Do I really need a A+ or CCNA?

martinbr

Hello, I am new here and have been struggling on what certification courses I want to take in the next few months.

I thought I wanted to take a A+ certification course, but after talking to a few people in the computer technician field, it was explained to me that if I already have experience with computer hardware, that I might be better off putting my money into something like either a CCNA or a MCSE certificate course instead.

The problem that I am facing is that all my experience has been on my personal computers for the past 20 years. So I don't have any actual working for a company experience. So do your really need to have a A+ certificate to get my foot in the door?
thanks,
martinbr

Bl8ckr0uter

I think A+ material will help no matter what you are doing, especially at entry level. The cert is going to be a toss up. I did it and it helped me, as it as helped many others but your experience may be different. I suggest that if you decided on getting it, go for it by the end of the year so it will be lifelong and require no recertification. You should also go for Security+ and maybe Network+ under the same reasoning.

What do you want to do in IT? CCNA isn't for everyone but the knowledge you will obtain should help you build a firm foundation in networking. If you want to do network then this is truly the way to go. Network+ is less respected but will also help you build a foundation in networking. You can do both or neither (I have both) and I think the material on Network+ helped me with some of the key terms of the CCNA but the CCNA was much harder.

jamesleecoleman

You don't have to have the A+ certification but it helps and some compaines do have it as a requirement. If you want to go after a certification, don't let people talk you out of it. I think your experiences will help you out with the A+.

marioc

I personally do not know of a better tool for learning a technology. I use them almost like a checklist to know what to study, and as a motivational tool to learn more.

I believe that the more you know, the better positioned you are for whatever comes your way.

"Knowledge is Power"

I hope this helps.

-Mario

RobertKaucher

Just because you study the material for a given certification does not mean you need to actually take the exam. Before I started preping for my MCSE I studied the material for the A+, Server+, and Net+. I did not take any of the 3 exams, but I do feel that the knowledge helped me.

I have never been asked why I don't have those certifications. Only once was I told I would need to complete the Server+ as I would be required to hold IBM certs and Server+ was required for those.

Devilsbane

A lot of people don't care about A+. Employers don't seem to require it, even though they often recommend it. Personally, I believe it is a good starting point. It is pretty easy for your first cert and can make you hungry for more no matter where you end up. (Whether you want the Microsoft route or the Cisco route)

CCNA is more dependent on what you want to do. If you like networking and want to work on routers and switches then your going to want it. If you plan on spending your life in the Microsoft world then it isn't as important (But not going to hurt, just not help as much as some other Microsoft certs would).

Having an extra certification will never hurt you. A+ is realativly inexpensive as far as certs go. When I got mine I already had most of the experience, so I mainly just used transcender to prepare for my first cert. Didn't take a lot of time, and I also didn't spend much money. (About $215, I got some nice discounts on Transdender and Vouchers) That isn't much considering it helped to land me my first job in the IT field (service desk role) making $15k more a year than I did before.

RobertKaucher wrote: »

Just because you study the material for a given certification does not mean you need to actually take the exam. Before I started preping for my MCSE I studied the material for the A+, Server+, and Net+. I did not take any of the 3 exams, but I do feel that the knowledge helped me.

I don't know why you would spend all of the time and money on the preparation but not take the test. How else can you ensure that you actually learned the material and didn't just skim the book? Plus how can you prove to an employer that you have the equivlent knowledge?

tpatt100

Not everyone needs to take a test to prove they learned something. A lot of IT certification books are laid out and written very well to learn out of. I can spend 30 dollars for a book and get the job done and not bother with the 120+ more dollars to take the test plus all the hours studying. Half of the stuff in a book does not even apply to many real world situations anyways.

I can prove what I learned to my employers because the stuff actually works. I can prove I did what I said I did to future employers with my references from people I worked with before.

Plus if I can't prove it I will find myself put out on the street if I get hired.

tpatt100

P.S. I would check around the A+ is required for some jobs. It was the first cert I ever earned and was required for the helpdesk

veritas_libertas

My method towards choosing certifications is to search for what job title/type of job I want. Whatever certifications are the most popular for that job I pursue. At this point my degree plan encompasses the MCITP:EA a certification I want to use to help me get a job as a SysAdmin. Down the road I will work on certifications that I want to do for fun, and to broaden my knowledge like the CWTS and CWNA.

RobertKaucher

humble2007 wrote: »

I don't know why you would spend all of the time and money on the preparation but not take the test. How else can you ensure that you actually learned the material and didn't just skim the book? Plus how can you prove to an employer that you have the equivlent knowledge?

I spent 4 weeks reviewing the topics and used the exam objectives as my guide. I purchased a few used books to study and got more info online.

Working on my MCSE Security I did not need to spend $600.00 on certifications I did not feel would contribute to my career. I was already working in IT and had a firm background in server and PC hardware. In my opinion my resume showed I had the knowledge.

For someone just starting out, it might be harder. But if the OP is looking at Cisco certifications having Net+ and Server+ may not help him at all, but having knowledge about them might help him in is day-to-day work.

There are many ways that you can prove things to employers other than having X or Y certification. I have never been turned down for a job because of lack of a certification. I have been skipped over for lack of experience, though.

getitngo

It truly depends on what type of job your after. if you are looking to get a help desk or pc tech type position, you may need to get the A+ or atleast read through an A+ book. When looking of a help desk position I've been asked questions that have come right out of A+ study material. but if your looking to land networking gig go for the ccna.