IT Certification Path SuccessPresented by Ben Jones

ITEN Wired Summit

October 3, 2014

Introduction

Ben Jones, CEO and Senior Systems Engineer

of MSP Startup, Rooted Technology Solutions, LLC

Based out of Fairhope, Alabama

• 8 Years Professional IT Experience

• Microsoft, VMware, and Cisco Certified

• Wife Amy and two sons Liam and Hudson

Audience

• Industry?

• Healthcare, Financial, Manufacturing, Government, Small Business

• Position?

• Administration, Development, Engineering or Integration, Supportive, Security, Networking, Database, QA, Internet and E-Commerce

• Vendor preferences?

• Microsoft, VMware, Cisco, Citrix, Linux, HP, Dell, Open Source

• Years of experience?

• Less than 5 years, 5+, 10+, 15+

• Certifications?

• Entry, Associate, Professional, Expert?

• How many? 1+, 2+, 5+, 10+

Cisco’s PPDIOO Methodology

Prepare

Plan

Design

Implement

Optimize

Operate

Ben’s APPPC Methodology for IT Certification Path Success

Analyze

Project

PlanPrepare

Conquer

Analyze

• Yourself

• Analyze yourself as an IT professional and where your interests and experiences have been leading you.

• Your Company

• “If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar

• Your Area

• Where you live and where you might want to live, and the area’s opportunity for your field.

• Your Career Field

• What are you peers doing to distinguish and set themselves apart, and what are employers looking for in your positions and positions you may like to obtain.

Project

• Yourself

• What areas will you need to be focusing on over the next year in your career?

• Your Company

• How can you contribute to the success of the big goals and focus of your company, department, and team.

• Your Area

• Are there any groups you should join? Any events to attend? Any areas to start learning more about?

• Your Career Field

• What are you going to do to position your career at a competitive advantage above your peers.

Plan and Prepare

Plan

• Your professional priorities and goals

• The milestones and phases of those goals

• Your personal priorities and goals

• Your time and resources

• The roadmap to success

Prepare

• Set your schedule and stick to it

• Get connected to the community

• Gather resources and prepare your lab

• Get studying and test your understanding

• Fill the gaps and schedule the test

Conquer and Continue

• Take one step (test) at a time

• If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost. - Zig Ziglar

• The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.-Michelangelo

• Stay hungry, stay foolish -Steve Job

Summary and Questions

• Analyze yourself, your company, your area, and your career

• Project yourself in light of what you learned about where you want to be

• Plan how you are going to get there

• Prepare for how you are going to get there successfully

• Conquer the steps and phases to obtain your goals

• Continue this process and never stop learning and growing

Analyze

Project

PlanPrepare

Conquer

Connect

Twitter: @benofthecloud

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/benofthecloud

Email: ben@rootedts.com

Blog: benofthecloud.com

Phone: (251) 517-3253

Resources – PluralSight.com

Resources – CompTIA.org

Resources – Benofthecloud.com

Resources – TechNet Labs