Is it worth it...

vCole

for me to get my A+?

I will be finishing up my MCDST shortly. (I have passed 70-271)

I applied for a job and they want me to be A+ certified.


Would it be worth it at all?

dynamik

Are they paying for the exams and training materials?

The MCDST is still fairly entry-level, so an A+ would probably be complementary.

Slowhand

The A+ is pretty widely-recognized. I've even seen it listed on high-level positions, just to show that some super-elite network engineer or systems administrator isn't afraid of opening their own computers to install RAM. You'll see a lot of overlap from the MCDST exams, but a whole lot more hardware material. I think it's worth it, even if the company doesn't pay or reimburse you for the exams.

itdaddy

A+ is just good to know anyways! I knew a lot before I A+ but I did learn a buttload
after studying and passing both exams. Took both in 1 day...back to back
hard but doable.



I think we all should be A+ and CCNAs on the ground floor! to call yourself IT

nel

It seems popular in the US more than anywhere. If your at that level then it would be a decent addition to your list.

imo if i were to do it over again i would put my cash towards the mcsa/e or ccna - those are money better spent imo compared to value for money. i just find many of the comptia exams way too pricey for the level they are at.

Good luck to what you decide. remember even if you dont opt for it there's nothing stopping you from reading up on the material.

vCole

nel wrote:

It seems popular in the US more than anywhere. If your at that level then it would be a decent addition to your list.

imo if i were to do it over again i would put my cash towards the mcsa/e or ccna - those are money better spent imo compared to value for money. i just find many of the comptia exams way too pricey for the level they are at.

Good luck to what you decide. remember even if you dont opt for it there's nothing stopping you from reading up on the material.

Well my first MS exam was paid for by my old company.

nel

Get them to pay for a few more whilst you can

Plantwiz

FadeToBright wrote:

for me to get my A+?

I will be finishing up my MCDST shortly. (I have passed 70-271)

I applied for a job and they want me to be A+ certified.


Would it be worth it at all?

Do you want the job?

The value of the certificate depends on a few things, but mostly it is up to the candidate. If you agree to work for someone and they advertise 100% of their techs are A+ certified, then you'll need to become A+ unless you are not a tech.

If you know the material, knock the test out and be done with it.

If you don't know the material, then reconsider the job or find a different company.

Generally it is a good sign when employers want (and help pay) for employees to continue their training/studies.

But, a person doesn't need to be certified to be a good tech, some companies want it for advertising reasons....and it won't hurt you.

Netwurk

The A+ is always good to have

My company recently posted a job that only listed an A+ as a requirement and it was a level higher in payscale than the NOC and MCSA jobs. Of course they also wanted experience, but the A+ was the ticket to an interview.

Knowing hardware is always a plus.

When I was young, we had to know how to do precision soldering. Nowadays you would scare your boss if you set up a Weller. But hardware knowledge is still important. We almost never solder anymore, but then again it's not all plug and play.

Daniel333

It's not bad to have, but with that same effort you might be able to snag the CCENT or upgrade your MCDST to to the MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician.

If you feel the jobs you are applying for want it enough, then go for it. It can't hurt.

LifelongLearner

FadeToBright wrote:

for me to get my A+?

I will be finishing up my MCDST shortly. (I have passed 70-271)

I applied for a job and they want me to be A+ certified.


Would it be worth it at all?

The A+ is an entry level certification. You gain overall knowledge to be able to progress to higher certs.

It is worth it? All certs will teach you something but is it something you want to learn? Where do you see yourself in the next five years? Which certifications and experience will get you where you want to go?

Create a plan of where you want to be first, then start looking into certifications that will help you get there. Many people just go and get certs blindly, not knowing where they want to go. Plan. Plan and then execute.