HELP I need some good advice!!

ndd822

I am senior in HS and im 17 (18 in august). I have been studyin for the A+ and should pass it easily. I started messin with computrs 3 years ago and just have caught on to most things. I am in Cisco program at school for 2 years but im shaky on that still(its pretty hard!) but i also work for the school in a student technician program from june 02 - june 03. we didnt get 40 hours a week or anything but 30 in the summer and just 6 during school weeks. We did everything that a field tech. does. Im thinkin to get N+ after A+ cuz i have all the basics of cisco and everything But the advice I need is what i should do when I get my A+ and maybe N+ this summer.?? I dont really wanna go to college I really want to work as a tech. I think i have very good experience as a tech. with the student tech job and cisco. Do you think I will land a tech. job with my A+?? I live in Ohio and Cleveland is the closest big city where the jobs are. Any advice will help me! thanks

Cross

First off, the computer industry is a bit sluggish. Next a college degree enhances the level of all the certifications you wish to obtain.
Think it through wisely

Bastard

He is right. I think the days of getting a decent job (thats not labor oriented) with out a college degree are officially over. Although I belive that Technical Certification teaches you 100 times more job related tasks/skills than a BS in Computer Science ever could, employers still want an educated person working for them. 90% of college you'll never use in IT, but that is quickly changing as computers become more, and more of our daily life. I am 21, and am only half way to getting a BS in CS, and I am taking a small break to obtain these certs because they will provide proven skills in specific areas of Networking, and Windows Server Implementation. I will continue on to get my BS after my cert excursion, and be an IT powerhouse, lol. Don't get me wrong, it looks like you have more PC tech experience than me, and that will help you land a tech job, buut you won't really go anywhere fast unless they see certs and degree's. Catch my drift? Experience and certs will get you in, but add a degree and you've just kicked in the door.

ndd822

Thanks for your input. Then again i hear of people with BS that arent getting the jobs! Im not sure what to do. I hate math and you know how much math there is to do in college lol..I was looking around for internships but mostly found you have to be enroled in college..anyone know of any that you dont? thanks keep the advice coming!

Drakonblayde

Jobs are tough to get either way right now, but employers want both, a degree and certifications. I'm 26 right now, and I made the mistake of disregarding school as a kid and certifications after I landed a tech job. Well, I lost the job, and despite the fact that I know my stuff, I have no degree or certification to prove it, so employers won't even look at me. I'm currently halfway through an Associate's degree at the local technical college, and I'm going to be taking Net+ and A+ within the next 3 weeks (cash flow allowing of course), and I fully plan on pursuing at least my Bachelor's, and probably my Masters... just to have a shot at getting a decent job. I'd love to just sit around and play with computers all day myself, but the tech industry wants educated people now, not just the equivalent of PC mechanics

trick000

I think I'm in the same position as Drakonblayde. I took a job at compaq just as it was merging with HP and they put me to building servers with no prior job related technical experience. Well three months after getting hired, I guess they saw my "skills" and upgraded me to tech and gave me a 45% raise. I thought I was hot sh*t but I was wrong.

Oh sure, I've been building my own computers, learned a couple of programming languages since I was 16 or 17 but that doesn't matter. You can't put that on a resume. I am 25 right now, my contract with HP is over in a couple of weeks. I am finding myself trying to get another job and struggling to get a college degree and an A+ certification and no employers will look at me. Go to college. It will open up a lot more doors.

Or you could join the Navy...