PC/Web applications and don't need the full functionality (and cost) of a PC to do their work. So there is considerable interest in Terminal Server/MetaFrame solutions and how these can reduce the total cost of ownership. Citrix has a two-stage certification road map. The initial certification, the Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) consists of a single exam on either Citrix MetaFrame 1.8, Citrix MetaFrame 1.0 (Unix) or Citrix WinFrame 1.8. The higher-level certification, Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (CCEA), comprises four exams in advanced topics such as security and load balancing. So if you are thinking about additional areas of certification for your career development, give some thought to Citrix certification. I believe you will be well rewarded for your efforts.

What are your post-MCSE plans? Post your comments below or enter our Forums.

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