going to get certified, looking for advice

[EgoFumPapa]

i want to get a job as a computer technician, and pretty soon here, ill be trying to get certified. ive been looking around the net for whatever kinds of information i can find about this. my questions are, whats the best way to go about this? im looking at the CompTIA A+ certification as the one ill go for. is there something else i should be looking at? is this a good certification? ive read that its used a lot in the industry. what kinds of jobs will i be able to get with this? or am i going about this entirely the wrong way? any advice or input is really helpful! thanks a lot!

[Susquehannock]

How about taking courses at your local Community College?

[musawi]

I took A+, very good. You learn a variety of things. If it wasnt for that course I wouldnt know what overclocking is. Or anything on this forum. I would be lost.

[Susquehannock]

Indeed. These forums have been an invaluable resource for me.

How do you think some of our more exprerienced members would fare
in an A+ course?

[BudJB]

It really depends on how easy computers in general come to you. I sat down and read 2 books for about 2 weeks (borrowed from someone who took the cert in a tech school), and took the exams, passing with flying colors. Personally I don't think the A+ is that hard at all, but again, just depends on the individual.

[Randall]

I agree with Bud. When I got out of college, I thought about taking the A+, and even went through practice exams and blew by them.

But, in all honesty, I didn't want to pay more money for more education, even though I just got a Bachelor's in MIS and a minor in Economics. So, now I"m working at a financial services firm that is fantastic and I'm not *doing* anything with IT, per se, but I am helping out all of my teamates with IT-related issues.

Bottom line is: In my opinion, if you have already taken schooling, I would use that to your advantage. If you haven't, or have the choice between schooling and certification classes, I would do the schooling. Here's why: Schooling (comm college or univ) will give you a much broader foundation for the concepts you learn. That will help with employers, as you'll be much more flexible to their needs and you will be able to switch gears should the need arise (unemployment, dissolution of your position). Keep that stuff in mind, as it has a big impact on what you can do 1,2,5,10 years down the road. Feel free to e-mail me or PM me if you are interested in talking more in-depth about thiis, as I just went through it about 5 months ago.
-r

[EgoFumPapa]

i think right now i know about 50% or more of whats on that exam. ive learned tons of what i know from the forums. its the best resource ive found. im not worried about getting it at all, im wondering what i can do with it though, as far as jobs are concerned. also, starting in january, i am taking some part time classes at my local technical college. as far as the future goes though, this isnt going to be permanent. long story short, i just dropped out of art school for animation, and now im looking to become a technician for a while just until i figure out what i really want to do. i thought i could use any job i could get as a technician to help pay for school on the side (wherever it is i decide to go)

[jbarket]

As far as A+ and CompTIA are concerned, you are much more likely to impress the company you're interviewing for with a degree (or another cert). However, if you're just looking for bonus points on your resume, anyone capable of making heads or tails of this forum should be able to pass the A+ test.

Essentially if you understand how a computer works and can purchase, assemble, and configure your own, that's everything.

In my experience, a lot of companies look for Microsoft certifications such as MCP or MCSE. Even if you feel reasonably comfortable with every OS Microsoft has put out in the past 10 years, I would advise studying for this one. I haven't actually taken either, but when I was presented with a practice test, it was much more difficult than I expected--even though I worked for a couple of years supporting Windows machines. I guess the best way to explain why it's difficult is that unlike the A+, where RAM goes into a freakin slot, the MCP and MCSE exams are looking for a specific answer to a problem that you might handle ten different ways in Windows.

As a final note, experience speaks volumes. I was lucky enough to make friends (over the internet on a forum at that) with a couple of guys who got me a job working for a local company--at the time I was 18 and had no real experience whatsoever. The pay wasn't great (actually, it sucked in a realitve sense), but I was able to gain experience and learn two programming langauges on the company's dime. Since then, I've had no issues with work (as long as there's a job to be had to begin with)--I've actually had a few companies call me out of the blue to offer me jobs.

What I'm trying to say is that if the only IT related job you can get with your qualifications is showing the secretary how Powerpoint works and cleaning the toilets when they don't have crap for you to do, take it. It'll give you a big advantage when you decide you're ready to move on.

[F4]

A+ is pretty basic, but still one of the most widely recognized.

When I took my A+ exam (a little over a year ago now), the only thing I really didn't know before, that I had to learn was how a laser printer worked.

I would recommened going to www.braindumpcentral.com and check out a few of the exam questions, to see what kind of questions you will be asked on the test, so that you can study the appropriate areas.

If you understand what people on this board are talking about, you will probably pass the A+ exam with flying colours.

[BudJB]

The A+ certainly does focus a lot of the hardware aspect, but there are 2 tests involved. One is hardware, the other is software. Not sure what the new versions test you on, but I imagine by now it's got to be either win2k or xp. You have to know your OS decently well.

And as a side note, you receive the MCP designation when you pass at least one of MS' tests. It just means you've taken one of their tests and passed. MCSE, MCSD, and so on, are suites of tests you take to acheive the title. I should be an MCP but I didn't have the damn money at the time :-/