| A certifiable path to Linux Jobs |
Dec. 09, 2005
You don't have to have a Linux certification to get a job working with Linux, but it can't hurt.
Simply working on Linux is easy. Join a Linux community like The Debian Project, Red Hat's Fedora, Novell's OpenSUSE, or half-a-hundred projects and go for it.
Of course, you won't get paid, and 95 percent of the work on Linux projects is programming. So, if you want a salary, and your skills lie in system administration or network management, it behooves you to look into Linux certifications.
Of course, a Linux certification doesn't mean a darn thing in and of itself. I haven't met a standardized test yet that I couldn't beat. It doesn't mean I know anything. I'm just one of those people who test well.
What really counts is the ability to take Linux and make it jump up and down and do the work that today's companies need done. The only way to really show that you have those skills is by doing the work.
That said, as Linux increasingly is entering businesses' front doors rather than as a skunk-works project in the back-room, the people hiring Linux-workers are more likely to be in human resources than in IT. That, in turn, means you're more likely to be judged by your degrees and certifications than by your experience and skills.
But, which certification? Aye, there's the rub.
These days, there are five major Linux certification families: Linux+ is probably the easiest certification to get. Like the other CompTIA certifications -- A+, Network+, etc. -- it's a certification for hands-on technicians.
If you've got a few months in actually managing a Linux business server or small network under your belt, you should be able to pass it without too much trouble. For more details on this one, I recommend reading Developer.com's A New Look at the Linux+ Certification.
Oh, and one final thought on the Linux+. It can't hurt your employment chances that CompTIA's certifications are well-known. An HR staffer might not know Linux is an operating system, but if they see that "+", they'll know it's a reasonable technician level certification.
The LPI is the oldest of the Linux certifications. It has three levels.
With the first, the Junior Level Administration (LPIC1), you should be able to run a stand-alone Linux server and perform such basic network administration jobs as adding a user to a Linux server. The LPIC1 is a basic Linux certification and is about the same level as the Linux+.
Next up, with an Intermediate Level Administration (LPIC2) you should be able to run a small Linux-based network with both Windows and Linux workstations.
There is a level above that, the Senior Level Administration (LPIC3). If you had one of those, the LPI says, be ready to run major sites and serve as a consultant. I have my doubts about trusting anyone with that level of responsibility based on a certification alone.
I'm also concerned that the LPI has been working on the LPIC3 for years now and it's still not out.
I wouldn't say don't get an LPI certification. In the Linux world, they're well-known and respected. I would, though, if I were aiming to go places at the office, look to the Novell or Red Hat certifications for my higher level certifications.
Novell, for better or for worse, is the company you can blame for today's tech job-market focus on certifications. Back in the late 80s, they're the ones that made certifications important.
Today, the CLP (Certified Linux Professional), not the venerable CNE (Certified Novell Engineer), is the certification you want. The CLP is a SUSE Linux specific certification. It's about the equal of the LPIC2 in terms of complexity.
Above it is the new Novell Certified Linux Engineer 9. To get this one, you must know how to handle a network, have your CLP, and know your SLES 9 (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9) inside and out.
The gold standard of Linux certifications is, without doubt, the RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer). If your would-be employer knows anything about Linux certifications, they know this one.
CertCities readers, who live and die by certifications, have it as their top Linux certification. If they think it's hot stuff, it's hot stuff.
It's not for kids. This is the most respected Linux certification around, and they'll make you work for it.
It is also, of course, Red Hat specific. Don't think for a second that just messing around with Fedora will get you ready for it. It won't.
Now that I've got you completely frightened, you'll be glad to know that Red Hat also offers a lower-level certification, the RHCT (Red Hat Certified Technician).
Like the Linux+ or LPIC1, with some experience and study, a beginner can expect to get this one.
The RHCA (Red Hat Certified Architect) for network architects, on the other hand, is the toughest certification out there. Getting it requires a current RHCE plus a lot of course work. This is one of those certifications, where if you get it, you probably have already been working on major Linux setups for years.
While not as hellish as the famous (or should I say infamous?) Cisco CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert), if you want an RHCA, you'll have to work for it.
Then there's Sair's LCP.
When I last looked at Linux certifications in the summer of 2004, I wrote, "Of all the certifications, Sair's LCP is perhaps the least well-known, which doesn't bode well for its usefulness in getting work."
Well, it's a year and a half later, and the Sair LCP is still bringing up the rear.
It has two levels -- LCP (Linux Certified Professional) and LCE (Linux Certified Engineer). The names don't really capture them well.
The first strikes me at about the same level as a Linux+.
The LCE, however, really isn't an advanced Linux certification. It's more of a certification in popular Linux server add-on programs. Specifically, it covers the Sendmail mail server, the Apache Web server, and the Samba CIFS (Common Internet File System) server.
That sounds OK, but frankly, I can't find anyone, unlike the other certifications, who actually has either one. More to the point, after a quick look at some of the various technology job sites, I couldn't find any employer looking for someone with a Sair certification.
I'd give Sair a pass if I were looking for a certification.
Of course, none of these is going to keep you gainfully employed, unless you have the real-world skills and work-ethic. But, except for the Sair, any of them can certainly help you get a Linux job in the first place.
Good luck on your job hunt!
--Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
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