Project Management Professional (PMP)
Preparation
My preparation for the PMP was extensive. I used the following sources:
What did I learn during this journey
I learned that there are many parallels between missions I have completed in the military and what Project Managers in the industry do. During this preparation, I learned about the business aspect of project management, including Earn Value Management formulas and the PMI framework for projects. I learned to translate my military experience into relevant terms that can be understood beyond the military.
Exam
The PMP exam is without a doubt one of the hardest tests I have ever taken. This test is four hours 180 questions on a wide range of subjects from People, Process, and Business Development. The exam’s current version has many questions covering waterfall, agile and hybrid project approaches. The exam is so long that you are allowed to take two 10-minute breaks. There are many requirements, such as a minimum of 36 months of project experience if you have at least a bachelor’s or 60 months of experience before you can take the test without a degree.
Applicability
Everything that I have learned in this journey is critial in my career as I plan to pursue an IT Project Management career beyond the military.
VMware Certified Professional- Data Center (2V0-21.20)
Preparation
- Courses and Labs
Book
What did I learn during this journey
During this journey I learned how powerful vSphere ESXi and vCenter are to get the most out of a Data Center. vMotion, Fault Tolerance, High Availability, Distributed Resource Scheduler, Replication and many other features are a clear advantage over traditional On Premises set ups.
Exam
I registered and took the exam on Person Vue online testing from home. The exam had 70 questions with a passing score of 300 and a time limit of 130 minutes. VMware vSphere 8.x Professional 135 Minutes 70 Questions $250 USD
Applicability
This course and certification are absolutely critical in my journey to learn more about virtualization and learn the versatility of levering cloud services that can reach world wide deployments within minutes. Defenitely a great starting point to learn more about VMware Cloud on AWS.
Security Plus
Preparation
My first attempt at the CompTia Security+ was a failure by only a few points. I did not prepare well as I thought my IT experience was sufficient to pass. That was a humbling experience. For my second attempt, I dedicated a great deal of time to preparing.
- I use Jason Dion’s CompTIA Security+(SY0-501) course and the associated practice exams to prepare.
- Professor Messers Security+ Practice Exam
- The most helpful resource is Darril Gibson’s CompTIA Security+ Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-501 Study Guide.
What did I learn during this journey
This test has a very wide range of subjects. I particularly enjoyed learning about encryption and it’s place within the CIA triad. (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability)
Exam
The exam covered the following areas
- Threats, Attacks and Vulnerabilities (21%)
- Technologies and Tools (22%)
- Architecture and Design (15%)
- Identity and Access Management (16%)
- Risk Management (14%)
- Cryptography and PKI (12%)
They were not easy, but with enough preparation I was able to score fairly decent.
Applicability
The knowledge in this exam is very relevant to everything else that surrounds IT, cloud or any other tech-related subject. Very useful.
Network Plus
Preparation
I used Jason Dion’s CompTIA Network+ (N10-008) Full Course & Practice Exam to prepare for this exam.
What did I learn during this journey
I feel that some of the material covered in this exam was included in Security+. Although I learned about some new concepts, this exam does not prepare anyone to be a network engineer like Cisco’s CCNA would.
Exam
I hate taking tests regardless of how well prepared I think I am. But this test was ok for an entry level certification.
Applicability
As mentioned before, the content of this certification is not ideal for a network engineer.
ITIL V4
Preparation
I used the ITPRO ITIL Course to prepare for this exam.
What did I learn during this journey
A lot of the material cover in this certification are things that we do at work everyday. But the course was suitable for identifying some areas of improvement.
Exam
The ITIL exam is not too hard if you prepare. However, when it comes to the exam experience, this has to be my worse experience when taking a test. Axelos uses its own testing application, unlike CompTIA and many others who use Pearson Vue. My application crashed over 30 times before getting access to the test. I tried three different computers and two different technicians. The first technician quit.
Applicability
The content of this certification is very relevant to a solid IT Service Management plan about customer focus and process improvement.
AWS Cloud Practitioner
Preparation
What did I learn during this journey
I got a chance to explore the AWS cloud architecture. This was a very enlightened experience. The course was very good and free. But the Cloud Quest Game was my favorite time while preparing for certification. The graphics were not the best, but the applicability of the actions in the game served to solidify my understanding of the AWS Cloud architecture and how to use it.
Exam
The exam experience was prety straight forward. AWS training does a good job a preparing you for the exam. Although this is not truly a certification, it is a great starting point to be introduced to cloud computing on AWS. One thing I found peculiar is that my results did not show right away after the exam. Instead, I had to wait until the following day. I am not sure if this is standard practice, but it was nerve-wracking to find out if I passed on.
Applicability
The content learned during the training and the game have been parramount in my understanding of cloud services. I was able to create a few test projects that gave me a good idea of what the platform can do.
Azure Fundamentals AZ-900
Preparation
I will never turn down a free opportunity for training. I was offered a free attendance to a Netcom Learning AZ-900 course. Between the course and some of the materials provided in the course, it was sufficient to pass the exam.
What did I learn during this journey
It was interresting to see microsoft version of their virtual environment. Although the training was not as fun as AWS, it was good enough to understand the most critical aspects of the Azure cloud.
Exam
The exam was pretty straight forward. The test is not too hard, and just wants to validate that you know the difference between OPEX (Operating Expenditure) and CAPEX (Capital Expenditure). OPEX is the cost of continued operations, while CAPEX is the cost of starting with operating.
Applicability
Although I feel more confortable with the AWS platform, Azure is not a bad environment to use. I feed the course does a great job of making sure that the student understands the benefits of a cloud environment.
Amateur General Radio License
KD2YAE Preparation
There are many website that can help you prepare for the amature radio license. Hamexam.org There is a large pool of questions that could potentially be selected for the 30-question exam.
What did I learn during this journey
There are two schools of thought when preparing for this license. 1. Just memorize the questions to get you on the air, and you will learn as you go. 2. Become proficient before testing, and the test will be an afterthought. I could agree with both. I dedicated a lot of time to preparing, but it has been a wonderful experience after becoming licensed. Amateur radio skyrocketed my radio knowledge with military radios and Wi-Fi, and many other services that run on radio frequencies.
Exam
I was lucky enough to take my exam on a Zoom call with 3 amateur radio proctors who were located in Anchorage, AK. They were very helpful.
Applicability
I wish that I had know about this license many years ago. I have worked with radios with over 20 years. I thought that I knew a lot about radios. I can frankly say that if I had taken this license before, I would have improved the radio skills of hundreds of soldiers.
CCNA
For the past few weeks I have been preparing to take the Cisco Certified Network Associate CCNA certification to recertify. I used to have the CCNA certification but made the mistake to let it expire. I was almost ready to test but had to stop because I was presented with a different opportunity to take PMP. In December 2023, I finally pulled the trigger and passed the CCNA certification.
Preparation
I have been using Neil Anderson’s Udemy course, CBTNuggets, and an in-person bootcamp. I enjoyed these courses and have used Packet Tracer labs and GNS3 to practice the course subjects.
What did I learn during this journey
Without a doubt, the content in the CCNA certification is the most relevant in my career in IT in and outside of the military. There is a ton of content that can be applied immediatly.
Exam
This exam tests your knowledge and skills related to:
- Network fundamentals
- Network access
- IP connectivity
- IP services
- Security fundamentals
- Automation and programmability
Applicability
I have worked around IT for a long while. From my first introduction to VOIP and network switches I was immediatly hooked. The landscape is definetely changing, yet the need for Network Engineers and Administrators remains. With all the changes in network automations, the opportunity to learn more than just networking is everywhere. I believe this is how you remain relevant. Users will continue to need Wi-Fi networks, and networking knowledge is still alive in cloud computing. As with the VMware NSX certification, network is often coupled with security.
VMware VCP-NSX
During my fellowship with VMware, I was fortunate that the entire training catalog was opened to us. I took full advantage of this opportunity and achieved the VMware’s configuring, deploying, and managing VMware NSX environments, which are used to virtualize networking and security services VCP-NSX certification. With this certification you test on configuring, deploying, and managing VMware NSX environments, which are used to virtualize networking and security services.
Preparation
I took VMware NSX: Install, Configure, Manage On Demand course which has some really fun labs.
What did I learn during this journey
Exam
VMware NSX 4.x Professional 2V0-41.23 135 Minutes 70 Questions $250 USD