I have experience wotking with Windows and Cisco equipments, but I am interested in Linux. I would like to know what certification will help start my career as Linux Administrator.

LPIC Level I or II
RHCE
RHCT
Linux+

I do not want an aswer "Like you need experience first".


Thanks for you help.

RedHat is the most widely used commercial Linux so the RHCE would be the certification that has the most meaning at potential employers. The RHCT is good as well but is a lower level from RedHat than RHCE.

Whether you want to hear it or not the number one thing most employers in this space look for is experience rather than certification. I've worked most of my career in UNIX/Linux without certification and it hasn't held me back. Employers typically view it as a "plus" rather than a "requirement".

You might gain experience by going to work at an organization with a small team that does both Windows and Linux. Also of course since there are free versions of Linux (including CentOS compiled from RHEL sources) you can load it at home.

When interviewing for jobs don't pretend to know things you don't. Employers would much rather hear "I don't know" and possibly train you than they would be to hear BS and realize they can't trust you.

I'm not sure if you have any linux experience or not. RHCE is a difficult exam and would be almost impossible if you don't have linux experience. I have been working as a system administrator for almost 3 years and ended failing the RHCE portion.

RHCT is a good way to start... then moving on to RHCE as you get more hands on practise with RHEL.

You can always look up the Redhat's website for the exam prep guide to see what you are comfortable with or match the skill set you believe will be valuable towards your goals.

Perhaps not, but knowledge and experience are trump cards in this game.

RHCE is by far the most valued Linux cert, but without knowing your stuff it isn't going to do you any good.

CentOS is free, online documentation is free, and city / university libraries contain lots of Linux books. If you're serious about this, a better approach than "Which cert should I get?" would be: "How can I learn and practice enough to be able to offer value to an employer?"

I have been reading and watching RHCE books and videos for about a year, and other neutral Linux books. Since I have windows and Cisco background, it have not been to difficult for me to learn and install most network services using VMWARE (NIS, NFS, APACHE, BIND, Disabling setlinux for some servces, DHCP, and adding new disk and users).

But, I am afraid that after I pay $800 dollar for a test, I will not be able to start my Linux career.

thanks for all you comments that for sure will help others.