For those that think A+ is a waste of a time.

I get email from monster.com with new job openings in my area. Here's what some employers are looking for.

Custom Computer Specialists, Inc., ranked the #1 Technical consultant by Long Island Business News, recently celebrated our best year in 25 years of business. How did we achieve this in the current economic environment without cost cutting measures? We continued in successfully providing network integration, technical personnel, support services, products solutions, and consulting, to our valued clients in the New York metro area. Our focus is simple...our goal is to make technology easy and to help our clients use it as effectively as possible.

We are seeking motivated entry level Help Desk Technicians to provide telephone and desktop support in a corporate environment. This individual will provide support to several hundred users in Windows 2000 & XP environments.

Qualified candidates will possess:
* Hardware & software troubleshooting skills
* Knowledge of MS Office and MS Outlook
* A+ certification is required for this position
* Additional technical certifications a plus.
* Excellent data entry and customer service skills
* Ability to work as a team player
* Professional verbal communication skills and telephone manner
* Valid driver's license

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Comments

garv221

I found this job posting:
Skills:
1)2+ years of professional experience in Windows 95-XP and some Network experience in Windows NT-20033 Server, Novell 4.11-6.5, Cisco Routers.
2) Experience in hardware troubleshooting is diagnosis is a must.
3)A+, Network+, or MCP certified individuals will be considered first.
4)Must be able to travel to client locations and have excellent communication skills to ensure client satisfaction. "
This is for a field tech. @ 16.50 an hour... It's a start.

I could NOT sit at a desk and do support 8 hours a day. I would rather not wor in the field and be a zoo keeper. This job I found in an email also, its on of the very few that actually mentioned Net+. I see A+ time to time.

lazyart

Considering other applicants will also have A+ along with other certs don't be fooled into thinking A+ is all you will need.

If the recruiter is looking at someone with A+, someone with A+ and N+, and someone with A+ and MCP, who do you think will get dropped off first?

No, A+ isn't a waste of time, but consider it a starting point. You may get lucky and find something perm, but don't be disappointed to find you need something else to get further considerations. A+ will definitely get you contracts. I'm almost a year into what has become an open-ended contract having only A+ when I started (recently gaining MCP, but not because it was required), but I surely consider myself an exception to the rule.

Don't see this as discouraging A+--- as I have always said, use it as a springboard. I was working fast food, scraped up enough $$ for materials and the two exams. A+ has paid for itself hundreds of times over-- quite literally.

garv221

I honestly don't know what A+ does for anyone & I will not be getting it myself.

Alien

I honestly don't know what A+ does for anyone & I will not be getting it myself.

As much as i respect your opinion, i do not approve of it. A+ certifies that you know your stuff about a personal computers, laptops, printers etc. My point is that A+ is definately a plus even though it might not be as powerfull as other certs. Though i have not taken the exam just yet, i have often found the A+ complete book by sybex, very helpfull when troubleshooting or reparing complex pc problems. Hope i wont have to refer to it too often after getting the cert.

Cheers.

sab4you

I also do not feel A+ is the best way to spend ones time.

I do understand that everybody and their situation is different, so before you get all defensive its my opinion and a generalization.

IMO one could spend their time and money elsewhere to further their career. i.e. start your MCSA/E track instead or study the Network+. It all depends on your marketability, time and so forth. There are lots of personal factors and where you are to make each persons case different.

To me an A+ tells me (most likely) you are struggling with computers and need to spend your time studying to take a certification to demonstrate the lowest level of computer knowledge. To me this knowledge should already be known and understood by anybody entering the computer field, and if you need to study and spend time for this cert, then I question if you should be in this field because it shows your not getting it by simply using it.

And yes I totally understand there is a minority who get it just to get it, or to prove one skills and so forth and so on. Its just a generalization and my opinion.

It sucks I feel I have to defend myself for a simple opinion but I am being pre-emptive because people are so d-amn defensive of their holy A+ cert around here. Makes the jihad look like a bunch of girl scouts when it comes to A+ fanatical defenders

edit: LOL you cant write D-A-M-N without it showing as "love" ?!? WTF

viper75

sab4you wrote:

Makes the jihad look like a bunch of girl scouts when it comes to A+ fanatical defenders

LMAO!!!

wylie24

I do not feel that A+ is a waste of time. Now before you all think that I am a person who bows down and worships the A+ let me explain. If you have no experience or you are changing professional careers (as I am) it makes sense to have it so that you can show potential employers that you know what you are talking about.

Now on the other side of hte coin, if you have been working in the field for the past 5+ years, it does not make sense to look at your resume and say

"HOLY *&%#, I DONT HAVE A+!!!!" The world will not end and most businesses put on all posting that you need A+ but if you have 5+ yrs exp I am sure they will not toss your app away because you dont have it.

A+ has it's place. For new techs who are just starting in IT, I feel it is a MUST because it is a start and it is used towards credits for several certs (ie MCSA/MCSE) but like I said, if you have been in the field for 5+, it is a waste of time because you will know more from hands exp.

garv221

garv221 wrote:

I honestly don't know what A+ does for anyone & I will not be getting it myself.

My opinion is a direct reflection of my experience & where I stand today. Its a step backward & I almost would consider it cheating to walk in and pass it without studying & then use it as an elective. I just don't have time to read something that should be a given to anyone who is in this field. For someone just starting out- sure do it, I have 4 years already as sys admin.

viper75

You have a good point, and I agree with you.

wylie24 wrote:

I do not feel that A+ is a waste of time. Now before you all think that I am a person who bows down and worships the A+ let me explain. If you have no experience or you are changing professional careers (as I am) it makes sense to have it so that you can show potential employers that you know what you are talking about.

Now on the other side of hte coin, if you have been working in the field for the past 5+ years, it does not make sense to look at your resume and say "HOLY *&%#, I DONT HAVE A+!!!!" The world will not end and most businesses put on all posting that you need A+ but if you have 5+ yrs exp I am sure they will not toss your app away because you dont have it.

A+ has it's place. For new techs who are just starting in IT, I feel it is a MUST because it is a start and it is used towards credits for several certs (ie MCSA/MCSE) but like I said, if you have been in the field for 5+, it is a waste of time because you will know more from hands exp.

TheCiscoKid

"If you have no experience or you are changing professional careers (as I am) it makes sense to have it so that you can show potential employers that you know what you are talking about."

You nailed it on the head.This is where I am now. Changing careers after being a "hobbiest" since the early eighties. I have my Networks+,but no experience.I am still asked by potential employers about the A+ cert or lack there of.

mwgood

When I got my current technical support job about a year ago - I had just previously quit a phone support job at a national ISP. I decided to get my A+ certification and begin to study for other certifications to get my IT career in gear.

When I landed my current job at a small ISP, I got it on the basis of 5-6 years customer service experience - but it also helpd that I had 1 cert - A+. The A+ certification demonstrated that I was flexible and a fast learner, and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Since then, I have acquired Net+ and CCNA, and am starting down the MCSE track as well as CCNP with a good dose of Linux mixed in.

There are a lot of IT jobs that require A+, so regardless of those people who want to belittle the certification because it's on the bottom rung of certifications (A+ isn't always necessary, of course) - it is still an excellent foundation and certainly not a waste of time.

I suppose it's possible, but I don't see it likely that an employer would look down on you because you took the time to actually GET the A+ certification. For many IT job seekers, it can be criticial. But then again, I suppose there may come a time in a career where a person has enough "higher" certs to list where the A+ becomes redundant. It's going to depend very much on what kind of position a person is looking for.

WilByte

To me an A+ tells me (most likely) you are struggling with computers and need to spend your time studying to take a certification to demonstrate the lowest level of computer knowledge. To me this knowledge should already be known and understood by anybody entering the computer field, and if you need to study and spend time for this cert, then I question if you should be in this field because it shows your not getting it by simply using it.

And yes I totally understand there is a minority who get it just to get it, or to prove one skills and so forth and so on. Its just a generalization and my opinion.

It sucks I feel I have to defend myself for a simple opinion but I am being pre-emptive because people are so d-amn defensive of their holy A+ cert around here. Makes the jihad look like a bunch of girl scouts when it comes to A+ fanatical defenders
OK, I couldn't just let this go without "MY OPINION". People in my generation did not have the opportunity to learn and take multiple classes all the way through grade school and be proficient at computers (if they chose courses as a career prep) by the time they finished high school. Your comments lead me to believe that you are much younger than myself. I worked many years in other specialities repairing, diagnosing and fleet management for several companies before suffering a traumatic accident, which left me disabled. A+ has offered me a new lease on life (as well as a new career I can do at home), a new purpose and a reason for getting excited every day when I get up, because I know I can still do the things I love to do with my mind and hands. To me your opinionated statement sounds so pompous and deliberately degrading, but thats not the real reason I'm replying. It's the "girl scout" comment. Where I come from, the Girl Scouts, which I was one of, would be capable of kicking Jihader as-es..........

KatanaSam

sab4you wrote:

To me an A+ tells me (most likely) you are struggling with computers and need to spend your time studying to take a certification to demonstrate the lowest level of computer knowledge.

Actually all it tells you is that someone else values the certiifcation more than you do. Pretending to be able to judge someone's handle on computers based on their holding or not holding an A+ certification is ridiculous. And I admit that it works both ways. Yes I understand you are just expressing your opinion.

What you are essentially saying is that experience is everything. But it isn't.

Many people who hold the cert may not have much actual experience. It is very common for people who feel comfortable in a job to not bother with certs. By the same token it is also common, and wise in fact, for someone who is trying to move into an area they have no experience in to go after a cert. Certs have nothing to do with experience, but they do establish a degree of knowledge, and knowledge is the beginning of understanding.

Any dumb ape can swap a memory chip. But troubleshooting problems... that takes more. In fact both experience and knowledge are big factors in a persons ability to diagnose problems. That's not my opinion. That's a fact.

In the end I think anyone serious about computers won't be satisfied with just having enough to keep their jobs. When you are truely passionate about something it means more to you than money in your wallet.

The manager of our IT Dept is big on certs. And I agree with him. If someone came to me looking for a job and they had a lot of experience as a computer tech but no A+ I would ask them why they didn't have the cert. If their answer was that it seemed a waste of their time, I would have serious questions about their dedication to their profession. After all, the A+ isn't that difficult to get. My point? A cert is more than a piece of paper that says you are certifiied for blah blah whatever. It also speaks volumes about a persons ability to set goals and achieve them (and numerous other 'soft skills'). Anyone in the market for a job would be a fool to ignore this.

HÆLLRÆZOR

every IT Tech/Engineer position within the company I work for requires an A+. That is entry level all the way up to Lead Tech/Engineer. This company is a fortune 500 Company and pays extremely well. In fact I think we are close to being in the top 100. So if you want to work with the big dogs I suggest you get that A+ cert. Oh and they don't care if you have your MCSE or any other high level cert they REQUIRE you to have the A+.

garv221

Serious, who cares about arguing about an A+ cert. everyone has there own opinion. Maybe its mandatory at your company, maybe not, either way one thing is a fact - it does not take a whole to gain the cert, actually 50 some percent. Another thing is for sure, it’s an entry level cert that is on the absolute bottom of the cert food chain. It affects different people in different ways & you can argue it from both sides, so why argue?

Ricka182

garv221 wrote:

Serious, who cares about arguing about an A+ cert. everyone has there own opinion. Maybe its mandatory at your company, maybe not, either way one thing is a fact - it does not take a whole to gain the cert, actually 50 some percent. Another thing is for sure, it’s an entry level cert that is on the absolute bottom of the cert food chain. It affects different people in different ways & you can argue it from both sides, so why argue?

amen.

skully93

garv221 wrote:

garv221 wrote:

I honestly don't know what A+ does for anyone & I will not be getting it myself.

My opinion is a direct reflection of my experience & where I stand today. Its a step backward & I almost would consider it cheating to walk in and pass it without studying & then use it as an elective. I just don't have time to read something that should be a given to anyone who is in this field. For someone just starting out- sure do it, I have 4 years already as sys admin.

If you can pass both A+ exams easilly without studying at all, I'll buy you a butterfinger

.

Though they certainly aren't high-level when comparing them to MS and Cisco exams, they do require a lot of knowledge.

Also, I have met a fair amount of people that could either program or build a network in their sleep. However, diagnosing RAM or an IRQ conflict was a complete mystery to them, and they had to take the machines to a shop or have an expensive service tech show up on site. Printers are also a bit costly, and you can't tell me you just know those from looking at a manual or two.

I think it's fair to expect a good tech to have both low-end and higher certifications.

garv221

skully93 wrote:

If you can pass both A+ exams easilly without studying at all, I'll buy you a butterfinger .

Though they certainly aren't high-level when comparing them to MS and Cisco exams, they do require a lot of knowledge.

Also, I have met a fair amount of people that could either program or build a network in their sleep. However, diagnosing RAM or an IRQ conflict was a complete mystery to them, and they had to take the machines to a shop or have an expensive service tech show up on site. Printers are also a bit costly, and you can't tell me you just know those from looking at a manual or two.

I think it's fair to expect a good tech to have both low-end and higher certifications.

First off, I would like my Butterfinger King-Size, Secondly diagnosing RAM or an IRQ is cakewalk & why would someone in the computer field would pay for their computer to be fixed by someone else is beyond me

? Thirdly a whole 4 questions you will see on a laser printer on the test that I have worked around/with for years and Finally--Who cares?

garv221 wrote:

Serious, who cares about arguing about an A+ cert. everyone has there own opinion. Maybe its mandatory at your company, maybe not, either way one thing is a fact - it does not take a whole to gain the cert, actually 50 some percent. Another thing is for sure, it’s an entry level cert that is on the absolute bottom of the cert food chain. It affects different people in different ways & you can argue it from both sides, so why argue?