Diary of a Network Geek

So, I’ve been thinking about getting yet another professional certification.

I’ve been a Certified Novell Engineer for about fifteen years now.  In fact, I upgraded that cert three times after initially certifying back in 1993.  In 2003, I got the CompTIA Linux+ certification.  All at more or less my own expense.  Now, I haven’t heard anything about Novell updating their certification requirements lately, but I suppose it might happen one day.  I don’t think I’ll pay to re-up that cert, though.  I haven’t really used Novell in any significant sense for about five years now, so there’s not much point in maintaining it.
The lack of continuing education requirement is one of the things I liked about getting the CompTIA Linux+ certification.  One test, one cert, for life.  It seemed like a good idea to me, a good investment.  About the time I ended up getting divorced, I gave up on studying for the CompTIA Security+ certification.  There seemed plenty of time.  Well, as it turns out, there may not be after all.

Earlier this year, CompTIA announced that there would be continuing education requirements for several of their certifications.  Well, the great mass of IT professionals raised such a hue and cry about it that they modified that stance somewhat.  We not have until the end of this year to get the certifications if we want to escape the re-up requirements.  That goes for the A+, the Network+ and, yes, the Security+ certifications.
So, it looks like I’ll be buying the Exam Cram Security+ book and, probably, investing in the SelfTest Software pre-exam study software, too.  It’s not that big an investment monetarily, but I suspect it will be a little more difficult to knuckle down and study to take the test.  I haven’t worked at that sort of thing for quite some time now, and I’m almost afraid I’ve forgotten how!

Of course, the real question is, in a way, whether or not it’s even worth getting the certification at all.  I mean, it just sucks me even deeper into the bottomless pit that is the IT profession.  It’s a never-ending treadmill of oppressive hours and thankless work that few people truly appreciate.  Of course, it does pay pretty well.  And, it does beat digging ditches.  Most days.
Naturally, my hope is that the Security+ certification will make me more marketable in the long-term, should something happen to my current job.  Not that I think that’s likely, but still, it never hurts to be prepared.  And, frankly, security is going to continue to be a big issue going forward, so getting this particular certification surely can’t hurt my resume any.

Over all, the investment is small for the potential return.  And, it will probably do me good to stretch my poor, feeble, little mind to work at something like this again.
Besides, I may know a beautiful, young college student or two who could help me study.
Stranger things have happened!