MCSE is going the way of the Do Do as soon as they drop support for Server 2003.
The best industry certs are:
MCITP (The new MCSE)
CCNA (CCENT is just Part 1 of CCNA)
RHCE
Now, simply having a cert won't get you a job. But certifications can increase your pay, your position, or your longevity in the company. Many major companies require X amount of certified individuals to be employed to maintain their contracts with the big technology companies. (Microsoft, Cisco, etc)
Network+, Security+, A+...all useless in my opinion. We generally laugh at "technology" people that list these certs, unless it's with something substantial.
MCITP is at least a 5 test certification, depending on which way you go.
CCNA is 1 test (Or two if you decide to split it between ICND1 and ICND2)
CCENT is acheived after passing ICND1
CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) is in depth, and can be useful, but generally with another solid cert (Such as a Microsoft, Cisco, or Linux cert)
The biggest thing is what are you interested in?
If it's supporting servers, pick RHCE or MCITP
If it's network, start with CCNA and choose your discipline.
After passing your CCNA (Which isn't as hard as you think it is), you can go a number of different routes:
A> Design (1 test, you don't need your CCNA for this, but it helps)
B> Security (1 test after attaining CCNA)
C> Voice (1 test after attaining CCNA)
D> Wireless (1 test after attaining CCNA)
E> CCNP (3 tests after attaining CCNA)
What's coming down the pipe? What's going to be the most useful over the next 3-5 years?
Easy. IPv6, Virtualization (VMware)/Cloud Computing, Wireless, and Voice/Data.
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