How far would a single certification get you?

sato

Say I were to just only get A+ certified or network+ certified.
How far would that go?

MJK9550

no degree or experience at all either?

Not too far lol might be able to land a very low level help desk or something

lucky0977

The A+ or Net+ may have been worth something 10+ years ago but just think of it as a starting point in a low level help desk/service desk position. But you may be competing with with other entry level candidates that have an associates or undergrad degree.

beads

Its a requirement for GeekSquad over at BestBuy, isn't it? Still its a foothold to grabbing that all too important support role that nearly everyone seems to begin their IT careers. Really, IT has ALWAYS been difficult to break into, even with a degree.

One step at a time.

- b/eads

networker050184

The sky is the limit regardless of how many certifications you have. I know senior level architects without a single certification.

TranceSoulBrother

Bad comparison, since these guys must have started a while back and gained job experience over the years.
This is 2016 and the stakes are getting higher every year.

You rely on only one or two certs and then you will kick your own ass years later when others pass you by when they work hard to continuously improve themselves while you stagnate in your role.

Danielm7

Not entirely, lots of companies don't care about certs at all. Don't equate not having certs with someone who doesn't work hard and stagnates. Some of the best IT people I know don't have a single active cert.

koz24

If you know the stuff already it makes sense to get certified. I can see the one exception being is if you don't plan on going anywhere and don't want to pay a couple thousand dollars to get certified, but that's about it.

I also bet that, people without certs who know their company's specific technologies really well, but are too lazy or too cheap to go and get the broad knowledge that a professional/expert cert usually requires.

DatabaseHead

If you get the right one.....

networker050184

TranceSoulBrother wrote: »

Bad comparison, since these guys must have started a while back and gained job experience over the years.
This is 2016 and the stakes are getting higher every year.

You rely on only one or two certs and then you will kick your own ass years later when others pass you by when they work hard to continuously improve themselves while you stagnate in your role.

I'm not saying certifications aren't helpful, but not having any doesn't mean you're stuck in helpdesk for life.

tmtex

A+ IDK I have had many phone screens over the last yr for mid level job for Desktop/Admin level jobs that required it. Now that I got it, never been asked for it.
Your going to have to start at the Helpdesk level/ Jr Desktop support but depends where you want to go. I have seen many cisco engineers not know what Non System Disk means

BlackBeret

You want to make good money with a single certification? Get the CCIE.

TechGromit

sato wrote: »

Say I were to just only get A+ certified or network+ certified.
How far would that go?

I landed a 70k a year job with those certifications two years ago. I also had 20 years IT experience, but I'm sure that nothing to do with it, it was the certs that landed me that job.

alias454

I'm gonna agree with networker here. I only had an A+ for years and I worked my way into a network admin position with only that.

Work ethic, attitude, determination, and a little luck can take you pretty far.

JustFred

It can and it did in your case, but eventually you also did came to the realization that having a few certs here and there + experience made all the difference i would guess. IF op has the time and $ to get certs, i think he should.

E Double U

The only way to truly know how much impact a single certification has is to submit your resume only listing the cert with no experience. My CV includes experience, education, and certs which lands me interviews. How I perform on the interview lands me the job. How I perform on the job determines where I land next.

deth1k

BlackBeret wrote: »

You want to make good money with a single certification? Get the CCIE.

and because of that statement there are now 55k of them... which doesn't help at all, no longer status quo

jeremywatts2005

I have very few certs and a lot of degrees. I make great money in a great job. The cert is only part of it. My money maker is my experience and my degrees. Also it comes down to another aspect how much can you sell yourself as the guru tech God who needs no certs.

DatabaseHead

I agree with JW, as you start to move up the ranks (at least from my perspective) degrees and most certainly experience wins out. Certs are nice to haves....

alias454

JustFred wrote: »

It can and it did in your case, but eventually you also did came to the realization that having a few certs here and there + experience made all the difference i would guess. IF op has the time and $ to get certs, i think he should.

I agree, having multiple certs won't hurt necessarily. The A+ probably had nothing to do with my promotion to network admin either. That had to do with the others things I mentioned. My first IT/Tech job was working for a little mom and pop PC repair shop doing repairs. I got that job because I pestered them to death and they knew I could build a PC since I purchased all my parts from them. I obtained the A+ while working there. My second job was at a large company in my area on contract and the A+ directly helped me get that job. After that, the jobs I took ultimately landed me at my current employer working on the helpdesk (that almost seems like I am proving the point). This is where the little bit of luck, hard work etc played a huge part in my moving up.

MJK9550

Certs will help of course, experience is key. Really though luck is a big factor in landing your first job. I skipped years help desk work by luckily landing the IT job I have now, which is my first. If you know what you're talking about and have some experience, certs and some education, can land something. I am a network admin, this is my first IT job. I manage 5 locations being the sole IT presence for my companies locations here where I live, but most people don't get so lucky as to never have to work a help desk like me.

beads

Certs should have never been a replacement for actual experience. We've seen what a mess the CISSP, MCSE and beginning as far back with the CNE can turn these markets into.

Once your career gets started its all inertia and the certs become just an HR filter.

- b/eads