Should I even bother with A+?

macado

I know this sounds stupid but should I even bother taking A+? I have 6 solid years of IT experience and I am currently in the process of completing my MCSE....Working on 70-291 at the moment.. My career goal after MCSE is CCNA.

I work as a sort of junior system administrator in an environment that deals heavily with Windows 2000/Win2k3 and I love my job but I'm wondering if not having A+ would ever limit me if I decided to get a position at another company?

My reasoning behind this is I see lots of companies that state "Must have A+" in their job description. Obviously this is because recruiters look for certifications but let's say if a person had MCSE but didn't have A+, what are the odds the recruiter/company would overlook them because they don't have an entry-level certification like A+.

Anyone run into a problem where they weren't hired because they didn't have A+?

benbuiltpc

Aside from possibly being passed over because of resume-scannning software that looks specifically for "A+", I'd go for it because it's fun and represents the foundation for all things IT.

Plantwiz

macado wrote:

Anyone run into a problem where they weren't hired because they didn't have A+?

Depends on the work you are applying for. I know several people who are very succesful in IT and NEVER took the A+ nor the NET+. These people are pretty dang smart on networks etc.. and can pick stuff up like a magnet.

A+ is geared toward more hardware troubleshooting. If that won't be in your scope, then start with NET+ and keep moving.

The choice is yours. And if you apply for jobs that post "MUST HAVE 'x', 'y' and 'z' to apply' and you don't...then you'll need to find a way to get a foot in so they don't overlook your application.

Does everyone need an A+? Nope. In some situations you may just find it in your benefit to hold it.

nel

honestly, i would say no.

Stick with your mcse and ccna stuff because if you have that much experiance you wont find it very useful. Although i havent took the 2006 ones (and arent going too) i found them to be very expensive for there worth

brad-

Unless you just want to do it and someone else pays for it, I'd say no...its not necessary or worth the headache given your other certs and exp.