Should I bother with Net+ if I am going to Security Route?
Hello everyone. So is it really worth the effort to get Network+ if I am going to Security? I recently just passed Sec+ and would like to either A. Focus in finishing up my degree in IT Management or B. Try to get as much security certs as possible. The only issue is I don't have any experience in security only help desk. Thank you.
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webgeek
Member Posts: 495 ■■■■□□□□□□
BS in IT: Information Assurance and Security (Capella) CISSP, GIAC GSEC, Net+, A+ -
Darril
Member Posts: 1,588
I agree with others that finishing up a degree is important but it doesn't have to be an either/or scenario. The degree will help you more in the long run by opening up more opportunities. Also, you'll typically earn more money than someone else doing the same job when you have a degree. A degree combined with some certifications show you have a wide range of knowledge and will help you get more interviews.
On your original question of whether or not you should get the Network+, I'd say it would be valuable. With a recent pass on the Security+, you have a lot of the Network+ knowledge and you could dig in to some of the Networking concepts a little deeper with the Network+ giving you a stronger overall networking foundation. With networks almost everywhere, this information is valuable and pursuing a certification forces you to study topics that you might not otherwise see. Again, with a recent Security+ pass you'll find that studying for this won't take an extraordinary amount of time and effort. You already have a good understanding of how the CompTIA exams are laid out and what to expect, and have a lot of the core knowledge. I'd say you could pursue Network+ while also doing IT Management classes.
I'm not sure what security certification you would pursue next, but some are quite challenging and might not be as easy to pursue while taking college classes.
Hope this helps. -
_Marauder
Member Posts: 132 ■■□□□□□□□□
I was in a similar situation as this a few years back. I worked on a help desk and faced a decision on what avenue to pursue. My advice would be to stick with the degree. You may find an interest in another career path within IT along the way. You could also pursue a cert during the summer break as well. -
ptilsen
Member Posts: 2,835 ■■■■■■■■■■
Degree should be your #1 focus if you're going to do it. However, certs aren't mutually exclusive. The question is where you want to go. I like the Net+ material, but depending on your long-term goals, it might make more sense to skip it. If you plan on getting CCNA at some point, I would definitely skip it.
