#1: Red Hat Certified Engineer
Vendor: Red Hat
Reader Interest Score (out of 20): 17
Buzz Score (out of 10): 8
Total: 25
If you’re looking for yet another sign that Linux is becoming a real player, then you’ve got it. While Linux certifications have regularly made our Hot Cert list over the past few years -- in fact, the RCHE has appeared on this list since we started it for 2002 -- this is the first time one has ever taken the top spot. Quite a feat, especially when you consider that the vast majority of CertCities.com’s readers are Windows professionals.
So how did this Linux title break through to No. 1? Having a stellar reputation never hurts, and Red Hat is well known for the quality of its RHCE lab exam, which tests candidates’ hands-on skills with Red Hat Enterprise. “It’s a truly challenging certification,” commented Dulaney. “It carries a lot more respect than others in the market.”
But the title wouldn’t go anywhere unless its skills were seen as marketable. And according to Morris, high-level Linux skills may be more marketable than some might think. “These days…it seems that demand for a great Linux person outstrips the demand for general Microsoft administration skills,” commented Morris. “Not that Microsoft is going anyplace, but serious Linux networking is more [rare]. While [this is] not my personal area of interest, I highly recommend that others look at it with keen interest.”