What IT certifications should I get?

DoctorAtom7

I came across this site while searching the Internet on what IT certifications I should get. This place seemed like a good place to ask.
I'm 17 years old and a high school senior. I hope to get some certifications and possible work in the IT field doing networking after I graduate. The problem is I don't know which certifications I should get. The only ones I really know I should get is the A+ and Network+ certifications. So, basically, what IT certifications should I get?

krjay

Welcome to the forum. I think the two certifications you listed would be a good place to start, especially considering you are so young. If you still want to pursue networking after that, the CCNA might be your next objective.

DoctorAtom7

The CCNA sounds like a great IT certification to get. Are there any other IT certifications I should look into? What about some Microsoft certifications?

NetworkVeteran

The A+ may help you land your first job.

The CCNA and CCNA specialties will help you get into networking.

The Microsoft certifications will help you get into system administration.

What will really help your career both in the short- and long-term is a degree. If you're about to graduate and are not already on that track, strongly consider it. There are all sorts of grants and loans that can help, and a CS/EE degree will greatly boost your earning potential. Best of luck to you with your choices and career.

DoctorAtom7

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

What will really help your career both in the short- and long-term is a degree. If you're about to graduate and are not already on that track, strongly consider it. There are all sorts of grants and loans that can help, and a CS/EE degree will greatly boost your earning potential. Best of luck to you with your choices and career.

I realize the importance of a degree when it comes to a career. I realize that enough to know that I will eventually need to get one. I just wanted to get one after have worked in the industry for a few years.

erpadmin

Been there, done that. I've been dealing with A+ level work when I was a freshman in HS, and this was back in 1991. Instead of USB ports, it was serial and parellel ports, and nowadays, you can just slide a card, hard drive in without any real jumpering. But not too long after high school, that was when I got in, and I've always regretted not doing college.

Based on how you responded to this, my advice to you would be to go to community college and at least get an Associates (not an AAS, but an Associates...). You do school for two more years, and perhaps find a nice job at Best Buy, or Staples OR even do some part time work as your own consultant [putting up a flyer undercutting those big box stores] just to get your feet wet. That's assuming you get at least your A+ and Network+ (real easy ones to get) and then after you get your associates, transfer to a 4 year school and do two more years of that. Maybe pledge a fraternity (preferably a national...stay away from locals UNLESS that local is an old one where alumni will hire you out the gate. Otherwise go national.) Then you have instant contacts for business networking purposes. Then you'll at least have a degree PLUS an organization behind you where you might have a shot.

Don't get sucked into the money...otherwise you're only going to focus on a job, and not a career. This isn't the 50s (or in my case the 90s) anymore...a HS diploma is jackcrap. You need something where you can compete even to get an IT job. Certifications by themselves are not going to help you launch a career. Take it from someone who knows. Especially if you're going to stay in Detroit.....(or Warren, or whatever suburb Detroit suburb you're from. I've only met one person who was actually from Detroit....lol.)

DoctorAtom7

erpadmin wrote: »

Don't get sucked into the money...otherwise you're only going to focus on a job, and not a career. This isn't the 50s (or in my case the 90s) anymore...a HS diploma is jackcrap. You need something where you can compete even to get an IT job. Certifications by themselves are not going to help you launch a career. Take it from someone who knows. Especially if you're going to stay in Detroit.....(or Warren, or whatever suburb Detroit suburb you're from. I've only met one person who was actually from Detroit....lol.)

I'm going to college. I'm just not going to college now. I wanted to take a break before going to college. I wanted to get these certifications to get a job doing something with computers during that break before I go to college. I in no way think this will jump start a career.
You're right. I'm not from Detroit. I'm from Warren.

N2IT

I would knock out A+ and N+, then think it over. Maybe Microsoft or Cisco will be up next. Of course a degree is a good thing to focus on to, even if it's not IT related.

MeanDrunkR2D2

Be careful of taking that "break" from school. I did that when I was younger, and 8 years later, I finally decided to go back and finished up just before I turned 30. That is one decision that I've repeatedly kicked myself for in waiting to get my college degree. I'd be considerably further in my IT career by now had I gone to school and finished right out of high school. I just wanted to take a 1 year break, and it turned into several when I realized that there was no way for me to move forward in my career goals without that degree.

I hope that you do think long and hard and if you do take a break, make it a short one. You'll face difficultly with the interviews and to get that entry level first job since you'll be competing against folks that are desperate for a job, but have the experience and degree to back them up and put them ahead of you. Now, if you can find a way to juggle having a entry level IT job and school, that's better for you as you'll earn your lumps while younger and hopefully will find an easy path to moving up once you finish your degree.

erpadmin

Meandrunk's post was pretty much what I would have written. I was 34 (same age I am now) and just finished getting a Bachelor's. I would have personally preferred a more traditional route to finish my degree but I took breaks and otherwise didn't take college seriously when I was 18-25, in part because I had landed a fulltime job in IT without even looking that hard for one. In the 90s, this was easy to do...now, not so much.

In addition, you're from an economically depressed area (with all due respect.) You need EVERY advantage you can give yourself as a young man now. The reason I know a little about Detroit is because in college, I learned that Detroit is the textbook definition of the inner-city. Sociology was an easy class to stay awake for... Also, keep in mind that despite what you hear in high school, college is actually EASIER to deal with than high school. That easiness comes at a cost, but it's true. The only thing you have to do in college is just show up to class and hand assignments in on time. If an assisnment is hard, you utilize the professor's office hours to make the assignment not hard. Utilizing office hours also tells the professor that you give a ---- and that you are willing to put in work. That's puts you above another student who didn't utilize study hours and is similar to you. A lot of these little tricks you don't learn in high school...but they work in just about every college in the Union.

Don't sell your future out short...stay in school...even if it's just community college. Get it over and done with.

traceyke

DoctorAtom7 wrote: »

I came across this site while searching the Internet on what IT certifications I should get. This place seemed like a good place to ask.
I'm 17 years old and a high school senior. I hope to get some certifications and possible work in the IT field doing networking after I graduate. The problem is I don't know which certifications I should get. The only ones I really know I should get is the A+ and Network+ certifications. So, basically, what IT certifications should I get?

I'm VERY glad to see a fellow Detroiter on the TE forums!! I could've sworn that I was the only one!

Like the other guys have said. The 1st cert to get will be the A+. It's very entry level, but many companies still place it on an unusually high pedastal. Then try to get the Network+ to give you a solid knowledge in networking. After that, it's either Cisco or Microsoft certs (depending on what interests you the most).

erpadmin wrote: »

I've only met one person who was actually from Detroit....lol.)

LOL make it two. Even though my parents moved to Romulus two years ago, I've lived in "Da D" for 24 years (I'm almost 26), went to Cass Tech and then MSU. The city is going through some very tough challenges right now, but I love Detroit and the great state of Michigan.

bmy78

DoctorAdam, get that degree and do it while you're young. If you postpone, you risk not getting it at all, or when you are much older. I earned my BA when I was n my early 20s but postponed going for a masters...I still have yet to earn one.


And yes, in some cases college is easier than high school. The real dunderheads won't be able to handle it, so they'll flunk out early. You mostly have to listen to lecture, take tests, and hand in assignments and papers. No one cares if you are there or not. No one cares if you use the bathroom. Of course, though, everything is on you. Don't get it done, and you flunk. No one cares so again, it's on you.

While you're in school, you can earn A+ and Network+ but coursework should be your first priority. And major in something you're truly interested in.

redfoot12

I'm 35 and still working on my Bachelor's. I agree with what others have posted. Get your degree. A lot of people told me "well you don't need a degree to do IT work" and that contributed to me getting off-track (that and I found out that I had ADHD at the age of 33). I started out wanting to do Network Support but now all these years late want to do something entirely different. I'm majoring in Information Systems at a large state school after getting a 2-year A.S. degree in Business Administration. If you want a Bachelor's eventually, make sure you get in a AA or AS track so it's easier to transfer. I almost made the mistake of trying to get an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) which is practically meaningless. Part of my sidetracking was that I got my Network+ and A+, got a decent-paying job, and my Bachelor's kind of got pushed to the side.
Good Luck!

cmitchell_00

Hey Man congrats to coming to this forum since it's great. However, get your BS in I.T. etc. so; you will never get passed over for promotions etc... I've been around for awhile and found that getting certified in alot of different thinks might be great but, the degree and experience keeps you moving upward. I'm really in agreement with the rest of the forum in about getting your degree asap with certifications while being an intern somewhere counts as experience too. I wish you the best and keep posting in the forum.

redfoot12

Just to add that if you already are good at programming and/or have a good mind for math, you might want to pursue a degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering. I'm not much of a programmer or a math man and decided on Information Systems (which might be called Computer Information Systems, Information Technology, Management Information Technology, etc. at whatever school you decide to go to). Most of these programs are offered in a university's school of business but I've seen similar types of programs in a school of engineering.

bmy78

Oh, and college is way more fun than high school (I'm not talking about socializing or partying) because you'll be taking classes you're interested in, and your peers will (should) be able to contribute to the class environment. High school is a mixed bag because education theorists believe in "heterogeneous" populations so that the weaker students can be brought up by the stronger students. In reality it becomes the reverse and teachers end up dumbing down the curriculum to satisfy a theoretical middle. So...why did I end up becoming a teacher again?

Again, get that bachelor's. You'll be a more employable and more educated person because of it.

techdudehere

Community college is usually the way to go for the first two years, unless your parents are rich or you are a star athlete. You want to research grants more so than loans. Signing up for loans and spending four years at University is a sure way to end up deep in debt. I would suggest you apply for grants well before you need them. You'll likely be able to do work study at college and you may be able to do TA work. You also need to consider living independently and what that means for your grant money versus the costs of rent.

If you're determined to go straight into the workforce, be careful of lingering in a low wage position for too long. That can be just as bad for your financial health as taking out loans.

If I were you my goals would be laid out like this
1) How can I save enough to retire by 55
2) How can I obtain desirable skills while maintaining a small amount of debt (grants, work study, TA, etc)

Perhaps some of the military personnel can chime in. For a person who doesn't want to go to University right away, does turning to Uncle Sam make sense?