Trying to decide

Good afternoon. I am new to this forum so I'm just feeling my way around. After years of working in non-IT office jobs (primarily customer service and accounts receivable positions) I have decided to try to break into the I.T. field. In looking over several possible certifications, the CWNA seems attractive. Has anyone started with this one, or is it "de rigeur" to start with the A+ ?

I appreciate any assistance or information you can provide.

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steve13ad

First off, welcome to TE!

Not to discourage you, but the CWNA could be too a big step for someone trying to start off. But each person is different, and you may find it doable.

What type of work do you want to eventually do?

SteveO86

Anyone can accomplish anything with enough time and dedication.

Without the experience, you may want to read the CWTS material first.. Maybe not take the test but at least go over the material. Then read the CWNA material which goes a bit more in depth.

Of course this all depends on well you take to new material. If you can grasp the concepts very well with a little hard work you should be ok.

I would also like to ask why the CWNA is attractive? If it's because CWNP states the starting salary is so high for CWNA certificated professionals, what they don't tell you is you need the experience to back it up. Not just a piece of paper that says "CWNA".. I am not trying to discourage you from getting the cert and joining the IT field but don't fall under the impression that getting a cert will earn you 80 grand a year.. (I fell for that one a loooong time ago).

Looking over some A+ and CWTS material are great starting points, followed up with a Microsoft Client cert you would look pretty good for starting as a desktop/field technician, but I would start with the basics and get your foot in the door.. after some real world experience certs become a lot easier to acquire.

Andy Griffin

steve13ad wrote: »

First off, welcome to TE!

Not to discourage you, but the CWNA could be too a big step for someone trying to start off. But each person is different, and you may find it doable.

What type of work do you want to eventually do?

Thank you for your warm welcome.

The whole reason I logged in was to get honest answers like yours.

As far as what I want to do, I haven't completely made up my mind. I am looking at getting a few "entry" certifications to get exposed to the many sides of I.T. then commit to the path that I like best.

Andy Griffin

SteveO86 wrote: »

Anyone can accomplish anything with enough time and dedication.

Without the experience, you may want to read the CWTS material first.. Maybe not take the test but at least go over the material. Then read the CWNA material which goes a bit more in depth.

Of course this all depends on well you take to new material. If you can grasp the concepts very well with a little hard work you should be ok.

I would also like to ask why the CWNA is attractive? If it's because CWNP states the starting salary is so high for CWNA certificated professionals, what they don't tell you is you need the experience to back it up. Not just a piece of paper that says "CWNA".. I am not trying to discourage you from getting the cert and joining the IT field but don't fall under the impression that getting a cert will earn you 80 grand a year.. (I fell for that one a loooong time ago).

Looking over some A+ and CWTS material are great starting points, followed up with a Microsoft Client cert you would look pretty good for starting as a desktop/field technician, but I would start with the basics and get your foot in the door.. after some real world experience certs become a lot easier to acquire.

Thank you for your reply. The CWNA is attractive to me because I want to be exposed to wireless technology. Like I mentioned in a different post, I am looking for exposure to all areas of I.T. (although I am looking mostly toward getting my foot in the door.)

Since I'm 42 not 22, I know better than to equate getting one certification to an automatic 80K salary, but you raise a good point. I think a lot of people get into I.T. solely because they think it pays better as opposed to having genuine interest in the field.

JDMurray

If you are new to wireless networking the CWTS would be a better start. I'd also recommend you have the equivalent networking knowledge of the Network+ cert before jumping into wireless, otherwise a lot of it won't make sense to you.

Andy Griffin

JDMurray wrote: »

If you are new to wireless networking the CWTS would be a better start. I'd also recommend you have the equivalent networking knowledge of the Network+ cert before jumping into wireless, otherwise a lot of it won't make sense to you.

That sounds like solid advice. It looks like I have some work ahead of me, but I'm confident it will be worth it.

JDMurray

Andy Griffin wrote: »

It looks like I have some work ahead of me, but I'm confident it will be worth it.

I didn't strat my Masters degree until I was 41, and that took a few years to complete, but it was certainly worth it.