Finally started my training for LPIC-1. This is going to be fun!
Okay, more information: after a long talk with Dee last week, I decided that I needed to get into a career that was more closely aligned with my passions – namely GNU/Linux, open source software, GNOME, Ubuntu and especially hardware and embedded systems. Now, there’s a few opportunities here in Edinburgh for exactly this kind of thing, but my work history is completely as a Java developer and so convincing people that I “know” Linux is not the easiest thing to do.
We decided that I should just go ahead and get Linux-certified, since that will demonstrate that I have at least a basic understanding of the system. Further, I can rewrite my CV in such a way as to highlight the “system” aspects of my experience rather than the pure Java stuff. Of course, being familiar with a couple of programming languages can’t hurt, and I do like creating stuff.
So I’m halfway through my first pass of a LPIC-1 exam preparation book now, and once I get to the end I’m going to set a date and book the exam – which will (hopefully) force me to get into a proper study mode. Luckily I’ve got three different LPIC books to use in my preparations.
If it goes well I’d like to do the same thing with the Java certified developer exam, and possibly the CCNA as well (I completed a year of CCNA training back in University, after all – if only I’d sat the exam at the time!).
There’s also an Ubuntu exam from LPIC once I’ve done LPIC-1 and LPIC-2. Certification is fun!