[Ubuntu PA] Ubuntu Certified Professional?

Matt Mossholder matt at mossholder.com
Fri Sep 14 15:36:56 BST 2007


On Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:45:43 -0400, silvertip257 <silvertip257 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Interesting, hmm didn't know about the LPI cert exams - and there's 3
> levels...
> I'd be interested in knowing more about the UCP program, too.
> I've heard about the ComTIA Linux+ cert exam - is that ever worth taking?

I don't know... I don't know anyone who has taken it.
 
> I'm leery of taking a distro specific cert exam (say UCP), only because it
> doesn't mean I'd be certified to work on say RedHat systems or Suse
> systems.  Maybe employers won't look on that certification as "I" only
> know
> Ubuntu and not RHL and other systems.  I guess any Unix/Linux experience
> is
> a hell of a lot better than someone without - I don't think the industry's
> employers are that strict.

I'm not so concerned about the vendor-specificness at this point, as the other LPI exams have components that are specific to multiple vendors. For example, you need to know both rpm and dpkg/apt for the LPIC1 exams.
> 
> Is it good to take generalized certification exams or more specific ones?

It depends on the industry. In IT Security, for example, one of the top certifications is vendor neutral (CISSP), but in others like Networking, people are more interested in specific vendors (e.g. Cisco).

> 
> I'm going to say more general and broader ones because that supplies the
> foundation for employers to go train you the employee to be an expert on
> their distro or system.
> 
> I got my A+ from CompTIA, and plan on getting my Net+ and probably
> Server+.
> I think Linux deserves a spot in certifications, so help me out if ya know
> anything more about Linux certs than I do (you probably do know more than
> me).
> 
> Opinions please.  ;)

While I haven't spent a lot of time looking at them, the prevailing feeling at my employer is that the CompTIA certs are seen as more of a junior level certification. Most vendors are more interested in seeing things like MSCE, RHCE, CCIE, etc. At very least you should have an end-goal in mind when you start getting certifications. You need to ask yourself questions like "Do I want to be a subject matter expert in this area, or am I just trying to show base competence?". Showing base competence is fine for some things, like showing you are more rounded, but in the areas where you want to be an SME, you want to be able to show that you are on some sort of track.


> I'm jumping in for the ride on this one Matt - Thanks for bringing it up.
> 
> Mike

No problem! 

          --Matt




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