should i get the trio?

nnayr3

Right now i am studying for the A+ cert. on my own and just got into a year long CCNA program at the local community college . What are your thoughts on getting the comp tia trio?

I understand not working in the field and having no experience makes it harder for me to get a job or good money which is why i would like to get the a+ cert or trio so i can start working and get a little experience while im in the program.

How hard do you think it will be do study for those while i am in the CCNA program.

advice? thoughts, personal stories?

markulous

I wouldn't bother with the N+ if you're working towards your CCNA. Security+ is a good cert to get though.

I don't think it would be that difficult to study for them. A year to study for the CCNA is a very long time, so you should likely have enough free time to study for the other ones.

nnayr3

Hey just curious. what are your thoughts of it costing me $2000 450 a semester + fees for the CCNA program at the community college? keep in mind i have no experience except being self taught

networker050184

I think it's a waste of money personally. There is more than enough material to learn and lab yourself. Plenty on line resources to ask for help as well (hint hint here!) when something isn't clear.

If you have the means to pay and enjoy classroom learning it can only help though.

Mow

You'll get more out of working in a classroom with other people pursuing the same goal, IMO. Some of those people might go on to work in networking, so you can build your professional network, starting there.

nnayr3

that's kind of what i was thinking too. Being around like minded people in the field

AverageJoe

I think getting the trio is a good idea. Studying for one helps with the other, and vice versa. And you never know what life will throw at you... in 6 months you could have to drop out of the program or decide it's not worth it or whatever, but you'll still have the certs you earn in the meantime. My advice is to not wait longer than you have to... set a reasonable date for the A+ (not more than 3 months, but maybe as soon as a month), schedule the exam, study to meet that deadline, then take the test. If you happen to not pass, pick yourself up, immediately schedule a re-take for 4 to 6 weeks later, study every day, and take it again.

TacoRocket

I think for that kind of cash you could WGU and have them pay for all of the certs you're mentioning.

thatguy67

You can study and get the cert on your own for substantially less, but you've got to network on your own which makes it much harder if you're starting from scratch. I enrolled in community college only for the reason that I knew I could get connections. My instructor passed my name along to local employers and I got my foot in the door that way. I've also had a few interviews lined up because I chummed up to some classmates during smoke breaks.

OctalDump

You could easily get Network+ while studying for the CCNA. The problem is that once you have the CCNA, no-one will really care that you have Network+.

A+ is useful, and I think (others may disagree), complements the CCNA. There some overlap between the two, but not a lot. I would think that it would be possible to study this while doing the CCNA. The A+ also provides a good base for pursuing other operating systems certifications such as Red Hat or Microsoft.

The Security+ is the most useful. My personal opinion is that it covers knowledge essential to any IT professional, and I'd like to see it as the baseline certification for info sec. It is asked for, even in networking jobs, and it provides a good base for other info sec studies including CCNA Security.

However, the Security+ is usually something that you attempt after you have other certifications and/or work experience. Probably, it would be worth waiting until you've completed either the A+ or the first half of the CCNA, before diving into the Sec+.

EDIT:

And regarding whether to do self study or not for the CCNA, I'd go with the classroom provided that it is run by a Cisco Network Academy, the fees are reasonable, and you get lots of lab time. I say this because you will learn more than just the curriculum (working with other people, figuring stuff out, exposure to real gear etc) and hopefully make some good contacts.

nnayr3

THATS A GREAT IDEA thanks for the suggestion. is there way where to find these test on discount they are all so expensive

AverageJoe wrote: »

I think getting the trio is a good idea. Studying for one helps with the other, and vice versa. And you never know what life will throw at you... in 6 months you could have to drop out of the program or decide it's not worth it or whatever, but you'll still have the certs you earn in the meantime. My advice is to not wait longer than you have to... set a reasonable date for the A+ (not more than 3 months, but maybe as soon as a month), schedule the exam, study to meet that deadline, then take the test. If you happen to not pass, pick yourself up, immediately schedule a re-take for 4 to 6 weeks later, study every day, and take it again.

AverageJoe

nnayr3 wrote: »

THATS A GREAT IDEA thanks for the suggestion. is there way where to find these test on discount they are all so expensive

The link at the left for exam vouchers generally leads to at least mildly discounted exams. Sometimes the discounts are bigger when the deadline is closer. Schools and colleges sometimes have discount deals too, though, so check with your school and see if that's the case.