Passed A+ this monday! what's next?

Juozux

Hello everybody!
I'm currently active duty navy, my job is logistics specialist. Getting out this november and want to get into IT field. Ultimately would like to get to network/database admin. Of course for now I'm shooting for helpdesk.
This monday finally passed the 702 test so now I am officialy A+ certified! Feels great!
My question is what would be the next best cert to go for? Before I assumed that the next logical choice would be N+ but I've seen some posts on this forum stating that starting level Microsoft certs would be more beneficial(MCSA)..

fivedollarcouch

congrats on passing a+!
it really boils down to your end goal. if networking is your intention, i'd say (from experience) to consider skipping net+ and go straight to CCENT.

If you're looking to round out your skills and open up more job opportunities to get into the IT field, MCSA is great as well. My opinion is to look at the training material for both paths and see which is more appealing, then start there

101010

Congrats on the pass!

As for the next step, I will second fivedollarcouch, and recommend the CCENT as well. In hindsight I would have just grabbed a Network+ study guide and dedicated a week(end) to it, then jumped right into the CCENT.

I am studying for the CCENT now and am realizing most, if not all, of the information I learned from the Network+ is part of the material I am reading now. Having a solid grasp of the theory is a great help in my current studies, just wished I passed on the test, and bought some lab gear instead.

Juozux

Thank you very much for informative replies! Looks like I'm gonna be skipping N+ and shoot for CCENT!

jamzhill

I was an FC in the Navy years back. Stationed on a carrier (Midway) and a destroyer (Fife). Had some good times and made some great friends. Here's some advice I wish someone would have told me when I got out...
Thanks for serving, but understand that while it will get you a few rounds at a bar, it won't get you very far in an interview. Use your GI Bill and earn a degree (CS or IT). That holds a lot more weight than a certification, will give you a better idea of your interests, and better define your long-term goals. While you may not like it, soft skills (esp. communication and interviewing) are just as important as technical skills. If you have both, you will never be out of work. Look for a startup to get going, move to a large company when you are looking for stability/retirement. You will bust your arse but will develop solid skills (mostly by killing yourself 80 hours a week). Always work hard for yourself, never the company and don't expect to be rewarded for your effort. It'll save you stress around review time and keep you out of the political bs. Do these and it won't matter what certification, or whether you go Sys or DB admin, you'll be a success!

Juozux

THanks Jamzhill!
My first one was frigate(dewert), then I went to Japan for shore duty, just came back a month ago and now I'm on carrier also(eisenhower).
I totally agree with you on having a college degree, it's actually my main goal right now, I knocked out a bunch of courses when i was on a shore duty, pretty close to networking AS degree, hopefully gonna be able to get it before i separate from Navy.

Darril

@jamzhill, great advice. I skipped college out of high school, but didn't get far. I joined the Navy and ended up leaving with a Masters degree with the U of OK and I'm tremendously grateful I pursued an education. When jobs are plentiful, education isn't always needed. When jobs are scarce, people with education get the jobs. Almost all the time, people with education get more money than people without an education. Education with certifications is a good mix that helps people get IT jobs in good times and bad while also earning a higher income than their counterparts that don't have the same mix.

@Juozux, Good luck finishing your degree. You have a great GI bill, so you might like to check out your options. On certs, I find that people pursuing MCSA and other Microsoft certs have trouble without a solid foundation of networking knowledge. The Network+ cert does provide this foundation but so does the CCENT. The difference between the two is that the Network+ is vendor neutral while the CCENT is based on Cisco products. Good luck.

Juozux

Thank you Darril!
your advice has reinforced my determination to go for CCENT!

MrXpert

Well done on your pass! Good luck with your CCENT studies

Dakinggamer87

Congrats on pass!!

DoubleNNs

If you're aiming for Helpdesk, probably go towards the Win 7 certs.

If you want to get into Networking eventually, you might want to study the Net+, but skip taking the test and right after go straight towards the CCENT/CCNA.