Certifications to get to intern and get job

Carltonb

I currently get disability and I'm looking to get some certifications to get a job In the it feild before it ends. I can intern for a year if necessary but I have no idea where to start. Can you give me some certifications that I could get to get a job eventually that pays 12$ to 20$. Preferably around 15$ or more if I intern somewhere for a year. I can spend about 2-3k getting certifications. Also could you please list if the certifications are lifetime or if I have to renew them every year or simply just pay a renewal fee.

Mow

Do you have any background in IT? Are you in school? Any idea what you would like to do in IT?

kurosaki00

No certification will get you a job. They will maybe get you an interview with a good resume.
Depends on what you want to do, sounds like you would be going for entry level? Several threads regarding entry level certifications/jobs in the forums. Handy search tool up there @ right corner.
You can find if certifications have a time limit of validation with a quick google search.

Regarding how much jobs pays, research online on your area what are the salaries of positions. If you like desktop support, search for desktop support salary in Chicago, IL or something like that.

Chinook

OP: Choose a path that interests you in computers. This industry is like few others. Continuous learning is the norm. Interruptions to your life in the evenings and on weekends will be the norm. My 2 cents on educating yourself

1. Look at "conceptual" exams like A+ or Network+
2. Hands on exams: Windows 7 or Windows 10 would be a good place to start.

If you acquire the above, have patience, empathy & can communicate, you will likely be able to find a Service Desk job. Depending on where you live they can pay $30-50K a year.

Put some focus on certification, but put just as much on your own appearance, communication (good resume & cover letter), professionalism & your own desire. I used to hire junior techs. The certification got them through the HR screening. I looked for passion & good communication skills. At times I choose the person who was the most eager versus the most educated. I would add in that good personal hygiene and being well dressed matter. Once you get the job, THEN you can grow the neckbeard.

Don't worry about "lifetime" certifications either. Assuming you want to progress in your career lifetime certs won't matter. I took my A+ exam in 1998. It's long expired & the stuff I learned in the training doesn't exist anymore (unless your have an ISA bus in your system

techfiend

Apply for jobs while studying for A+ is the common place to start. Many have entered the field with just an A+, if you don't have any luck, after the A+ study windows 7, 70-680, then you can put MCP on your resume while studying for the second 7 MCSA test, 70-685. More than likely you'll be working mainly with desktops with a little possible exposure to servers and networks.

Do you have a college degree? This also helps immensely.

Carltonb

techfiend wrote: »

Apply for jobs while studying for A+ is the common place to start. Many have entered the field with just an A+, if you don't have any luck, after the A+ study windows 7, 70-680, then you can put MCP on your resume while studying for the second 7 MCSA test, 70-685. More than likely you'll be working mainly with desktops with a little possible exposure to servers and networks.

Do you have a college degree? This also helps immensely.

I will check these out. I don't have any college credits and I'm currently not going to college. When it comes to communication I do have a slight speech impediment so I'm not sure if that would keep me from getting in the door. It's not all too bad it's just sometimes certain combinations of syllables are hard for me to say right the first or second time. But I don't have a hard time communicating ideas or developing plans of action or working as a team with coworkers.

techfiend

I wouldn't worry about your speech impediment, legally in the usa they aren't supposed to discriminate against it. I work for someone with a stammer and he's had a long career in IT. School might be a roadblock, while some still get in without a degree, I think it's getting tougher and tougher to do so. If you have $3000 or qualify for financial aid you might want to check out WGU if you are in the USA. It's a bachelors degree with some certs, it's $3k every 6 month term which can be really inexpensive, I'm currently paying $75 a credit working on it 30 hours a week. There's a chance you could achieve a bachelors in a year, 2 terms, if you can commit the time and learn well. That said i think it still requires a cert to get in. Maybe an MTA desktop would do it and is a fairly easy, inexpensive cert, I know that used to be a popular entry cert to WGU. A+ is much more valuable but also much more expensive.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/get-entry-level-t-helpdesk-technical-support-job/ is a decent guideline, it doesn't go nearly in depth enough but it gives some ideas.