Is ITIL worth it?

MrXpert

Hi,

I'm currently unemployed but do have a lot of experience building and repairing PCs and some helpdesk experience. I am currently studying for the ccent exam but have seen some employers asking for ITIL certification. I dont know much about ITIL other than it has something to do with managing IT efficiently and following ITIL guidelines.

I wouldnt mind doing the foundation course. perhaps it may help me get a job with a company that wants staff to have this as a requirement.
But can anyone recommend any ITIL foundation course books or vids i could watch and also suggest how long it takes to study for and take the exam. Is it multiple choice computer based? or hand written like the old days? I could have sworn i saw a post saying it takes about 30 hours of study to do the foundation exam.

thankyou

Claire Agutter

Hi Mr Xpert

There are already quite a few threads covering Foundation training, so I won't go into too much detail here.

Simply:

Yes I think ITIL is worth it - it shows an employer that you understand processes as well as technical areas. For example, if you're doing an Incident Management or Service Desk type role, your prospective employer will want to be sure you understand prioritisation and good data recording.

The Foundation course syllabus is here:
http://www.itil-officialsite.com/Qualifications/ITILQualificationLevels/ITILFoundation.aspx

You don't have to take a course (you can buy books and find lots of free guidance online), or you can take an online or classroom course.

The exam is available online or as a paper exam, it depends on your study route.

Claire

lordy

I have passed the exam last week after self-studying.

ITIL in itself makes sense. It holds some good ideas on how to organize and improve IT and the service/value it delivers. Many companies expect/require it these days although they don't make too much use of it.

If you want to study for it I can recommend to sources:
- Passing your ITIL exam (check Amazon)
- The IT Skeptic | A sceptical view of ITIL, CMDB and whatever else catches my eye

Reading the book should give you a good understanding of the concepts and wording while the website will provide you with tipps and links to mock tests. That's pretty much what I used.

Good luck!