First Time Certificate Exam Taker - Lazy but willing!

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry to create another thread that is identical to so many others but I need some help -- I'm 21 years old and i'm tired of going no where in my life and I feel so overwhelmed by adult life in general, primarily by the income and finances department. It's really stressing me out and i've decided that I should begin taking exams in a field that i've always been interested in (computers).

I've owned a computer since I was 10 years old. An old IBM machine that ran on Windows 3.x. with model M and all. I eventually got a Compaq 7470 which proved to be a problematic computer, so much that I was on the phone with tech support nearly on a daily basis. It is through this and my competition with a friend who also got a computer before me that initially got my computer repair skills. Eventually in High School, I took a free A+ Certification training course in which I excelled in. I was eventually offered an internship by a local computer repair business in which I accepted. I worked there for about 2 years before being laid off. It is around this time that I got out of High School. Since then I've been kinda idling in life, not sure what I want to do with my life. Should I goto school, or should I go into some kind of career training? I still want to goto college but I lack a lot of motivation to be going -- I feel that my best interim goal that is achievable is to begin taking computer certification courses so that I don't continue idling as I grow sick of the free time.

Anyway, my question to you tech exam experts is how I should go about doing this? I feel very confident in my practical everyday computer hardware/software troubleshooting skills, however there are older/legacy hardware and software questions I don't know off, simply because I haven't needed to put it into practice. I'm a hands on person but I retain knowledge very well. What is the best way to freshen up my skills, or my areas of weakness?

What is the best and cheapest way to take the exam?

My general idea is to take the following exams: A+, N+ MCXX, CCNA -> CCNP

I am very ADD and I tend to procrastinate a lot, i've actually been planning to take this exam for 3 years! But I have not yet done it because I didn't have the money. Now I do but i'm second guessing my skills even though I know they're good.

Sorry for the long wall of text!

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Comments

earweed

Welcome to TE!
You've probably already got most of the knowledge to pass the A+. You may want to look at the thread CompTIA A+ 220-701 (2009 Edition) and some of the other sticky threads in the A+ forum area.
You may just want to skip the A+ altogether since you have work experience doing it. Go for the Net+ and maybe the CCNA (Net+ is much easier)

mikej412

ItsJono wrote: »

My general idea is to take the following exams: A+, N+ MCXX, CCNA -> CCNP

A CCNP without any networking experience is almost worthless -- try something more like:
<job> A+ <job> N+ <job> MCXX <job> CCNA <job>
Then worry about the CCNP after your CCNA has gotten you a better networking related job.

Grab the highest level IT job now that your current education, luck, experience, and connections can get you. If it's a simple help desk job -- so be it. If you luck out into a 3rd shift NOC "babysitting position" that's even better and may take you through your CCNA and offer you future job growth if you're serious about the CCNP.

You can take community college classes that can hopefully force you focus and study and earn the Certifications you've listed -- and apply to an Associates degree.

You're actually "ahead of the curve" -- a lot of people take until 25 or so to decide to "grow up" (and some people never do

).

Welcome to the TE forums.

ItsJono

Hello again,

I was wondering if there was a good education site where I can quickly overview A+ test material and have a test voucher bundled with an online course of some sort?

How does taking the A+ work? Would I just attend like an adult school or something and take it by a test administrator?

Thanks for your help guys! I'm thrilled and anxious to begin proving to myself that I am indeed good with computers!

earweed

I've heard testout and Trainsignals were good CBT's (Chalk Board Training) the Mike Meyer's book is what a lot of people use to study
CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition (Exams 220-701 & 220-702) by Michael Meyers (Hardcover - Jan. 21, 2010)
When you're ready to take the tests you can either purchase a voucher or pay for it right on the prometric.com site. The site takes you through locating a testing center near you. You may want to check ebay to see if you can buy the voucher cheaper.

Aldur

mikej412 wrote: »

a lot of people take until 25 or so to decide to "grow up" (and some people never do ).

Heh, that's about exactly what I did, I was 25 when I decided to grow up and make a change. However I do miss being lazy and playing lots of video games

ItsJono

Aldur wrote: »

Heh, that's about exactly what I did, I was 25 when I decided to grow up and make a change. However I do miss being lazy and playing lots of video games

Video games is what keeps my passion alive, but sadly computer knowledge is becoming more and more accessible to people so I feel like i'm being slowly outdated haha

LAN_Man

ItsJono wrote: »

Video games is what keeps my passion alive, but sadly computer knowledge is becoming more and more accessible to people so I feel like i'm being slowly outdated haha

You would sure think so,but you would be surprised when you get in the the field and work with people that you think would have experience with technology, but really have no idea.

RouteThisWay

ItsJono wrote: »

Video games is what keeps my passion alive

Seriously?

subl1m1nal

I would go get A+ first before job hunting. An A+ will show the employer you know something and can potentially get you a foot in the door. I know how it is not having money to pay for it. Beg, borrow, or steal to take it. I had to borrow from my folks to take it as it was part of my job to have A+ within 90 days of hiring. I would check eBay or getcertify4less.com for discount vouchers.

Motivation is going to be key if you want to be successful. You can buy books and study on your own, but if you're a better hands on learner, you may want to consider signing up for a class to brush up on skills or at least setup a lab environment. Online training may be better for you. As you mentioned, you're a grown up now. Nobody is going to force you to pursue this besides you. I must say that ADD and procrastination are not good traits for IT people. Attention to detail is important.

Also think about your reasoning for pursuing an IT career. I've known "computer guys" that throw a bunch of hardware in a case and can install some software and think they're good. Come to find out they're clueless in some areas. They go to college because they like video games and they hear you can make a lot of money in IT. They fail and drop out. To move up in the ranks, you have to be knowledgeable and passionate. Otherwise you'll be stuck in entry level for a while.

Not trying to scare you away, but the demand for good IT people is down from what it used to be because there are more of us out there, and the economy is down. Be prepared to be stuck at entry level for a while until you get some certs and experience.

MentholMoose

RouteThisWay wrote: »

Seriously?

Heh my first job was working as a game tester, where I learned PC hardware and software basics, Ghost imaging, and other fundamentals. Ping times for online games and analyzing traceroutes got me interested in networking, and my first foray into network security, systems administration, and *nix was setting up an OpenBSD firewall at home in an attempt to improve my Internet connection performance for gaming. So, don't discount the power of video games!!

RouteThisWay

subl1m1nal wrote: »

Also think about your reasoning for pursuing an IT career. I've known "computer guys" that throw a bunch of hardware in a case and can install some software and think they're good. Come to find out they're clueless in VERY MANY areas. They go to college because they like video games and they hear you can make a lot of money in IT. They fail and drop out.

Fixed.

But really, spot on. So many people out there think because they installed their new RAM and video card, they must be great with computers. Then of course they see the ITT Tech commercials and read about how "computer guys" make tons of money, drive fast cars, and live the life. So they go to school or get a cert or two, and wonder why no one is beating their door down throwing $80,000 a year at their face. They end up having to start out like the rest of us, doing help desk or desktop support, get burned out because they are not making near what they expected, and then post on TE about how they are going into a REAL career because IT is just too hard because they are not competitive in senior admin roles with their 1 yr phone support experience and A+. So they read about the next career that promises financial opportunities and job security, and go to dive right into that...

Seriously, I think these college commercials and career persuasion articles are nothing more than the next Get Rich Quick scheme of this generation.

RouteThisWay

MentholMoose wrote: »

Heh my first job was working as a game tester, where I learned PC hardware and software basics, Ghost imaging, and other fundamentals. Ping times for online games and analyzing traceroutes got me interested in networking, and my first foray into network security, systems administration, and *nix was setting up an OpenBSD firewall at home in an attempt to improve my Internet connection performance for gaming. So, don't discount the power of video games!!

We can't all be as extreme as the MentholMoose

Nothing wrong with gaming, I used to do it quite a bit. However, you need a much deeper passion for technology than just gaming to succeed in IT.

Which obviously, you have. But because you like to play Call of Duty all day and are always trying to spec out your new gaming rig, does not mean that you are passionate about IT or technology in general. It just means you have too much money to blow ha

I used to game quite a bit. But honestly, I really don't have time for it now. At work.. I well, work. At home, I am reading about things for work, Microsoft releases, doing labs (how many times have you started a lab at around 8PM and then looked over and the clock says 2AM? Happened to me last night lol...), spending time with family, etc.

Reflecting on the past, all the gaming I did was simply for a lack of anything better to really do. Not knocking games or anything, they are fun. They are social. They aren't just for the socially maladjusted who just sit in a dark basement all day and pretend they are fire-throwing elven mages. It's just I don't find much of a use for them anymore.

It's like if I fire up a video game, I kinda feel guilty because I could be studying for a certification, lab out different procedures on Server 2008, etc etc. You know, doing something productive. I wish I had that year after High School back that I did nothing but hang out with friends, play video games, and eat pizza. I always think I would be one year further along...

Hyper-Me

RouteThisWay wrote: »

I wish I had that year after High School back that I did nothing but hang out with friends, play video games, and eat pizza. I always think I would be one year further along...

I did the same thing, but I made up for it in giving up lots of my personal time to study and lab and do some other things to boost my career. Its obvious you are doing the same for yourself. In the end, you will gain that year back 10 fold with the extra effort you are putting into your self-enhancement. (insert ExtenZe joke here).

subl1m1nal

RouteThisWay wrote: »

Fixed.

But really, spot on. So many people out there think because they installed their new RAM and video card, they must be great with computers. Then of course they see the ITT Tech commercials and read about how "computer guys" make tons of money, drive fast cars, and live the life. So they go to school or get a cert or two, and wonder why no one is beating their door down throwing $80,000 a year at their face. They end up having to start out like the rest of us, doing help desk or desktop support, get burned out because they are not making near what they expected, and then post on TE about how they are going into a REAL career because IT is just too hard because they are not competitive in senior admin roles with their 1 yr phone support experience and A+. So they read about the next career that promises financial opportunities and job security, and go to dive right into that...

Seriously, I think these college commercials and career persuasion articles are nothing more than the next Get Rich Quick scheme of this generation.

I have to agree. The college commercials make it seem like you'll get rich and be a hero by saving a network. Rarely happens. Your network is down, and you have to fix it. People don't congratulate you for fixing down equipment, they're complaining the whole time its down, and questioning why it was down in the first place after you do fix it. Anything less than 100% uptime is not acceptable to them. Yet when you quote out a good redundant setup, it costs too much.

People often underestimate the workload IT people have to keep systems operational. Just because things aren't breaking, people assume IT people are screwing off, when in fact they're keeping systems optimal. Been down this road before at a previous employer. I was doing too good of a job I guess.

As far as gaming. I used to do it in high school and a little in college. Its what gave me a start. These days, I don't have much time for it. Got a kid and a wife to take care of. On top of that, I do side IT work and study for certs.

WAY2QUIK

Agree with the last two posts. I was always a bit of a geek. I liked messing with computers from a young age on. I went to join the Navy and ended up that of my aptitudes IT was one of them. I knew I didn't hate computers so I figured it was a good decision, rather than taking a job that I only had a rough idea of. (Turns out I didn't completely know what I was in for with IT...lots of Radio work). Long story short...I didn't want to go to college, because I knew if I went for Information systems I'd end up with a degree starting out at the help desk anyway. With the stuff I did in the military I ended up jumping past the helpdesk and NOC babysitting jobs a bit. That's another thing to think about possibly. I'm not recruiting or anything, I got out once my term was up...I was in your shoes though and it was the most positive decision I ever made. If you go that route...use their educational benefits and grab some certs most Branches have good Educational benefits. I drank a lot and am catching up on my papers now

RouteThisWay

Hyper-Me wrote: »

I did the same thing, but I made up for it in giving up lots of my personal time to study and lab and do some other things to boost my career. Its obvious you are doing the same for yourself. In the end, you will gain that year back 10 fold with the extra effort you are putting into your self-enhancement. (insert ExtenZe joke here).

Thanks for the words of encouragement

ItsJono

RouteThisWay wrote: »

Seriously?

Yeah seriously. If it were not for the constant changing world of video games, I would not bother to learn about new hardware and software technologies, I would not know how to troubleshoot.

I don't think there has been a computer problem I haven't been able to fix :] Also, if you haven't inferred from what i've said before, I consider gaining certifications secondary to getting a real education -- I feel as if I were to pursue a career in computers, my once fun and stress relieving hobby would turn into something I grow to detest over time and that's not something I want to do but something I definitely want to use and fall back on if college doesn't work out for me

In 2002 (Age 13), I had a brief script kiddie stint where I played around with trojans (Net-Devil, Sub-Seven, etc) so I have a fairly decent, but dated understanding of basic networking concepts. It's funny how remote administration technology had advanced since then, I remember when using a trojan was easier to do than getting something like Windows Remote Help or PCAtHome working.

What use are Citrix Certs, anyway? Also i'd like to add, that though adding ram and a graphics card periodically (every two years for me) doesn't make you an expert in the field, don't underestimate or misjudge my abilities. I put together the things I want because it enables me to do the things I want to do since especially now I can afford it. I've always been ahead of my time with computers and I always felt limited by the machine, so of course it is natural to build something that can keep up with you once you can actually make use of it and afford it

So don't discount my YEARS of informal knowledge and training just because you can learn how to put a computer together by watching a seven minute YouTube video nowadays.

fly2dw

RouteThisWay wrote: »

So many people out there think because they installed their new RAM and video card, they must be great with computers. Then of course they see the ITT Tech commercials and read about how "computer guys" make tons of money, drive fast cars, and live the life. So they go to school or get a cert or two, and wonder why no one is beating their door down throwing $80,000 a year at their face. They end up having to start out like the rest of us, doing help desk or desktop support, get burned out because they are not making near what they expected, and then post on TE about how they are going into a REAL career because IT is just too hard because they are not competitive in senior admin roles with their 1 yr phone support experience and A+. So they read about the next career that promises financial opportunities and job security, and go to dive right into that...

Hear Hear!! How right you are. Made me smile while reading this, as I know so many people like this.