Should I take the A+?

Hello everyone.

I am curious and was wondering if the community can give me their opinion. I have been working in the IT field for almost 10 years, and have been exposed to several different environments and tasks. I have always looked at the A+ as a good study guide and reference but have never convinced myself to take the certification. I currently hold the Network+ certification and am currently working on my Security+ followed by a number of Microsoft certfications to eventually earn my Enterprise Administrator before the end of the 3rd quarter of this year.

At this stage of my career, is there any value to this certification at this point? On one side, I feel that with the experience I have gained over the years and the A+ materials I have learned, I should put this knowledge to use in passing he exam. On the other hand, am I just wasting my resources in obtaining a certification that will not not really be applied to what I am doing?

My employers are fairly neutral about the whole certification process, so it's entirely for me if I decide to do it. I just don't know if I have priorities straight right now or if I'm just misinterpreting the value of this certification.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

darkerz

After 10 years of experience, I'm surprised you'd venture for the A+, ever since I went the MCITP:EDST7 and EDA7 route, every interviewer I've been with has assumed I was well beyond A+ knowledge. Which, I am.

It's sort of the cert you get when you have nothing to show for or when you are a teenager starting out. Anything above it will trump the need for holding it, plus now you need to renew it. I'd recommend Project +, Server + and Security + and skip Network and A+ altogether; These days, just about anyone with half a brain can tell you wiring schemas, pinouts, what a packet is, what a broadcast domain is, how to properly clean a computer and how to not eat your customers.

Jinuyr

Excellent points, thank you for the advice.

Psoasman

At this point, I would only do the A+ if your employer required it, or if they would pay for it.

mezeker

Hello,

I think differently on this topic. I believe the A+ will help your career in more ways than one. Seeing the value in something that others may not see if priceless. I believe the A+ will assist you in becoming better or updating yourself with hardware standards like SSD and the likes if you never dealt with them.

Moving on, on the post someone said to get the Sec+, Server+ and Project+. Well the A+ help you build up to the Server+ and Network+ exams and many more.

I have about 7 years of work within the IT would and the A+ has helped me time and time again on the job or at a client site or even a home user.

If you know your stuff then study up and practice for the exam and pass it, move on and know that the information you just acquired is priceless.

Also, before you started to run when you was little you started to walk.

Even doctors sometimes have to go back to the basic to understand why a cell does what it do.

Start with the fundamentals and get that out the way than move on.

N2IT

Jinuyr wrote: »

Hello everyone.

I am curious and was wondering if the community can give me their opinion. I have been working in the IT field for almost 10 years, and have been exposed to several different environments and tasks. I have always looked at the A+ as a good study guide and reference but have never convinced myself to take the certification. I currently hold the Network+ certification and am currently working on my Security+ followed by a number of Microsoft certfications to eventually earn my Enterprise Administrator before the end of the 3rd quarter of this year.

At this stage of my career, is there any value to this certification at this point? On one side, I feel that with the experience I have gained over the years and the A+ materials I have learned, I should put this knowledge to use in passing he exam. On the other hand, am I just wasting my resources in obtaining a certification that will not not really be applied to what I am doing?

My employers are fairly neutral about the whole certification process, so it's entirely for me if I decide to do it. I just don't know if I have priorities straight right now or if I'm just misinterpreting the value of this certification.

You would be surprised.

Every IT firm, company, etc recoginizes the A+

IMO it's the best Comptia certification to get. Security + is making ground with the DOD making it ISO compliant, but even with that I still give A+ the nod.

So in short yet I think the two Comptia certs that will give you the most ROI is A+ and Security +

I have Network + and not one employer ever mentioned it in an interview. I've been on over 30 since I received it.

Put that in perspective.

earweed

N2IT wrote: »

You would be surprised.

Every IT firm, company, etc recoginizes the A+

IMO it's the best Comptia certification to get. Security + is making ground with the DOD making it ISO compliant, but even with that I still give A+ the nod.

So in short yet I think the two Comptia certs that will give you the most ROI is A+ and Security +

I have Network + and not one employer ever mentioned it in an interview. I've been on over 30 since I received it.

Put that in perspective.

+1
I might add though that the Net+ may not have value in itself studying the material will aid you to no end.

Jinuyr

Very good points all, thank you for putting in the time to reply to this post.

After I complete the Security+ certification I will revisit the A+ when I'm in between Microsoft certifications. I need to address the Security+ and a few of the Microsoft certifications first because they are the technologies I am currently involved with at the moment.

N2IT

earweed wrote: »

+1
I might add though that the Net+ may not have value in itself studying the material will aid you to no end.

Agreed net + help me out a lot, but for some reason people just don't recognize it. It's usually A+ then on to specific vendor certifications. Are you Dell, Lenovo, HP, etc certified. Then I get are you MCP or MCSE certified.

What about the MCSA lol

It's just so darn bizarre out there.

Danny boy

Well in my job interview today I was asked some technical questions which I had learnt from studying the A+, such as how to assign a static IP address. So it was definitely worthwhile for me!

IMO if you reckon you are pretty confident with the topics covered by the A+ then you may as well get it. It can't hurt to have it and may be of benefit if a future employer expects it.

technos

Many manager non-computer types will look for the A+ cert no matter what else higher level you have because they have been programmed to scan for that. So that kinda proves many of the "it's not worth it" crowd wrong.

N2IT

technos wrote: »

Many manager non-computer types will look for the A+ cert no matter what else higher level you have because they have been programmed to scan for that. So that kinda proves many of the "it's not worth it" crowd wrong.

A+ is one of the most valuable certifications for a tech.

I've seen server deployment jobs that require A+

Cisco Inferno

yes make sure you get the Network+ too. the material and information learned is priceless.