
To answer this question we want to use an e-mail of one of the IT engineers.
"IT Industry Certifications roughly follow a career path, and career paths will vary:
- PC Technician, Helpdesk Technician, Customer Support Engineer
- Network Administration
- Network Engineer
- Technical Manager
With this in mind,
entry level certifications would be:
A vendor specific hardware certifications related to specific hardware such as Hewlett Packard (HP) or Cisco hardware certifications that are model specific or types specific. For instance, HP offers warranty authorization certifications for all of the various models of printers, plotters, net servers, etc.
These types of certifications as well as the industry non-specific certifications such as A+, Network+, A client MCP, Linux, etc. are
field entry-level certifications. Also, any user certifications such as HEAT (or one of the other helpdesk programs) would be an entry-level certifications. In addition, there are users' certifications for user level programs such as MS Office, Outlook, or Star Office. The entry into the IT field is at this level. Sitting on the helpdesk, thorough knowledge of Excel is more helpful to your user than knowing how to setup a network server or Domain.
After the entry-level positions we have server MCP's and MCSA, CNA, CCNA and LAN technologies. This stuff along with a year of real experience should get you a job that allows to work partial time with network servers. This is basic network administrator stuff. Setup new users from templates, overseeing basic daily drudgework the senior guys don't have time for, report problems to them, etc.
Towards
the advanced end of this category and beginning of the Network Engineer category is MCSE, CNE, CCNP and then including the advanced certifications MCDBA, Master CNE or the Novell Specialist certifications.
Mixing and dual certifications in Novell, MCSE, UNIX and training in WAN technologies becomes essential. These allow, with experience and previously learned detail on operating systems and communications, the beginning of the design phase of the career. This phase should also include training or certifications in project management, a broadening of the knowledge base into telephony, programming, databases, budgeting, and personnel management, mixing O/S environments.
After a few years in this environment you should be at the Network Engineering level where you can plan, design, budget, and implement on a time schedule, larger and more complex networks.
At the Network Engineer level you should also begin training back out of the proprietary systems. Look to SCNP, SCNA, GIAC, and ISC2
for training in security issues for instance. It is only at this level where you can fully understand the implications/costs and business tradeoffs involved in these topics. A certain amount of specialization should occur again as in specializing in Database to Internet issues, advanced WAN technologies, security, crypto, etc.
After Network Engineer you reach
the Technical Manager level. You know you are here when you feel comfortable enough to tackle independent standalone projects such as manage the planning, design, budgeting and implementation of a new or complete replacement of a business system that is used by more than 500 people concurrently. Manage vendors, techs, the budget and your own VP's to implement a project that spans 6 months to 2 years.
At this point certifications are not as important as the last project you managed or participated in. But you will get some of the more specialized ones anyway such as your University degree, SCNA, CISSP, or GSNA. You should be comfortable with all aspects of business and technology to decide whether to go it alone and open a consulting business or a technical business to service a particular market segment such as computer forensics or systems for medical offices.
You will note that I have placed MCSE and CNE firmly within or towards the end of the second level of the career path. CNA and MCSA should be entry level to network admin with progress towards MCSE."