CompTIA A+ certificate

[thekekster]

is there anyone out there know if this certificate is a good way of getting started in the pc industry

if it is, what kind of work can i go for

thankyou anyone who replies

 

[Rockn]

A cert alone will not get you in the door anywhere unless you want to work at Best Buy with the rest of the "Format Kings". Experience will get you in the door, not a cert.

 

[Yankee Rose]

Hi thekekster:

The A+ Certification; and whether it is worthwhile or not, has been debated many times here at TSG. You will get differing opinions from all members. Rockn is correct in that experience is mandatory these days, but it doesn't hurt to have your A+, either.

I am A+ certified and currently working on both my Network + and MSCA. My theory is that <b>"The Cert Won't Hurt!"</b>

I suggest that you hit <a href="http://www.examnotes.net/forums/">this</a> forum for loads of information on the A+ Certification as well as others, if you are interested in obtaining the cert.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Toddles18]

Experience is best, but having a cert tell's perspective employers that you're dedicated to something. It's no substitute for experience but it will help to get a job to gain that experience.

 

[anglin_fool]

Right now, a CompTIA A+ certificate shows that you have at least 6 months 'on the job' training in the field of PC hardware and Operating System repair. That and $1.90 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

OK that was Rockin's standard reply . . . still true

Now mine . . .

Yes, by all means, get your A+ cert, then N+ cert. It shows that you are willing to continue your training to continue to improve. That will help get your foot in the door for a career in the IT field. Some companies that I have talked to has that certificate as a requirement. The entry level jobs are Help Desk Tier I or Systems Support Specialist and in the DC area they start at 24,000 a year.


good luck

Wallace P. Mercer IV A+

 

[Rockn]

Ummmm.....how exactly does an A+ cert in any way mean that you have six months worth of experience in anything? It means you can take a test. And 99% of the questins they ask on that test do not even apply to anything that will ever happen in the real world. Does it teach you how to read a multi-meter...no. Does it tell you the proper way to read current....no. Does it tell you how to deal with customers....no. It's not even a guide as to what you will hope to find or experience on the job. How many of the questions that were on the test have you had to apply to a real world situation......none I'll bet. You know what companies want you to have certs, the corporate ones, where you will end up being a mindless phone support drone that walks mindlessly from workstation to workstation fixing end user complaints....NO THANX

 

[pyritechips]

Except for the rudimentary basics of HTML, programming is a black art for me. I also suffer from poor math skills (a high school "C" at best).

I am more interested in building computers, their hardware and repair. And the basic knowledge to set up Operating systems on them.

How far would an A+ cert get me in that line of work?

 

[Yankee Rose]

Rockn:

You raise a valid point. One that many non-A+ techs hold. There are TONS of techs out there who do not hold an A+ who know a lot more than ones who do hold the cert.

In defense, I must say that in STUDYING for the A+ I did learn how to read and use a mulitmeter. I learned a LOT. I learned all about Windows 2000, which I didn't have experience in.

It was a real benefit to me to STUDY for it. Passing the exams was just the icing on the cake.

 

[Toddles18]

Originally posted by Rockn:
You know what companies want you to have certs, the corporate ones, where you will end up being a mindless phone support drone that walks mindlessly from workstation to workstation fixing end user complaints....NO THANX

**me walking in dazed circles in my dungeon of a help desk office.**

You know what I think he's right