A+

robmessa

Hi eveyone

i need some advice regarding the MCSA im taking. im taking this course with a training company called uk IT training and wish i never did because they have been no help at all. the training classes i find are no help at all. do you think it is best for be to use my own matireal and study myself ?
i just want to get into full time work asap.also is it best for to complete my network + and try finding a job as i have no experence using win 2003 sever and nt is it best to build experence using these OS's before taking the ms exams.

Thanks in advance
Roberto

Qurrent qualifications EDCL, A+

pllegends

You can do self study for the A+ and the Network+. I would recommend the books by Sybex for study and the ExamCram books for review. These exams are not hard if you study, what is harder is when you start working using your A+ (as a PC technician). Just remember you are a "doctor" so you need to ask the customer questions to do a proper diagnoses. My friend is a doctor and I once asked him how do you know what is wrong with a person. His answer surprised me. He said, I don't know , what I do is make an educated guess by asking questions and using the process of elimination by diagnosing the symptoms, running tests and use the responses to his questions. Of course he is simplifying the process but it is the same for a PC Tech. Diagnose and eliminate the obvious, run some tests and then choose the most likely answer. Nothing but experience and time will help you here but at least knowing what to ask and what to look for is your starting point (which is why you study, learn and get a cert and not take shortcuts like the "4sures and Kings"). Get your A+ and then try to find a support job to get experience.
Regarding the MCSA, it will take you some time because it is much more complicated and covers alot of new terms and technology that you were not exposed to as a regular PC user but it can be done. Again use the Sybex, Syngress and MSPress books. Try to create a small network to test and learn the configurations and concepts or get a simulator program like Sybex's, use the TechNet virtual labs, view some online webcasts. If you are going to do it without school, get together with others that are studying so that you can help each other and discuss things, and try to have one or two in the group that know the technology already or have done some of the tests. Just know this, you will not start as an administrator regardless of your cert because you are new to this and no one will trust you with their servers and 500+ clients, in the beginning with their network. You will probably start in some sort of support position and learn and move up as you go. I did about a year of support before I was considered to assist the administrator and only now (almost two years later )am I being offered an admin position. I am not trying to discourage you, but I want you to be realistic, it is not something you can do in a few months. Go for it!!!YOU CAN DO IT!!!, but get some experience, otherwise when the servers goes down, 500 clients cannot get their data,the phone ringing off the hook and your boss telling you to hurry up and fix it, you are gonna begin to dislike your job. and regret some decisions you've made (which were NOT wrong). Good Luck, I've been there, it's rough but stick it out, suffer for a small time now,but have a lifetime of enjoyment later!!!

robmessa

pllegends thank you
you dont know how much this has helped

Plantwiz

pllegends..good comments!


I'll add for you robmessa, also obtain a copy of the objectives of each exam you will take (not all at once, focus on 1 at a time) so then you can follow along with your books/lab to focus on the topics that are covered on the exam vs. just understanding topics to help make you a more rounded diagnostician.

good luck!