Study for CCENT or grab a quick cert?

A little background first: So, I'm starting WGU on April 1 for IT:Security. I went this route because I like the certs they offer opposed to the other routes. I started actually getting official IT experience in September of last year and now I work at a help desk for a MSP supporting end-users. It's a contract to hire position and my contract will end at the end of April. The next position up is double the salary and the only requirements is that I have a certification. The biggest difference in responsibilities is that the next job I am supporting servers also. As of now, I do not have any certifications, just an Associate's degree. The degree transferred to WGU and the "easiest" and most relevant cert that is available to me based on my transcript evaluation is the CCENT. My goal is to have a cert within two months from now.

Should I start studying now and try to get the CCENT by then? I don't have any Cisco experience yet. The other option is to spend money out of my own pocket for a MTA, which I am pretty sure I could pass after a week of studying. Or I could always do both too. What do you think?

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--chris--

If you live a distraction free lifestyle and dedicate yourself to it CCENT in two months should be doable. Id plan on taking it in 6 weeks, then re-doing it on the 8th week if your bomb the first try.

If you have kids, school, work, etc...2 months might be tricky.

markulous

--chris-- wrote: »

If you live a distraction free lifestyle and dedicate yourself to it CCENT in two months should be doable. Id plan on taking it in 6 weeks, then re-doing it on the 8th week if your bomb the first try.

If you have kids, school, work, etc...2 months might be tricky.

I do have kids, school, and work, so it isn't always the easiest to study. In my downtime at work, they do let me study, however if a ticket comes in (or a call) I have to stop abruptly.

I think of the MTA: OS pretty worthless as far as expanding my knowledge, but maybe in this situation it isn't as worthless as it seems. There also has to be an opening for me to apply for, so in reality it could be a bit longer until I am able to get that promotion.

DoubleNNs

Why not one of the CompTIAs for WGU? I thought all the WGU tracks require the A+?

markulous

DoubleNNs wrote: »

Why not one of the CompTIAs for WGU? I thought all the WGU tracks require the A+?

Due to my transcript evaluation, the course that is equivalent to an A+, I already have credit for. WGU told me that if I already had credit for that course, then I would not get a voucher from them. Same with the MTAs.

DoubleNNs

Where there's a will, there's a way. I think it'd be better to move forward and get one of the certs needed for WGU - regardless of which cert it is.

markulous

DoubleNNs wrote: »

Where there's a will, there's a way. I think it'd be better to move forward and get one of the certs needed for WGU - regardless of which cert it is.

I'll get the CCENT at some point regardless. I just really didn't know of the time frame it would take for someone like me to study and pass it or if I should just drop $60 (I think that's the price?) and grab a MTA. So you're saying don't waste my time/money on the MTA and just study my butt off for the CCENT?

SweenMachine

markulous wrote: »

I'll get the CCENT at some point regardless. I just really didn't know of the time frame it would take for someone like me to study and pass it or if I should just drop $60 (I think that's the price?) and grab a MTA. So you're saying don't waste my time/money on the MTA and just study my butt off for the CCENT?

I think if you need a quick cert; the MTA's are definitely a viable option. Actually, it is what I would suggest.

First off, the MTA is probably worthless, but you get the MCP certification with it.. sure, its a general generic microsoft certification, but it will definitely matter if all they want is a cert. I know for a 100 percent fact that me passing an MTA and getting my MCP cert is what landed me my current part time job (I have a full time one as well)

I have 6 MTAs... I took them not for advancement but for fundamentals. And you can definitely study and pass them in a week; and you might learn a few fundamentals you didn't know.

And they are 60 bucks

It doesn't even seem like a question to me, personally.

SweenMachine

markulous wrote: »

I'll get the CCENT at some point regardless. I just really didn't know of the time frame it would take for someone like me to study and pass it or if I should just drop $60 (I think that's the price?) and grab a MTA. So you're saying don't waste my time/money on the MTA and just study my butt off for the CCENT?

Plus; what everyone here is saying goes against pretty much every other advice mentioned here...

Everyone always says what's the ROI, what's the ROI, what's the ROI?

Well, in this case, even the 'lousy' MTA has the same overall ROI as the others, in the scheme of it can get you the DOUBLE SALARY position. You could spend 2 months studying like crazy, and get this job. Or you could spend a week, and get this job.

Right, and I get it. The other certs will help you professionally more, will help the degree more, will help you succeed more blah blah blah... if your current endgame is to get the job, the MTA will do it, cheaply and fast.

-scott

markulous

Thanks, Scott! That's some really good advice. You make a good point where it may just be worth it to fork out the $60 and grab it. It may take 6 months from now for a job opening, but at least I'll be ready for it if it comes any sooner than that. Then I don't have to cram as much for the CCENT either.

Scott400

Hey Guys,

I'm just curious as to where you see the MTA exams for 60 bucks? When I look on Prometric, it comes up with a price off 115$, now unless it doubled in price in the last few months, I would like to know where I could get the exams for 60$ a pop.

Thanks Again

SweenMachine

Scott400 wrote: »

Hey Guys,

I'm just curious as to where you see the MTA exams for 60 bucks? When I look on Prometric, it comes up with a price off 115$, now unless it doubled in price in the last few months, I would like to know where I could get the exams for 60$ a pop.

Thanks Again

Microsoft Certifications | Microsoft Second Shot & Certification Vouchers

Scott400

Are they good for Prometric as well as Certiport?

Thanks,

SweenMachine

Scott400 wrote: »

Are they good for Prometric as well as Certiport?

Thanks,

Just Certiport I believe.. I still have a couple half off voucher codes for Prometric, I can send you one if you'd like (I need one more of them)

PM me

-scott

neo9006

Thanks guys for the posting, you probably just saved me a lot of money with that post Sween. I might take some MTA's just to get myself in the door.

DoubleNNs

I think you should go for the CCENT not necessrily for ROI, but because you'll be knocking out multiple checkmarks at once.

You'll get school credit, be halfway towards your CCNA which is a cert that is widely recognized and valuable, as well as hitting the requirements for the job.
Additionally it'll be free for you.

If you can get your MTA before your WGU start, I say go for it. If you don't think you can, I personally recommend just focusing on moving forward with that degree, knowing that it'll benefit you in more ways than just the one.

Which degree track are you starting btw? NA? Sec?

markulous

DoubleNNs wrote: »

I think you should go for the CCENT not necessrily for ROI, but because you'll be knocking out multiple checkmarks at once.

You'll get school credit, be halfway towards your CCNA which is a cert that is widely recognized and valuable, as well as hitting the requirements for the job.
Additionally it'll be free for you.

If you can get your MTA before your WGU start, I say go for it. If you don't think you can, I personally recommend just focusing on moving forward with that degree, knowing that it'll benefit you in more ways than just the one.

Which degree track are you starting btw? NA? Sec?

I'm going with Security. I was originally going with the general IT course, but I liked the certs better in the security track. It'll be a little more challenging, but I didn't sign up to just breeze through everything as fast as possible.

I think I can swing the MTA pretty quickly. I had a generic MS practice test that had about 20 questions and the MTA: OS test seemed way too easy.

SweenMachine

markulous wrote: »

I'm going with Security. I was originally going with the general IT course, but I liked the certs better in the security track. It'll be a little more challenging, but I didn't sign up to just breeze through everything as fast as possible.

I think I can swing the MTA pretty quickly. I had a generic MS practice test that had about 20 questions and the MTA: OS test seemed way too easy.

It is seriously that easy....

-scott

JoJoCal19

I'd also look at the ITIL Foundation. I did it in about a month. Just read ITIL Foundations by Claire Agutter twice and you're good. It's like 100 pages. You honestly could do it sooner than a month.

Polynomial

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

I'd also look at the ITIL Foundation.

I did mine through Loyalist and it comes with a solid training module - Loyalist Certification Services :: Loyalist Certification Services

You could honestly bang it out in a weekend imo.

N2IT

Ccent imo. Anything quick is usually worthless.

SweenMachine

N2IT wrote: »

Ccent imo. Anything quick is usually worthless.

100 percent disagree.

If you read the initial post, he mentioned that he needed ANY certification for a potential new position at his job. Therefor, any certification would make it NOT worthless to get, for this situation.

I am not arguing the validity of overall ROI long term, nor am I trying to claim that an MTA is a certification that will benefit his long term knowledge. But the initial stance is clear. ANY certification will help get this job, so the ROI on the MTA, short term, is the same as the CCENT, regardless of how ill-looked at those MTAs are on this forum.

Therefore, this 'quick' certification is certainly NOT worthless.

-scott

markulous

I just called the testing center yesterday but for some reason they are closed on Thursdays, so I'm going to schedule it today for hopefully sometime next week. A person is actually leaving for the position I want, but I'm afraid that since I've only been there two months and am still technically a contractor (it's a contract to hire after 90 days), I won't get it. I'll apply for it, but I won't bug my bosses about it either.

markulous

I got my MTA scheduled for next Sautrday.