My Insane Quest Atm
I have recently decided that I need to test something that I’ve claimed at job interviews: That my superpower is that i can pass almost any certification exam with just a few weeks of studying. Therefore my insane quest right now is going be: Try to pass 12 exams in the next 12 months!
My background history with certifications
I have worked as a systems administrator since 2011. For the first job I had in this capacity, I was hired to be responsible for most of the IT infrastructure of a small hosting company (SysIt AS), that has since been acquired by a larger company. The infrastructure when i started was mainly based on VMware vSphere 3.5 and 4 on single hosts, running mostly Windows servers in a variety of versions and a network mostly consisting of Cisco Catalyst 2960 switches.
In my second week of work, I got sent to a VMware vSphere 4: Install, Configure, Manage class. Before this I hadn’t worked with VMware at all. But I got hooked pretty much instantly. After the class I got busy trying to get everything running after Best Practice. Consolidating all the single nodes into clusters, upgrading to vSphere up through the versions when they became stable, before eventually replacing it with a Hyper-V 2016 cluster to cut on license costs. Followed by changing the catalyst switches for a Cisco Nexus solution, upgrading the storage to an EMC SAN, and implementing Veeam Backup and Replication as a backup solution.
During this time my knowledge grew and I started taking certifications in the technologies I was working with. I started with the VMware VCP4, and updated it as new versions came out. I also took several Microsoft Certifications and also the Cisco CCNA: Routing and Switching.
After about 6 years in SysIt, I got hired to run the Microsoft solutions for a IP Phone company (Phonect AS) which has since been aquired by a larger company - I see a pattern here. There I was responsible for the Microsoft platforms, especially the Skype for Business solutions. While working there I kept up with my Microsoft and Cisco certifications. I took the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Productivity, a certification that is now retired. I took Cisco CCNA Security, and started on Cisco CCNP: Routing and Switching, which I never got around to finishing. I took Nutanix Certified Professional: NCP 5, which I’ve let expire. I took Prince 2 Foundation. But while working there, Microsoft decided that Skype for Business was going to be replaced by Microsoft Teams. Which meant i was suddenly in charge of a dying platform.
Lucky for me, I got reqruited by Redpill Linpro in Norway to run their Microsoft solutions. While there I took AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate, and AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional.
Last year i changed jobs again, and now i work for Rælingen and Enebakk municipalities in Norway, as again responsible for the Microsoft solutions - Another pattern spotted.
This year I need to renew my AWS certifications, and I also plan to take some new certifications in the next 12 months:
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
- AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
- Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Fundamentals
- Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate
I realize this is just 9 certifications, but I havent decided what other certifications I want to take yet. I will update the list as I decide.
I will try to write about my progress here, the preparations and also how the exams go.