Trying to start a new career in IT

[samatarfarah]

Hello, all. I'm trying to start a new career in IT. I'm almost done with my RHCSA and I'm going for my RHCE next. Will it be a good bet to then go for the DO374 as well as the D0467? I want to get a job asap, and I am very driven.

[Tracy_Baker · Accepted solution]

Certifications and courses can help you get the job; on their own, they're not enough.

In the real world, you still must prove that you can do it (even more so with organizations drawing-down their staffs).

Sometimes, people with no practical real-world experience make the mistake of getting more advanced certifications and taking advanced courses - thinking that it'll make it easier for them to get a job. Usually, it doesn't work out that way.

In other words, if you don't have any real experience in IT, earning the RHCSA is probably a good idea to get started. However, moving on to the RHCE would, most likely, be an expenditure of time and money that wouldn't have much return since you've wouldn't have the experience to back it up. And, this become truer as you get more advanced certifications (and course, for that matter).

* The current RHCE is not the same as the old RHCE. The current RHCE is not a "continuation" of the RHCSA as the old one was. Instead, it is Ansible. Getting and RHCSA and RHCE might be a good thing - if you are going for an Ansible job. However, real-world experience is still a thing.

In my humble opinion, this makes more sense: get the RHCSA now, get a job and put in two to three years. Then go get the RHCE. You'll most likely be ready, and in a position, to move into a role that would better suit an RHCE (and one that makes more money). And, if you are working for a decent company, have them pay for it.

I read a story (maybe on this site) of a person who graduated school, perhaps a Red Hat Academy, and managed to get the RHCA in less than two years. However, he had no industry experience. He spent all that time, energy, and money to get the RHCA yet couldn't get a job as an architect. He had the educational / certification knowledge with no real-world experience.

When all is said and done, that's my 2¢ and may not be worth more than that. Others are likely to have different opinions (or not).

[samatarfarah]

Ahh I see, Thanks for the input! I've paid for a RHLS Subscription, so that's why I asked, lol. I come from a press mechanic background and was laid off, so I have some amount saved up for some time to learn a new skill. Plus, it's really hard looking for "junior" Linux administration jobs since many of them nowadays want additional "experience." (Don't know why "junior" was mentioned in their titles.)

I'm just hungry for anything, and everyone on Reddit usually talks about how the RHCE is the next "logical" step, but I just don't know. I do know Ansible and Openshift is how, so for the next month or so, my original plan was to soak up as much as I can with getting the RHCSA, RHCE, one more advanced Ansible cert or so and a beginner Openshift cert just to hopefully start somewhere, anywhere really. I know starting out as an architect with no experience is like asking for a ride to Atlantis, but perhaps if I have a distuinguished list of skills, that can increase the chances of getting hired, no?

[Tracy_Baker]

The RHCE is the next logical step after the RHCSA. It just that it isn't as logical as it used to be. In other words:

(old way) RHCSA was primarily client-side config. and RHCE was primarily server-side config. - in many cases using the same technology. For example RHCSA used to set up automounting with NFS and Kerberos on the client. The RHCE used to set up the NFS exports.

(new way) RHCSA is still primarily client-side config. and RHCE is Ansible (now, having the RHCSA for the Ansible-centric RHCE is a big help, especially if things go wrong - you can use RHCSA-type "tools" to troubleshoot things).

Since you've paid for the Learning Subscription, use it. At the very least, an employer might be impressed by your "go-getter" attitude.

[samatarfarah]

Ahh, you're a wealth of knowledge, Tracy! Thank you for the rundown. Are you a solutions architect for Red Hat? 

[Tracy_Baker]

No. I am a professor that leads our college's Red Hat Academy. I teach RH124, RH134, RH294, DO180, Bash scripting, Python programming, and all Cisco CCNA classes.

Prior to my current role I worked in IT for about 30 years in just about every capacity.

[bonnevil]

...and if you're looking for some of the knowledge about network services from the old RHCE, that's in the RH358 "Red Hat Services Management and Automation" course.  There's a little Ansible in there as well, because it assumes you've taken the RHCE, but it covers a lot of the same ground as the old System Admin III course did. 

But I think the advice from @Tracy_Baker is on point -- finding a way to get your foot in the door and build up real-world experience is key and most important.  Especially if it's for an operation that has more experienced folks there who can help mentor you and grow your knowledge with real-world operations.

[samatarfarah]

I'm glad that point was emphasized. I was about to go to the route of getting tons of certificates first before getting a job, but without any experience, can anyone just get an engineer/architect role so quick? Pretty unlikely. I'll loof anywhere and everywhere once I get my RHCSA. Testing is closed until May, so I'll start looking everywhere once I finish the course instead of waiting to get my cert a month from now.

[Trevor]

Hello Samatarfarah,

So wonderful to see that you have a desire to gain employment in the
Red Hat Linux space.

A couple of questions for starters:

1)  Did you inquire about pursuing the DO374 and DO467 courses
       because you have a keen interest and desire to work with Ansible?

2)  Regarding your comment, "it's really hard looking for "junior" Linux
       administration jobs since many of them nowadays want additional
       "experience." ", is that based on conversations you've had with others,
        or is that comment based on what you've personally experienced? 

I've got some follow-up questions, but the direction that those questions
will go will depend on your response to my inaugural questions - in the event
you choose to respond

Hope all is well!!!

[samatarfarah]

Thank you much for your comment, Trevor! For question 1: I am honestly open to anything after the RHCSA, but after asking around, the most common response for choosing what to learn is a tie between Ansible and Openshift, so yes, I do have a keen interest and desire to work with Ansible.

For question 2, I guess my resume may also need some work. I may have been almost demoralized from reading up on other guys who may have experienced no luck in the current IT job market. It's also based somewhat on my own experience since I have tried a few places already, but I don't have experience therefore, no luck on my part as well.

This was the original reason why I wanted to soak up as much as I can in knowledge regarding certs like RH294, DO374, DO467, DO280, DO288, DO380, 328, 480, 244, etc