IT cert. worldwide

arellanes79

Hi! I'm from mexico city and am about to take the A+ cert, if I pass the exam I'll open a service center cause right now I'm unemployed. right now there's no authorized service center in mexico, I think it's because employers here don't recognize the value of certifications. Anyway if the service center won't make it, I'll probably travel to the US to get more training and certifications. My question is how posible is to get a job with an A+ cert being illegal (I mean, I have a tourist visa). if you know something about it it will be very helpful to me.

RussS

I would suggest that with the thousands of unemployed techs in America at the moment that your chances of gaining work a less than slim. Take out the illegal part and consider that so many of those unemployed hold Microsoft, Cisco and many other certifications that are far more advanced than A+. Without wishing to sound callous, A+ basically only recognises that you understand that inside a PC there are things like RAM modules, CPU, Sound Cards, Graphics Cards etc ... not something that would impress a prospective employer. What A+ shows is that you have taken the time to obtain some sort of formal qualification to set yourself apart from the backyard tech - it is also just that first step on the journey that we call life in the techlane

learningIT

He could still start his own technical support business in Mexico or America. There is no saying that someone can't succeed because they can't ace a multiple choice certification test of CCNA, MCSE etc... If you get your A+ certification, you'll be farther than most people you know and those around you. You can probably troubleshoot and repair computers, that alone could be a profitable business if you know how to charge. Just create an honest and thorough business plan (can look this up online even), and maybe you can make something of your skills. There are people with all sorts of certifications and knowledge...that don't know how to exploit it. A friend of mine who succeeded and has made it big said essentially the people who make it big, are the risk takers in business, the people who try things out of the box, out of the mainstream goal of working for someone else. I encourage you to at least try, if you don't at first succeed, try again and again. Though the previous writer was correct, most of those people outdoing him and you in certifications are working for someone else. Self-employment has different potential all-together. It's the good risk takers who make it big, not the conventional/maintstream IT followers! You have plenty of resources at your fingertips to start your own business. I'm a hair away from my A+ certification, and I've considered starting a small operation...there is no hurt in trying. The demand for local and personal technical support is up, where I am at. Big name companies can't really provide the service of a small business (my first customer commented how HP's tech support was no help, impersonal, and seemingly robotic). Your business doesn't have to become a corporation to make you succeed. If neither of us succeeds in the technical support business...why not try again? Or perhaps another related service? Why not start your own product line?

Encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship...It's healthy for America and all countries. It's never too early to start...start now.

And as for the possibility of getting an actual job with the A+ certification in the USA?...pretty slim as the previous respondant stated. But why not start a business as you said? Of those thousands of unemployed techs, you or I could be one of them self-employed...Also realize that the possibility of failing here is most likely, as with most startups...but it's worth a try. Maybe this could be a little encouragement to you there in Mexico City, but maybe also a little hint to all you unemployed techs out there. I'm 16 years old...and I'm going to go somewhere (hopefully).

(Also please realize that not everyone is a businessman/woman, I've watched people fail, and seen how it is...not everyone makes it and is usually discouraged the first failure, or simply live in denial of their failure.)

"The people who succeed are the ones who stand up one more time than they fall."-forgot who said that

arellanes79

Well guys I want to thank you for the advices and for let me see the reality, this month I'll take the A+ and will open my service center on february. I'll also continue in the cert. track, so we'll see again soon I hope.

STexams

learningIT wrote:

I'm 16 years old...and I'm going to go somewhere (hopefully).

If you are smart, the first place you will go after you graduate from high school is college and get yourself a nice degree to start you off right. I'm working my way through college now in the middle of my career. It would have been a lot easier back when I was fresh out of High School.