Just got my first IT job, I don't have any Certs

olaHalo

Hello all
I was recently hired as a Tech Support/Web Design guy (apparently its so slow that I have to do html on the downtime)
I do not have any Certifications.
I have studied for the Network + (had a pretty good grasp on it) but was talked out of taking the test by coworkers.
My only experience was a Network Tech internship (unpaid) for 3 months. Also I have an AS in computers and I am currently attending a University for a BS in Computer Science.
My question is this.
Should I seek any certifications? I am confidant Id pass at least the A+ and Net+. But why should I do it besides personal accomplishment?
Thanks for any advice

EDIT
Since my thread name may be misleading Ill say this
If anyone is wanting to get a job in IT with no certifications I can tell that my unpaid Internship is what got me the job

Akaricloud

Yes most definitely you should. It'll allow you the opportunity to change positions(or move up), show your real value and gain additional knowledge. You may want to seek some more difficult certifications but don't give up on them.

nosoup4u

I've only recently starting going after certs about 4 months ago and have been in the industry for 5 years.

I'm trying to move up but have run into road blocks with out them and a degree so definitely start sooner rather then later.

bacardi_dwb

Agreed, start as soon as possible. I made the mistake of being a 10 year Sr. network/systems administrator with no certifications or degree to back it up. Now its time for a career change and I am scrambling to knock out certifications and get my degree to become marketable.

olaHalo

nosoup4u wrote: »

I've only recently starting going after certs about 4 months ago and have been in the industry for 5 years.

I'm trying to move up but have run into road blocks with out them and a degree so definitely start sooner rather then later.

interesting.
may i ask what type of positions?

Akaricloud wrote: »

Yes most definitely you should. It'll allow you the opportunity to change positions(or move up), show your real value and gain additional knowledge. You may want to seek some more difficult certifications but don't give up on them.

Thanks for your response
My main goal and passion is in software. I am sort of just trying to work a decent job while I finish school in anything related to IT. Are there any certifications that would help with programming? or should a degree suffice?

nosoup4u wrote: »

I've only recently starting going after certs about 4 months ago and have been in the industry for 5 years.

I'm trying to move up but have run into road blocks with out them and a degree so definitely start sooner rather then later.

Congrats on your success without formal education or a cert!
I am working on my BS at the moment and already have an AS. Would a cert help that or would that likely be enough?

Iristheangel

How firm of a grasp do you have on networking? If you've done a networking internship as well as an AS degree, you *might* want to skip the CompTIAs (which teach you the BASIC of the basic) and go right for the CCENT/CCNA. A lot of the CCENT material is exactly what you studied on the Network+ exam and has more bang for it's buck when searching for a job

DoubleNNs

There are actually plenty of programming certs.
I'm not too sure how much weight they carry in the development side of IT however, but if you don't have an awesome portfolio filled w/ impressive projects and work experience, a couple certs might help you stand out for an entry level coding position.

Instead of going the CompTIA route, if you're interested in programming, maybe you should improve your programming skills on the side while working your Tech Support job.

N2IT

Your BS in Computer Science should propel you along nicely.

If anything I would focus on completing that degree first and foremost.

olaHalo

DoubleNNs wrote: »

There are actually plenty of programming certs.
I'm not too sure how much weight they carry in the development side of IT however, but if you don't have an awesome portfolio filled w/ impressive projects and work experience, a couple certs might help you stand out for an entry level coding position.

Instead of going the CompTIA route, if you're interested in programming, maybe you should improve your programming skills on the side while working your Tech Support job.

Thanks ill do some research on programming certs
I will definitely be practicing my coding while working

Iristheangel wrote: »

How firm of a grasp do you have on networking? If you've done a networking internship as well as an AS degree, you *might* want to skip the CompTIAs (which teach you the BASIC of the basic) and go right for the CCENT/CCNA. A lot of the CCENT material is exactly what you studied on the Network+ exam and has more bang for it's buck when searching for a job

Youre not the first to recommend that. Thanks for the advice

N2IT wrote: »

Your BS in Computer Science should propel you along nicely.

If anything I would focus on completing that degree first and foremost.

I am placing priority on my school first, but certs do have their appeal. kinda why im asking for advice about it
thanks for the input

paul78

If your passion is software development, getting certs are method to introduce formality and structure to your continuous learning as you progress in your career. But it largely depends on how you learn. I would suggest you focus on your BS first and not be distracted. Acquiring certs has it's place but it's not a panacea.

Fwiw- I did not bother with getting any certs for the first 23 years of my career. My career did progress from a software engineering background and certs had little value to me personally. I recently started to study for certs because the structured approach and common body of knowledge followed by an exam was appealing as a way to focus on specific topics of interest.

My comments are not intended to dissuade you from pursuing certs but only to mention that for most software developers that am acquinted, it tends to be an individualized pursuit.

Teacher2013

Do it now while it's all still fresh in your mind. So many other opportunities can come from having these certifications. Remember, there is no such thing as job security so if you ever leave this place you want to have one more certification than the next applicant. Besides, why not do it if you know you know it... At least do the ones you know you can pass for now.

Best of Luck

adamroya

a CCNA looks good on a resume

cisco_trooper

Guys. Let's not forget the most important aspect of moving along a certification track. Actually learning. I see guys busting out certification after certification after certification only to be met with extreme frustration and disappointment when their 20 certifications don't get them anywhere. The problem they are running into is that they only focus on passing tests and then move on to other topics, forgetting everything they "learned" in their certification studies. Long story short, don't short-change yourself. Take your time, ask good questions, learn the material inside and out, create real-world caliber labs, and make sure you are breaking and fixing. You'll learn much more this way, and will do MUCH better come time for promotions, break/fix situations in your job, and respect from your peers. Best of luck.

Roguetadhg

Labs aren't cheap.

I do agree, learning the material and not forgetting what you learned is key. But the only way to retain the information is to think about it, do it. Get your hands dirty and get kinky with it.

olaHalo

Thanks for all the advice guys. I am pretty sure my employer will cover the exam costs and even allow me to study while at work. So I might as well take advantage and get a few certs for free.

MeanDrunkR2D2

Personally, skip the comptia exams. Go for CCENT/CCNA instead of that. And depending on where you see yourself in 3-5 years, work on some others that put you where you want to be in that time.

ptilsen

I'm normally on board with what everyone in this thread is saying. For you, however, I think a lot of this is bad advice.

Your degree is computer science; your passion is software. You're obviously going into software development as a field. The recommendation that you take infrastructure certifications such as A+ and CCNA is simply not a good one. Infrastructure certs are not going to be an effective use of your time or significantly help your career prospects unless you want to work with infrastructure. Your degree and your programming skills are your primary qualifications. Just as no one has tested my ability to program Java or C++ in interviewing for systems administration positions, no one is going to test your ability to configure a switch in interviewing for programming positions.

I think anything CompTIA or Cisco in particular would be a serious waste of time and money for you. You will take valuable time on money, then have absolutely no reason to renew them in three years You won't use the vast majority of what you learned studying for them, and what you did use would be stuff you would learn anyway. That's not to say networking knowledge is irrelevant to software engineering, but Cisco and CompTIA certifications are not necessary. There are certainly jobs out there that can combine programming skills and infrastructure skills, but I doubt you'll be going for any that will utilize Cisco knowledge.

DoubleNNs

I whole-heartedly agree w/ Ptilsen.

Additionally, as I said before: If you're trying to get into the development side of IT and think you want to take any certs, they should probably be programming certs.

Just my $.02.

eansdad

bacardi_dwb wrote: »

Agreed, start as soon as possible. I made the mistake of being a 10 year Sr. network/systems administrator with no certifications or degree to back it up. Now its time for a career change and I am scrambling to knock out certifications and get my degree to become marketable.

Yup ... The times of moving up without certs/degree is coming to an end. Staying marketable ie new certs/keeping up with certs and a degree is fast becoming a nessecity. I know of several people with MCSEs in NT that never bothered with school or even keeping their cert up to date and now they face the reality of being passed over for advancement.

DoubleNNs

The only thing is the OP seems to be in a different side of the IT spectrum - more computer science it seems. And he will be completing his degree.

Whereas there are many certification programs that may help him (I think sunbeam has a Java Cert, MS has .net certs, etc) I don't think him getting Network certs wil help his career that much. Even getting security certs would be more useful.

olaHalo

Thanks ptilsen and DoubleNNs; I agree with you both
I don't think I will ever use these certs after I graduate which is why I haven't attempted them.
But I do have a window here where I can study and get them for free. Even though they will probably not help I am still undecided on whether I should just take them anyway.
At the moment I am studying for them regardless. I still have 2 yrs before I graduate and anything could happen. Perhaps a small promotion in that time may be attributed to some certs.
I will not however let this affect my schooling

DoubleNNs

2 Questions:

What certs are you currently studying for?

What is the extent of your programming skills so far? (Experience/Languages, etc)

olaHalo

DoubleNNs wrote: »

2 Questions:

What certs are you currently studying for?

What is the extent of your programming skills so far? (Experience/Languages, etc)

Studying for Net+ and CCNA/CCENT because thats what my employer will pay for
Intermediate Programming skills in Java, C#, and VB.Net (pretty much OOP only)
Beginner level in C++, scripting (like php and javascript),

I never considered html/css programming but I am very good in those too

why?