A+ worth it??

materwelon

im trying to get a job in the I.T. field. i currently hold the Security+ and MTA 98366 certifications. im willing to do anything in I.T. just to get some experience but i really want to work in info sec. should i study for the A+ exam or skip it and start studying for some higher level stuff?? i would like to become eCPPT and GCIH certified this year

beads

Pursuing a degree in IT first then getting a good solid grasp of what your doing and how is still the best way to eventually get into the security part of the IT field. When you state your looking to become eCPPT and/or GHIC your talking about two sides of the coin. Certainly, as Incident Handlers we need to understand if not need to be able to do some in depth penetration testing to be truly effective. If this is where you want to point your career I would strongly suggest diving into a good Computer Science program and learn to develop code first.

Code development and learning how heaps, stacks with all those break points and troubleshooting tidbits are what separate the skiddies from the professionals.

- b/eads

Goteki54

materwelon wrote: »

im trying to get a job in the I.T. field. i currently hold the Security+ and MTA 98366 certifications. im willing to do anything in I.T. just to get some experience but i really want to work in info sec. should i study for the A+ exam or skip it and start studying for some higher level stuff?? i would like to become eCPPT and GCIH certified this year

You are going to have to work your way up into the security part of I.T which means getting some networking certs. You can't secure a network if you don't have an understanding on how networks work. I would say that A+ should be your next step to help get your foot in the door this will get you into the break fix, help desk and deskside support part of I.T and it will expose you to some aspects of networking. Then you should focus on getting a network cert and go from there, maybe aiming to be a Network or Server Administrator. Then you can focus on Security.

Quench24

Forget studying for A+ if you have your Sec+. Get a CCNA or something.

dontstop

What type of jobs have you been applying for at the moment? Depending on where you're trying to enter the workforce would give a good indication of the certifications you need. Generally you'll find though that most IT folk have started from the bottom and worked their way up. When looking for future hires they look for a similar progression. If you've yet to crack a job yet, the A+ might be a perfect start to getting into Desktop support. I'm sorry to say but even if you have expert level certifications in security, very few places will hire an unknown quantity without work experience in the relevant field. There's just too much risk hiring someone who's not proven themselves in the industry. At the moment just break into the field anyway you can would be my advice.

9bits

I agree with Quench24. Work on CCNA instead, then maybe CCNA Security.

JDMurray

gamingmaster1 wrote: »

A+ is the single most important certificate from CompTIA. The rest is insignificant.

Security+ has become a significant cert for demonstrating knowledge and understanding about InfoSec, which is something smart employers are looking for from all of their employees. I would also say that CCNA has become such a difficult cert that Network+ is now more necessary than ever for people who need to start learning about TCP/IP networking.

Mike R

I wouldn't skip the A+. It's a long and painful cert but really if you want to break into IT your going to start at help desk and they will look for an A+. If you've never worked in IT before I don't know that a CCNA will help you a whole lot (unless you have an BS in IT). To get into most network/security jobs they want someone with 3-5 years experience AND a CCNA/CCNP.

I've re-adjusted my goals just based of what I've learned over the last 9 months. What I can say though is never stop working towards certs. I've made that mistake and regret it.

AndersonSmith

It seems like this question comes up from time to time on this forum. The best advice I can give is to look up what employers are requiring as far as degrees and certifications in your area and go from there. Personally I think the A+ is a great certification to have and I've gotten jobs for having it when that was the only cert I held.

Cam1025

I do not know about the rest of the certificates from CompTIA, but A+ is definitely worth it in IT industry. Almost every IT employer knows about A+ and they acknowledge it to confirm that you have the basic knowledge in computer hardware and Windows operating system. If you want to advance further than A+, you would focus on studying for Cisco CCNA, which is all about networking. Please note that CCNA is also well-known to anyone in IT industry. Or if you are interested in security, you would dive into CISSP, which is all about security and also very well-known in IT industry.

Nisseki

I'm only taking the Network+ (and maybe Security+) from CompTIA because I want to improve my networking knowledge before I move onto something like a CISCO certification.

Most employers in the UK look for MCSAs/MCSEs and CCNAs/CCNPs, I've seen A+ pop up a few times for desktop support roles but Microsoft is more favorable.

Dakinggamer87

My own personal experience was that doing the A+ is a good way to get started. As many others have pointed out you have to start from somewhere. The A+ is considered an industry staple something very common. Can you get work without it sure but you also have less ammunition in proving yourself or tools in your belt. The best approach is commonly certs+experience+degrees to give yourself a holistically diversified portfolio. It is the same analogy and methodology with stocks you want to be involved in many sectors and industries. The same case logic applies that the more tools and certifications you have increases your desirability in negotiations and selling yourself. This in combination with great soft skills of presentation, body language, and communication create a one-two punch.

Your career is early so the more you do early on the better off you will thank future self!!

Params7

Part of any structure is a good foundation. And A+ is a great way to secure a strong foundation in I.T. On top of that you can build on branches you'd like to focus on as well as get your foot in the door.

tmtex

I've said it before, I have 20+ yrs doing Desktop and Management. When I was laid off in 2015, many HR screeners hung up after I said I didn't have it. I was shocked, I could of easily passed any question they gave me. Now if your going strictly into networking or something else and do not have to work your way up, I can see not getting it but IMO would still recommend it.

jazz_01

Go for CCNA security.