Newbie saying hi

qTek

Just saying hi. This is my first post, I signed up here not because I had any questions yet but because most of my questions have already been answered by scrolling through this site lol

I've been working with PCs (only) for a couple years in the job field part time. Various offices and stores that wanted to hire a student at minimum wage basically. Nothing exciting or impressive, just maintaining an onsite server, fixing random hardware or upgrading things... troubleshooting. I know java when it comes to programming but being a highschool graduate with no college degree I'm looking now to get certifications and hopefully start working full time in the tech field. I don't know much and I just got my ass kicked on a practice A+ test (both parts) -- I scored 20 points under passing, unfortunately, on both of them. I did do some brief study guides for like an hour so I feel that's a good start. I plan on working on getting the A+ and moving on from there. I don't have to worry about a job immediately as I still have a decent part-time in the mean time so I feel its best to take advantage of living at home (a luxury I will not be afforded for much longer) and get somethings to put on my resume and start applying by the end of the month.

I may have too big of ambitions, but I'm hoping to get into networking mainly and hopefully a CCNA by sometime in February (obviously I have other things I plan on doing before I get that far). I have a lot of time to study and practice before taking these exams... my biggest fear is blowing money on failed exams... one thing I would ask is if anyone has advice on getting vouchers or discounts on exams and such without being part of a company that offers these for free (if thats possible).

Tomorrow I'm hitting up the bookstore to grab some guides for the comptias (I have seen many of the suggestions already given on this site but am still open to them ). I know that I shouldn't expect some nice job with any certs (somehow I feel like someone might warn me of that) all I'm looking at doing is getting hired by a real company, not some small local businesses, somewhere in the IT field, whether it's at a help desk or something like that just so I can put some more experience on my resume... as from what I'm seeing is more valuable than the certifications. Though from my point of view, studying for these things will be valuable in knowledge too. For now I'm going to hit the books mainly

I have a lot to learn and a lot to look forward to, so thanks for reading

azjag

You may be biting off more than you can chew by trying to get your CCNA by Feburary. It is a hard exam with lots of material to cover. Slow down and build a solid foundation of knowledge. Decide what you ultimately want to do in IT then plan out what it will take to achieve it. Also, don't rule out the small businesses, they are great for experience and can provide references for prospective employers. Check out your local college and see if they have any internships available if you can't find a paying position. You may be working for free but you will be gaining experience in large environments.

Good luck and welcome to Techexams