Certifications

[Sin@Sin-Sacrifice]

Are CompTIA's worth the time and money? Are there better certifications? See I have a pretty good understanding of how all this stuff works but no one will take me seriously without an education and I'm tired of struggling to get by and hating my job. I just want something more lucrative to help me in my journey to bettering myself. I found a few jobs that asked for comptia A+ certs but it wasn't required. I might be able to get the job regardless but I want to know if it's worth looking into anyway. I'm sure college is a better solution but not really the right time for it. Anybody here know?

[jacobs444]

The time, sure, the money no. I am a linux plus certified professional, but if you want a better linux cert then choose the linux professionals institute cert.

Comp-tia is mostly a rip off, like recently the a+ changed from 1 to 3 tests, thatzs 600 for a crappy a+ cert.

[jacobs444]

Oh, the certs are worth more than a degree, and experience is worth more than the certs.

[Sin@Sin-Sacrifice]

Wow... thanks for the quick reply. Hope I can get some more just as quick. Also... What would be the best things to learn to get into IT? I have a good base I think but I have no idea what they would want me to know.

[CorvisRex]

In General, the certs are absolutely worth it. Of course, some are more valuable than others. The Certs (again, in general) give employers some marker that you AT LEAST do know this or that, and that your resume is not a peice of Hugo Award winning fiction.

Beyond that, it depends on what you want to do. Most Depot Tech jobs absolutely require at least an A+, since the shop must prove to the venders that "yes our tech are qualified to fix your machines", usually a requirement for a shop to be allowed to fix a Dell, or HP, or Apple. Especially with the Apple certs for the Apple machines.

MCPs or other low level M$ certs in xp, vista and 7, are also very good for the shops, and for help desk/ office tech work

Likewise, MCSA and CCNA are pretty much absolutely needed if you want to do networking admin work, or even to get ANYWHERE NEAR a server room.

Been told that the RedHat certs are worth there weight in Gold, but harder to get than a slushy in hell.

Basically the Certs tell the employer that you have some basic skills and that cared enough about your career to spend the money/time to get them. Not having a degree will still hurt you, but the certs will definately help. And these days, there are so many out of work tech people, that certs are becomming more and more a requirment for employers, if nothing else, but to eliminate alot of the applicants when trying to fill jobs. The more out-of-work techs there are the higher the empoyers standards are going to be... Market economy in action.

I say go for the A+, maybe the Network+, get a couple of MCPs, for linux, maybe the LPIC as well. Then try for the CCNA. Really you got nothing to loose.

As for costs. Any Community College in the US at least gives these tests, and gives discounts for students.

And the A+ is only Two tests these day, with my student discount, they were only $60 each.

Good Luck

[jacobs444]

If you really want the high pay get the cisco certs, they pay cisco professionals a lot of money.

very hard though

[u.b.u.n.t.u]

and experience is worth more than the certs.

That cannot be emphasized enough.

[Sin@Sin-Sacrifice]

Not looking to score the 6 figure work that's out there. Just trying to get out of being used by franchise owners to fix and configure their machines for a dish washer's wage. Thanks for all the replies ya'll. Thanks doubly CorvisRex. Exactly what I was looking for.

[u.b.u.n.t.u]

Just trying to get out of being used by franchise owners to fix and configure their machines for a dish washer's wage.

This is practically a universal workplace reality. Unpaid higher duties, unpaid overtime, and the like, are basically "normal" business practice. It is wrong on many moral and ethical grounds but businesses are rarely concerned about such matters.

The only "benefit" of being exploited in such a manner is a measure of job security. It is practically an expectation in todays work environment to be a pseudo work slave.

[Sin@Sin-Sacrifice]

Pseudo? Heh... I wouldn't give capitalists that much rope.