MTA First?

siaber

Hi guys and gals, newbie here. I've been thinking about a career change as of late, I currently work at a CA state agency, and looking for upward mobility. The job title I would be looking to pursue would be Desktop Tech/Support. My question is would you guys recommend going through with a MTA certification before jumping into a MCSA certification, or is it not needed. A lot of people I've spoken to recommend jumping straight into MCSE, I'm having my doubts about that one though. I've been looking at the certification course paths http://blog.pluralsight.com//wp-content/uploads/2013/04/mcsa-mcse.png and am completely lost. If anyone out there can give some sort of guidance/path to take would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

kriscamaro68

Well first off I would say don't waste time on MTA certs as no employer will probably ever see value in them. Second if you have very little to no experience with Servers then I would stay away from MCSA\MCSE Server. For a desktop type role you would want to look at Windows 7/8 certs.

citrus_sugar

The CompTIA A+ and Windows OS MTA are very similar as far as entry level basic information for a tech support or help desk type role. The MCSA and MCSE are obviously more in depth and have specific tracks depending on your preferred field. I feel at this point the A+ is more recognized and considered a prerequisite at many government jobs, even if you have something more advanced like the MCSA. What do the job descriptions say is needed for the roles? Also, if you're already with the agency, maybe get in touch with HR or an IT supervisor to ask if there are any prereqs.

Sometimes they'll just take someone on who has little experience or training so they can mold you to their needs.