CompTIA Certs worth it?

bparsons · January 2011

Well, I should say worth it in my situation? I'm just starting down the certification path and I've heard/read that CompTIA's are a good place to start. Seems like I was about 6 months too late, though. I guess they used to be lifetime certs (which validates the price), but now they're only good for 3 years. That's all fine and dandy, but the price tag attached to each???.....WOW! A+ requires two tests at 173 each....$346 for it! Net and Sec are up in the 200s themselves.

I'm just wondering, with all your experience and knowlege, is it worth getting these? I think it is...especially since I'm just starting out. If you've read my other posts I've been all over about where I want to go, but I think I've decided on network/security as my main focus....looking at doing the three CompTIAs, then probably some Cisco (CCENT, CCNA, CCNA Security, CCNP, etc, etc). Thanks again....love this forum!!!

Ryan82 · January 2011

In general I say they are overpriced and unless your position requires it, skip them. Thats not to say that the material contained within the curriculum is a waste of time, just taking the actual exam. My 2 cents

demonfurbie · January 2011

i would get sec+ and skip the others

cisco stuff covers the net+ stuff better

a+ is really just hardware and it doesnt look like your interested in that

however if you do plan do get a DoD job they are required

badboyeee · January 2011

bparsons wrote: »

I'm just wondering, with all your experience and knowlege, is it worth getting these? I think it is...especially since I'm just starting out.

hmm so zero IT experience & education?? any courses taken??

rogue2shadow · January 2011

My advice would probably be go for Sec+ and as others have stated above, the Cisco ceritifcation track will take care of everything else. Sec+ does require a little bit of a networking foundation as it serves as the culmination of the CompTIA trinity (A+/N+/S+). If you haven't heard, the highly acclaimed "Get Certified Get Ahead" book by Darill Gibson is the tool used by most Techexams users and a high percentile of people have passed on the first try (including myself)

.

If you do decide to get the Security+, do note that you will be forced in the CE (Continuing Education) program and there is an annual fee. What it comes down to is weighing the pros and cons and figuring out where exactly you want to work.

As Demonfurbie said DoD does require it for IAT level II workers and in terms of overall value, the knowledge is priceless; no matter where you fall in IT, there is some security aspect involved in everyday operations.

bparsons · January 2011

Thank you very much....great info!

In regards to my experience/courses taken.....I am graduating this spring with a bachelor's in business managment, but I have taken SEVERAL IT/MIS classes while in school. I have enough computer knowledge to look really smart to normal people, but feel like a pea in front of REAL IT pros. I've just about finished reading Mike Myers' A+ study guide. I already knew a lot in it, but it did take my knowledge to more detail which was great.

My lack of IT job experience could hurt which is why I was thinking having the cert on the resume might help, but these CompTIA ones sound ridiculous! But if getting Sec+ requires me to pay an annual fee, I may as well go all or nothing with them. I'm going to read the books, so I guess I may as well take the exams. The $$ sucks, but it sounds like Sec+ is a must and if it's going to cost I might as well bite with at least Net+. A+ for $346 might just have to be skipped, though. I don't plan on working at DoD, but I guess if I do I can always take it.

Cisco Inferno · January 2011

i bought my a+ vouchers on ebay for $110 each last october.
also check your school to see if they have discounted vouchers for any IT or CS Students.

zerglings · January 2011

Ryan82 wrote: »

In general I say they are overpriced and unless your position requires it, skip them. Thats not to say that the material contained within the curriculum is a waste of time, just taking the actual exam. My 2 cents

+1

Read 'em but don't take the exam. ROI is not that great in my opinion. Only reason I took A+ was because I didn't know better.

ibcritn · January 2011

I really see the only CompTIA certs that are of value (Beyond entry level roles) are Security+ and Linux+

I suppose it heavily depends on your current and future roles....some jobs want A+/Net+ for those entry-level roles. These certs wont stay valuable to your resume for long, but I think they have their place at helping people jump into their first IT role.

zerglings · January 2011

ibcritn wrote: »

I really see the only CompTIA certs that are of value (Beyond entry level roles) are Security+ and Linux+

I suppose it heavily depends on your current and future roles....some jobs want A+/Net+ for those entry-level roles. These certs wont stay valuable to your resume for long, but I think they have their place at helping people jump into their first IT role.

This is also true.

A+ did get me started in my IT career. Though, not really sure by how much it really helped on the decision of the manager that hired me.

N2IT · February 2011

I think it depends on where you are at in your journey and where you want to be.

A+ is a great start to get into IT. INTO is the keyword of course. Network + could potentially get you into a level 1 network role. Security + has a strong ROI because of state and federal jobs. I would think Linux + would be the best one to get, if you wanted to go into Linux and didn't know much about it.

Anyway with all that being said, I personally like vendor specific certifications when it comes to technology.

Essendon · February 2011

Useful ONLY if your just starting out in IT, perhaps even then a Microsoft/Cisco entry cert would carry more weight. I wouldnt recommend them at all really, do something (Microsoft/Cisco) that will be worth the effort and money.

Norrlands Turk · February 2011

I think it depends on which track you want to do. If you are going to follow MS server track, then I would say go for Net+ since it provides you with good essential networking knowledge about things like subnetting.

If you are going to do Cisco track, then CCENT, CCNA covers pretty much everything in Net+ curriculum anyway.

I don't think Sec+ is going to be very beneficial as a first or second certification for someone who is just starting.

bparsons · February 2011

Thank you very much for all the input! It sounds like the consensus may be to not take them, but that having one may help with entry level jobs. Right now I am a support manager for a financial institution. I've written some excel programs that help make things run smoother and I am often the one people in my department come to for support on those kinds of things. I also will help retail branches with problems regarding the software we use. I am, in now way though, in the IT department. They handle the actual help desk, servers, networks, etc.

So I think if I were to try and break through into IT I could say I have SOME experience, but I don't know that I'd have enough to convince someone to hire me without certs.

That said, I would love to just start down the CISCO path with the CCENT....I think I could master that pretty easily. I've read the A+ study guide, but not Net or Sec yet....however I don't know that they would be necessary if I start with CCENT. I think maybe my next step instead of taking the A+ will be to take CCENT....any thoughts??? Thanks again!

Michael.J.Palmer · February 2011

Almost any support job lists the A+ as a requirement, at that point you'll probably need it. So I'm with the guy that said if it's a requirement for your job, then get it. I had three MS certs before I got my A+ and I never got a look until I got it. So it just depends on how employers are in your neck of the woods, it might not seem pertinent to your job (for example I needed it for my current job which is working software support, no hardware work at all) but some places just require it, so keep a look out for that.

stephens316 · February 2011

Ryan82 wrote: »

In general I say they are overpriced and unless your position requires it, skip them. That's not to say that the material contained within the curriculum is a waste of time, just taking the actual exam. My 2 cents

I agree unless you need them skip them, unless you plan to be a contractor for a company then get Sec+, I would first get an OS cert windows 7 70-680 so you get use to some of the questions.

Here is track for you :
70-680 MCTS: Windows 7
CCENT
70-640: MCTS: Active Directory, Configuring
Security +
70-642: MCTS: Network Infrastructure, Configuring
70-643: MCTS: Applications Platform, Configuring
70-646: MCITP: Server Administrator
70-647: IT Pro: Enterprise Administrator
CCNA

CompTIA Certs worth it?

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